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He shouldn’t be concerned after what I’d said to him last night. And Cage wasn’t a forgiving person by nature. He’d always been stoic and stubborn and strong. But for whatever reason, I’d always been the one person that he’d given a pass.
He’d called me his Achilles’ heel back in the day.
From the first time we met, he’d been tuned into my feelings, yet he seemed completely unaware of everyone else’s feelings most of the time.
It made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, having this man’s light shine so brightly on me.
And then it was all just gone.
“Hey. Yeah, I’m good,” I said, pushing against the ground to stand, but he waved his hands for me to stay seated. He stood just inches in front of me and squatted down as his gaze locked with mine.
They’d always been the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. Sapphire blue with a dark green circle around the irises. His prominent jaw was covered in day-old scruff, and he still took my breath away, even all these years later.
“Yeah? I saw you sitting under the tree out here and thought I’d better come check on you.”
“I hope it’s okay that I’m here. Probably a little creepy that your ex-girlfriend is just sitting under a tree in your front yard.” I chuckled and looked away because at the moment, looking at Cage physically hurt.
It made no sense.
Our ship had sailed.
We’d both moved on.
I’d survived the loss of him, and I’d promised myself I’d never allow myself to love like that again. So, this should be freeing. A form of closure. But that was not how it felt.
“You know you’re always welcome. But I’m guessing you came here for a reason.”
“I wanted to apologize for what I said to you last night.”
“You want to apologize, huh? Which part in particular are you referring to?” Between his deep voice and the sexy smirk on his face, it was like I’d just been injected with a strong aphrodisiac.
Right between the legs.
I’d thought my body was beyond reacting to anything anymore, but I’d just been proven wrong. Clearly, I wasn’t completely dead inside, as I’d suspected.
I looked up to see him watching me and sucked in a breath before glancing out at the water in the distance. “You didn’t ruin me, Cage. I’m just in a weird place right now. But it has nothing to do with you, and I shouldn’t have lashed out at you.”
But in a way, it had everything to do with him, didn’t it? The reason I was in a miserable marriage. The reason I’d chosen a completely different plan for my life.
“Daddy!” a little girl’s voice shouted, and she came running out the front door as she headed straight for Cage. All the air left my lungs as I watched her. She was wearing pink tights and a pink leotard and a pair of pink cowboy boots. Dark curls bounced all around her as she pumped her arms and ran toward him like he was the only person in the world that mattered. My heart clenched when she jumped into his arms, and he pushed to his feet and scooped her right up.
It was magical and sweet and so endearing. Like I was a witness to something that was rare in this world.
Cage and his little girl turned toward me, and I stood up, brushing the dirt off my behind.
“Who’s that pretty lady, Daddy?” she asked as he held her on his hip.
“Gracie, this is my friend, Presley.”
Her hands flew to her mouth, but I was mesmerized by her chocolate-brown eyes and her little cherub cheeks. She was the cutest kid I’d ever seen. She had a perfect mix of all the Reynolds’ qualities all wrapped into the most adorable package. “Presley? That’s your friend who shares your heart with me, right, Daddy? Her name is inked right by my name. We have the same birthday. We’re your two girls?”
Cage’s shoulders tensed, and I looked between them, trying to understand what she was talking about. She was obviously just repeating what Cage must have told her, and judging by his unease, I was fairly certain my guess was right.
“That’s something else you’re thinking of. Presley is my friend, though, andyou’vegot Daddy’s heart.” He cleared his throat.
Inked on his heart?
What was she talking about? I wanted to ask, but this clearly wasn’t the time or place, and he acted like she was just confused, so maybe she was.
