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My hair blowsin the breeze as I take in the sounds of the forest. I’ve been coming out here for years, and when I’m here, I feel at peace. I feel like Jaxon is here with me; his support throughout our time together brings a sense of solace to the cabin and the surrounding area.

It’s off the beaten track, secluded, a little piece of heaven wrapped up in a small wooden cabin that’s seen better days and in serious need of renovation.

The wooden dock I sit on is where I’ve spent much of my time watching Bryce grow from a toddler in floaties to a competent swimmer able to enjoy the lakeside setting. My only wish was to have a cabin raised higher so you’re able to view the lake from there. Instead, it’s quite a walk down the rugged path to see it.

When I close my eyes, I see Jaxon telling me everything will be okay. He snuggles into me, and I mimic the action, pulling the blanket tighter to keep the chill out.

The dreams and hopes we had as teenagers in love to the here and now are so far apart, nobody could ever have predicted it, and what’s more, if I’m being honest with myself, I wouldn’t have changed it neither.

“You shouldn’t be down here by yourself,” a deep voice growls, and I close my eyes at the pain the familiarity brings.

“I’m perfectly fine. I’m used to doing things by myself,” I snipe out with venom. I tilt my head to glare at him, but I’m taken aback by the man I see before me.

Reed’s not the perfectly put together man I know him to be. His hair is disheveled, his five o’clock shadow now replaced with unkept facial hair, his eyes are red and puffy, and his clothes look like they haven’t been changed in days.

I’m not sure why it hurts so much to see him like this. It shouldn’t.

His eyes soften as he stares at me, but I glare right back. Then he shifts them away, the guilt swims in them. He glances around him. “Are the boys okay?”

“They’re fine,” I snap, and glance down at the baby monitor beside me.

He swallows hard, then brings his gaze back to mine where he holds it. “I missed you.” My heart skips a beat at his admission. He chokes a little, then clears his throat. “I missed the boys. Missed you all so damn much, Gia.”

Tears well in my eyes at the emotion pouring from him.

“Please let me explain.” His solemn eyes bore into mine, and anger surges through me. Why should I let him explain? How can he try to explain this away?

I lift my chin higher and grit my teeth.

“Please,” he begs, and the sound has my heart squeezing tightly in my chest, threatening to burst. I want to hate him. I want to pound on his chest and tell him he destroyed us, but I want him to tell me something I don’t know. I want him to make me understand and make everything right, and I cling to the notion that there’s more to this than I’ve been told. As much as I have the evidence proving his guilt, I know Reed. I feel him deep in my soul. I’m not just his little thief, he’s mine too, so I nod.

His shoulders sag, and relief floods his face. It’s obvious he didn’t think I would let him explain. But when our son comes of age, I owe him an explanation as to why his father is not on the scene, why I did everything I can to protect him against the men who think they can rule the world with greed.

Reed brushes some dirt away with his shoe, then sits down beside me. My lip twitches at the thought of him muddying his ass and how he thinks kicking the dirt will make a difference.

He pulls a wad of rolled-up papers from inside his pocket and holds them out for me to take.

“What are they?”

He shakes them. “Take them and see.”

I shake my head with a heavy sigh. “I’m not interested in your games, Reed. I’m tired. So fucking tired.”

His face softens, and guilt mars his handsome features.

He places them in my lap, but I make no move to open them. “When you walked into your dad’s office...”

I flinch at the term of endearment that man doesn’t deserve.

“I was a different person that day. I was ruthless and controlling.” He shakes his head. “I was hellbent on getting the deal I’ve been trying to get for years.” He swallows thickly. “I don’t allow myself to open up to anyone, Gia, and you know what? I’m grateful I didn’t. I’m grateful the first person I opened up to was you.” As he rests back on his hands, the evening sun beats down on us both, but it’s still cold in the air despite the feeling of warmth his presence brings.

“I didn’t like kids, hated fucking animals.” He shudders while my eyebrows shoot up. “The lengths I’ve gone to make you like me. Make all of you like me.” Releasing a humorless chuckle, he shakes his head. “When I knocked on your door, I’d signed those papers thinking all my Christmases had come at once. You would get to keep the baby I never considered, and I’d get the land I’d always wanted.” His Adam’s apple works, and his chest rises while he takes a moment to look away as if to compose himself.

“I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. How I thought I could ever not fall in love with you and my boys.” My heart skips a beat and leaps in my chest so hard I have to suck in a sharp breath of air to keep breathing. “That moment in the kitchen. The one where I…” He means when he came in his pants, when we shared something more. “I realized then I was never letting you go. All of you.” He shifts a little. “I went back to the office and put a plan in motion.” He gestures toward the documents. “I made sure that when I got the land, it would all be in Bryce’s name.”

I’m stunned. My mind struggles to play catch up.

“Bryce owns the land now. From that day forward, I wanted it for him, not myself.” He shakes his head. “From the moment we were in the kitchen together, I knew I wanted to make sure it was Bryce who would benefit from our relationship. That he would get the legacy he deserved in honor of the man who gave me the most precious gift in the world.”