Two weeks had passed in somewhat of a blur.
Patience and I had gotten settled into a routine that worked for both of us, at least for the time being. I had even been added to the school pick up list, having dropped off and picked up Griffin from school a few times. The smile on his face and the joy that radiated from him whenever I did always sent a warmth to my heart I couldn’t explain.
Yet, his mother and I were still tiptoeing around each other. Our friendship had never been about walking on eggshells, filled with awkwardness, or moments of uncertainty.
But things had changed enormously.
I had married my best friend, who didn’t know she’d always been the love of my life. And I’d done it for convenience, to help her. It was both the right thing to do andwrong as well. Marrying purely for love is what Patience deserved; it’s what I’d wanted with her someday.
It was a moot point though.
Our coming together now was about ensuring she and Griffin remained together and that the scum trying to tear their world apart didn’t succeed.
We’d put on a united front since marrying one another when we were out in public, where watchful eyes could see us as we waited for the paternity test to come back; yet we retreated to our own space most of the time when we weren’t putting on a show.
It wasn’t easy for me, though, because when I was with her, my heart and body were telling me I was a fool to believe this whole thing was a ruse. It didn’t feel that way when she was by my side.
Patience was the best thing in my life.
However, the feelings she provoked inside me were also a problem.
Still drowning in the nightmares and guilt of what happened to my teammates, I was a mess. It wasn’t just about those who had died, but also the knowledge that Dusty was still going through hell too. Maybe staying in Texas would have been easier, but how could I do that when the best person I knew, the one most precious to me, needed my help?
I couldn’t.
So, we may not be playing house, but outside the condo walls, we were playing the happy couple.
And we were about to step that up big time.
Yup, we were headed to Landon’s country club—as husband and wife—for some big charity event with everyone in our tight circle. Whoever thought this was a good idea, knowing that the enemy would be there, was crazy.
Oh yeah, that would be Alley. Then her loving husband, Patience’s attorney, agreed with her. I understood theyneeded to go—even though for him, running into his family wasn’t any more appealing than us running into Chaz’s—because not only did his law firm support the causes they were raising money for, but so did No Surrender.
But a black-tie affair? Yup, I was truly out of my comfort zone—for many reasons.
I ran my sweaty hands down my dress pants as I stopped and stared at the door to my home. Not the condo—that was just a place to stay—but Gramps’s house, where love and security had always been present since the day I’d arrived at his doorstep.
Only now, why did it feel like walking over the threshold would be something more monumental and terrifying than being dumped by my mother? Something I wasn’t prepared for but nonetheless would be a game changer in the end.
Because it had been exactly that.
Blowing out a deep breath, I opened the door and walked inside. Griffin and Autumn were the first to greet me. Tristan hung back to watch, and I realized I needed to spend some quality time with my nephew, so he got used to me. They were staying with Gramps for the evening, while all the other kids were at their own homes, or with each other somewhere, being watched by babysitters.
“Jett! Jett!” Autumn yelled exuberantly as she ran up and wrapped her little arms around my legs.
Maybe if she gets them dirty, I can stay home.
“Wait until you see Patience,” she squealed.
Not one to be ignored, Griffin launched himself at me as usual, and I swept him up into my arms. “Daddy, Mommy looks so purr-ty.”
I chuckled at the way he said the word, stretching it out, but the laughter got stuck in my throat when movement caught my eye. Just then, I turned my head toward the staircasewhere Patience was descending, looking like a cross between a sex goddess and a beautiful princess.
She was breathtaking in a floor-length dress that may have been some shade of purple, I thought. It had small straps, but basically sleeveless. The top was fitted in a criss-cross fashion across her small waist and perfect breasts while the rest of the dress flowed freely around her.
But it was the slightest opening in the middle with a sneak peek of the soft, creamy skin on her stomach that gave my cock a jolt and had my blood pumping faster.
Shutting my eyes was all I could do to try and regain any sense of control and not embarrass myself with kids in the room.
