"Yeah, football." My brother turned back with interest. "You play?"
"Used to, back in high school." Kade gestured toward the backyard. "You want to toss the ball around for a bit? Work out some of those kinks?" I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and by the looks of it, neither could my mother. She went as wide-eyed as I was as Kade stood and Nate grinned.
My brother's face lit up and he nodded eagerly. They headed out to the backyard and I watched through the window as Kade grabbed the football and started throwing spirals. They moved easily together and I could hear them laughing even through the glass.
My father leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "Brandon never did anything like that the entire time you two were dating." The anger in his eyes would linger for a while, until he remembered how much he loved the Hollis money and what it meant for my future; then he'd probably try to convince me to forgive the poor mook again.
But he was right. Brandon had tolerated my family, but he'd never really engaged with them. He'd sit through dinners and smile politely, but he'd never offered to throw a football with my brother or ask my mother about her cooking or talk to my father about work. He'd always been waiting for the evening to end so we could leave.
Kade wasn't waiting for anything. He was out there genuinely enjoying himself and making my brother's entire week in the process. My god the stories Nate—a high school senior now—would tell at school on Monday.
My mother set down her fork and looked at me with concern. "How old is he, Lainey?"
The question made my stomach tighten. "Thirty-six." I pried my eyes away from the back door and stared at my soggy plate. Even if my food wasn't ruined I still wouldn't be eating it, but that comment soiled it for me at this point. She thought Kade and I were an item or something. Maybe they figured out that I was on the rebound—it'd make sense given how abruptly my thing with Brandon ended. But honestly, a celebrity? Did they know me so little?
"Thirty-six?" Her voice rose slightly. "Honey, that's fifteen years older than you."
"I know how old he is." I pushed food around on my plate and avoided her eyes.
"I'm just worried." She reached across the table and touched my hand. "You've been through a lot with Brandon and I don't want you jumping into something else without thinking it through."
"It's not like that," I said, even though the words felt hollow. "He's just helping with the bakery. That's all." And it stung saying that. I looked out over the backyard, but sadness welled up.
Did I ever have a chance with Kade? He didn't seem like the type to throw money around to help someone, though he had mentioned it'd help his PR too. Still, a man that rich could have any woman he wanted. Why had he come back for seconds? It made my heart feel all jacked up, especially because I knew something no one else did. Kade and I were tied together for eternity now, with or without that annulment—which was why I assumed he'd come back to Boulder City.
My mother didn't look convinced but she didn't push. My father was still watching Kade and my brother in the backyard, and I watched with interest. Kade had taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, and he was showing my brother how to improve his throwing stance. They were both smiling and my brother was hanging on every word.
I felt embarrassed suddenly, remembering that I'd slept with Kade. He was fifteen years older than me and my mother was right to be concerned, even if she didn't know the half of it. He didn't act that old and he didn't appear that old, but the age gap was there and it was significant. What had I been thinking?
But watching him out there with my brother made it hard to focus on the embarrassment. This wasn't what I'd expected when Kade had shown up at my door offering to help. I'd thought he was just another rich guy looking for good PR, but this felt different. He didn't have to be out there bonding with my brother. He didn't have to charm my parents or talk up my bakery or make any of this effort.
Something warm spread through my chest as I watched them and I recognized it for what it was. I was smitten. I was actually falling for him. My stomach churned and I felt the familiar wave of nausea building, and I knew I was about to lose the few bites I'd managed to eat.
"Excuse me," I said, standing up quickly. "I need to use the restroom."
My mother looked at me with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Fine, just need a minute." I rushed out of the dining room and down the hall to the bathroom, barely making it before I was doubled over the toilet.
How on earth was I going to tell Kade the truth? And what would my parents say when they found out?
If my mom's first impression was that Kade was too old for me, she really wouldn’t like hearing that she was about to be a grandma, and it was Kade's doing.
15
KADE
I walked Lainey out to the driveway after what had turned into one of the best evenings I'd had in months. Her parents had finally stopped asking questions and her brother had disappeared upstairs to do homework, leaving us standing under the porch light with the cool night air settling around us.
"You didn't have to go out there and toss a football with him," she said, hugging her arms around herself. "I'm sure you had better things to do."
"Actually, it was nice." I shoved my hands in my pockets and glanced back at the house. "Being treated like a normal person instead of a celebrity for once. It's rare that anyone just wants to throw a ball around without asking for a picture or trying to get something out of me."
She studied my face and I could see her processing that. "I guess I never thought about it that way."
"I never got to do normal things like that when I was younger." I shrugged a shoulder and sighed. "I was tossed between boarding schools and prep schools my whole childhood. There wasn't a lotof time for backyard football or family dinners. Tonight felt like I was part of a real family, and I enjoyed that very much."
Her expression softened and she smiled at me. "That's actually really sweet."
