I stood and looked up at him. He held my gaze, and I knew he was being as sincere as Reid could be.
“You need help Reid, a lot of it. And your daughter will still be waiting for you when you’ve gotten help. Do it, if not for yourself, then for her.”
“I know, and I will get help. Thanks for hearing me out.”
"I don't hate you, you know, I hate what you did to me. But it is in the past now.” I looked back at Jude who smiled at me. Take care of yourself, Reid." I put my hand forward, and he took it. It seemed like a truce to me.
An hour later, Reid and I were offered joint custody of our daughter. We were both required to get counselling, along with Becca to make the separate family units work. We both agreed. I would do anything to make a better life for Becca and me.
* * *
"Mom."The sound of her voice made goosebumps spread over my skin. I turned, and she ran into my arms. She was almost my height. It had been months since I'd seen her and she was so much more grown up. Tears streamed down my cheeks. She wiped them away, telling me that we were going to be okay.
“Oh, Becca, when did you get so wise?”
"I've always been," she giggled, and I laughed. She was so much like me.
I introduced her to Jude, and she cocked a brow. "So, you're the one that beat up my Dad?"
“Guilty as charged.”
"Don't do it again," she said sternly then grinned. She hugged Jude, and it warmed my heart. That was a whole other bridge to cross, but for now, I was celebrating being reunited with my daughter.
"I love you, Becca."
"Love you, too, Mom."
When she walked off to chat with her father, I watched her with pride. She was so much more resilient than we had ever given her credit for.
I looked up at the sky and smiled. The Universe was on my side.
Strong arms wrapped around me as Jude planted a kiss on my neck.
“We should celebrate. Make out in that tent in your living room.”
“Mother duty tonight, but we can fit in something silent when she’s in bed.”
He laughed and spun me around.
“You’re a dirty little minx, Tara.”
Chapter 29
Jude
One month later
Inevitable, that was what Tara and I were. Fate brought us together all those years ago when her mother married Marcus, then her divorce, and my breakup brought us together again. I looked at her as she dried her hair and applied makeup, sitting stark naked on a bench, not making life very easy for me.
I sighed. There were other people in the next room, so there was no way we could do anything. We were not known for silent love-making. I stood at the full-length mirror and straightened my tie. I remembered the first time we’d stood in front of it. She walked up to me and stood in front of me, wearing nothing but a smile.
"Don't tempt me, Tara. I’ve never quite cared about other people being in the house when I've had you, but your daughter is out there this time.”
She bit her bottom lip, and I tried to think of anything else but what I wanted to do to her. How the fuck was I supposed to get rid of this hard-on? As if she could read my mind, she dropped to her knees in front of me and unzipped my pants, letting them fall to my ankles. She pulled down my boxers next.
“Tara…” I hissed.
“Shh.” she looked up at me, a finger on her lip.
