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Chapter Sixteen

EVA

I had given in last night and taken another of the sleeping pills my obstetrician had prescribed me I hadn’t been able to sleep since Daddy passed away, and I’d called my doctor desperate for help Jeremy had also offered to stay with e yesterday had hauntedso It was as if I was cheating now

He was going to want to talk to reed to wait until after the funeral, but that he had said the baby was his He wasn’t trying to deny it The Cage I had loved and trusted would want our baby But the Cage who had left me and turned from me when I had needed hi to tell hts to the baby to Jerehtthat had happened, I didn’t want Cage to not want our baby I wanted irl to have a daddy who adored her I wanted her to have what I had Sure, Jeremy had proe’s child the way a daddy loved his child He’d always remember whose child she really was

I looked out over the land as I sat rocking on the front porch swing This was mine to take care of now I had too It was row up there too

Jere me that we had to decide what to do about the stockyard this next weekend Would we make any new purchases or would ait? I watched him roll to a stop down by the barn He loved this land too He was a good

He jurab his hat before closing the door Watching him walk toward lanced down at er I hadn’t ben able to put the dia So Like I was pretending again I hated pretending

Lifting aze, I looked back at his face and saw he too had been looking at er He neverAnother reason I loved hi," he said with a s," I replied, tucking s so that neither of us was teain

"You sleep okay?" he asked as he walked up the steps and then leaned against the railing

"Yes Thanks to sleeping pills I slept fine You?"

He nodded "Yeah I slept good enough, I guess"

I wasn’t sure what to say to him then We’d never had aard moments before We had thee lied, but yet we’d never kissed I couldn’t i Jere the truth was too coo He’ll be here soon You ready for that?"

I kneho "he" was I didn’t have to ask I was surprised he’d called Jereeut twisted Deep down I’d thought he ain I rong about Cage York

"It’s time we talked He deserves the chance to decide what he wants to do about Bliss Daddy was right Bliss is Cage’s, too He should get a voice in what her future holds Are you ready for that? If he wants to be a part of her life?"

Jeremy shifted his stance and crossed his aro with Bliss," he said instead of an answer

Daddy and I had talked about baby names when he ake and able to talk Bliss had been his idea I had been leaning toward Heidi He had said that he believedht he closed his eyes for the last time that her name would be Bliss

"Daddy named her," I replied

Jeremy nodded "I like it"

"Me too"

We stood there not looking at each other and not talking Knowing Cage was on his way and he held the answer to ould happen next weighed on both of us I wondered if Jeree would be Bliss’s dad Maybe he didn’t want that kind of pressure just yet Would he want a child of his own one day? If we married, ould eventually have children

I couldn’t think about that I couldn’t even i Guilt ate at reed to? I neededmy eyes and I prayed I wouldn’t cry

"He’s here," Jeremy said

My head snapped up and I looked down the road to see Cage’s car slowly co down the driveway I remember how he used to speed down the road and jus were so different now My hand went to my stomach on reflex It was as if I needed to protect her from this What if this was the ht the way he had with me? I didn’t want that kind of rejection to ever touch her

"You want o on down to the barn and start ive us time alone to talk I was torn I didn’t want him to feel unwanted, but this was a conversation that his presence could hinder Cage may want him there I wasn’t sure yet "I’e’s door opened and he stepped out Even now ht of hi low on his narrow hips The snug-fitting black T-shirt he earing didn’t hide the fact his nipples were pierced He slid his aviator sunglasses off and threw the to look at e Jeremy They were pinned onhim was mixed with fear and pain His eyes dropped toit protectively His gaze lingered there before they lifted back up to pierce ive up our baby He didn’t have to speak for me to know that I could see it in his eyes

"Maybe we should have so over to squeeze his hand reassuringly I didn’t want Cage saying anything to upset Jeremy He didn’t deserve it

"I’ll be in the barn," he replied, turning and leaving the porch before Cage reached the steps I watched Jere back at Cage

When I heard his booted foot hit the first step, I forced myself to look at him His eyes were still locked on ain to e," I replied My nerves were obvious by the way ain "I’ood man"

I only nodded I wanted to yell and scream that he wasn’t here for me That he let me watch my daddy die without him here to hold onna tellto beat around the bush He was here for a purpose

"I was busy with my daddy I didn’t have time to deal with it You didn’t want to talk to ured it didn’t h"

Cage worked his jaw, and I kneas controlling himself He wasn’t happy with my response "You didn’t want me to call you, Eva You told me e had was destroyed You didn’t want est mistake"

I had been so upset then, and my enant then I couldn’t re I’d said to him But the pain that flashed in his eyes as he repeated h me

"I was hurt I wanted to hurt you back"

"You succeeded," he replied

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath "You’re not here to rehash the past What’s done is done You’re here to talk about, Bliss We need to discuss her and your intentions for her future"