His heart picked up speed beneath my cheek.
“He was thrilled, and I booked my flight for the next Tuesday. But on Sunday, Ashley told me she was pregnant with my baby.”
I pulled my head back in shock as my stomach fell to the floor. I pushed a swallow down my constricted throat, the thought of a baby Cane running around Rhode Island making me sick. “Really?”
He laughed menacingly. “Really. So Dad calls me Monday night to go over my travel plans and stuff, and I told him what Ashley said. He was really disappointed, angry, and all that.”
Cane adjusted his position but made sure I didn’t leave his side. “He had finally decided to buy this property in Queen Creek that belonged to this widow, even though it was a mess. There was a guy who owned a small piece of land next to this parcel that wanted it, too, and he was driving potential buyers away so he could get it for a cheaper price.” He brushed a strand of hair out of my face. “That other guy was Simon’s dad.”
“Did he go ahead and buy it?”
“We were on the phone. He was telling me he’d made an offer and that I should be there learning from him, helping him. All of a sudden, I could hear a change in his voice, and he said he needed to get off the phone. He said he thought he was being followed, and the car behind him had begun driving erratically. So we hung up. And an hour or so later, Max called that my dad had died in a car crash.”
All the air left my body. “Cane! What happened?”
He nudged my head back down to his chest. I wasn’t sure if he needed me close or didn’t want me to see his face as he recalled the tragedy, but I leaned against him.
“Well, of course, I immediately thought of Simon’s dad, Lee. The police originally ruled it an accident, but I came home right away andhired a private investigator. Nick worked on it for a few months before it was proven that Lee intentionally hit my dad’s car.”
He bent down and kissed my head. “And, for the record, the baby thing was a bald-faced lie. So there is no little Cane running around.”
“I don’t know what to say. I am so sorry.”
“Yeah, well, this is my burden to bear, not yours. I hate talking about this. I just thought it was time for me to try to be open with you, you know?”
“Thank you, Cane.”
He pulled the blankets up over us. “Sleep now, beautiful girl.”
“Are you awake?”Cane nudged me in the side as I lay next to him.
“I am now,” I answered sleepily.
“I have a craving.”
“Cane!” I laughed, wiping my eyes to help me wake up.
“What? Oh, you thought I meant for you?”
“I’ll play along. What do you have a craving for, Mr. Alexander?”
“Chocolate chip cookies,” he whispered.
“Are you serious?” I glanced at the clock. “It’s one in the morning.”
“I can’t help it. I want chocolate chip cookies.”
I fell onto my back and sighed. “Do you have some Chips Ahoy or something?”
“Nope.”
“I’m sure there’s a grocery open around here. This is a major metropolitan area.”
He leaned in close and whispered, “I want us to make them.”
“You want us to make homemade chocolate chip cookies right now?”
He nodded eagerly like a child.
