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  Lily narrowed her eyes. “Neither would I, but I most certainly would wish it on her. And you are not going back to DC to be an unpaid servant to that woman.”

  Sadie kept quiet while her sister ranted. Since Sadie could remember, she’d searched for the good in the woman she called mother. There had to be something about her otherwise, why would Daddy have married her? She was only five when he’d died, but he was so loving and gentle. Surely a man like him wouldn’t have been with someone like her mother if there wasn’t at least a little good in her.

  “You’re not considering it are you?” Lily stared at her with a narrowed gaze. “Rhys wouldn’t allow that to happen.”

  “Probably not. But I don’t know, things have been kind of weird for us lately. Don’t get me wrong. I love him and I’m sure he loves me, but he’s going through some things with his daughter. I’ve tried to be there for him as much as I can, but things are a bit strained.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’ll let you move away from him. It’s pretty obvious he’s smitten, and whatever is going on you two will work it out.”

  “You really think so?”

  “I know you will, sis. But back to Cruella out there. I don’t know why you put yourself through this? Every time she snaps her fingers, you jump. You’ve got to stop trying to please her. It’s not going to happen. Rose, Daisy and I figured that out a long time ago. Look at how she treated poor Thorne. I wish to God he didn’t have to spend his last days with that creature.”

  “He didn’t suffer in the end though. He died peacefully in his sleep.”

  “I know, hon. But this cancer thing, it’s tragic, but it’s not your responsibility to take care of her. That’s what she wants. She’s like a succubus, she’ll drain the life out of you if you let her. Come home with me tonight to at least get away from her. I’d sleep much better tonight knowing that you’re not being made to feel uncomfortable in your own home.”

  “I can’t just leave Mom here like that.”

  “Yes, you can. You have two options. You can go upstairs and get an overnight bag or I can go out there and whoop her ass. Take your pick.”

  Sadie knew Lily would do it too. “Okay,” she sighed. “Let me go upstairs and pack. Please don’t do anything you’ll regret while I’m gone. Better yet, I think you should come with me.”

  * * *

  Rhys missed Sadie like crazy, missed holding her, inhaling her scent, missed just having her near. Ever since his confrontation with Lacey, things had been a bit stressful between them. With Sadie’s mother in town, he didn’t get to see her as much as he wanted although he realized that would probably be just fine with Jackie Flowers. Though she didn’t come right out and say it, he could tell she didn’t care for him although he’d tried his hardest to charm the woman. All she seemed to do was complain even though he’d taken her and Sadie out to one of the nicest restaurants in the area and spared no expense. Rhys wasn’t sure if she didn’t like white men or if it was just him, but besides his ex-wife, he’d never met a more disagreeable woman in his life. How a harpy like that could produce someone as sweet and sensitive as his Sadie was beyond him.

  Sadie wasn’t picking up her cell phone so he called her home number. It was answered on the third ring.

  “Hello?” It wasn’t Sadie. Rhys recognized the voice as her mother’s.

  He felt like a schoolboy asking permission to speak to his girlfriend on a school night. “Hello, Mrs. Flowers. May I speak to Sadie, please?”

  “She ain’t here.”

  “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

  “Nope.”

  “Could you leave her a message that I called.”

  “I could, but you’re wasting your time.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Sadie will end up with her ex-boyfriend. She always does. They always break up and make up. You know how it is.”

  He froze. What the hell was this woman talking about? Sadie’s ex? From his understanding, her ex had married his child’s mother. “That’s odd, you wouldn’t happen to be talking about the one who got married behind her back?”

  Jackie snorted. “As if a little thing like that would stop them from getting back together. Those two are like peanut butter and jelly. You mark my word, she’ll be back with him. Anyway, he’s no longer with that tramp he married. Guess he realized what Sadie soon will—they belong together.”

  Rhys bit the inside of his lip to hold back the angry retort. “Well, I would imagine that’s Sadie’s decision. Please tell her I called.” He hung up before the woman could respond.

  What the hell was that about? Sadie never mentioned anything about getting a back with her ex. She never mentioned him at all beyond relaying what a jerk he’d been. It didn’t make sense.

  As he sat in his office, he stewed over the conversation he’d had with Sadie’s mother and realized, he couldn’t wait for Sadie to get home. He tried her cell phone again.

  “Rhys?” Sadie answered.

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “So where are you?”

  “I’m with Lily. I’m staying the night with her. I needed a break from my mom and my sister rescued me. Does that sound terrible?”

  After talking to her mother Rhys couldn’t say he blamed her. “Oh. I just got off the phone with her. You didn’t answer your cell earlier so I called the home number and you weren’t there so I was worried.”

  “Oh, I had my phone on silent. I saw you’d called so I was in the process of calling you back.”

  “I see.”

  “Are you okay? Did my mother say something to upset you?”

  “We had an interesting conversation.”

  “Oh? What about?”

  “She mentioned you getting back with your ex-boyfriend. Of course, she was wrong, right?”

  Silence greeted his inquiry, making his heart seize.

  “She was wrong, wasn’t she?”

  “Of course she was. I don’t know why she’d say that. I mean he’s been in contact with me, but I haven’t returned any of his calls.”

  Jealousy of the likes he’d never experienced reared its head. “That’s interesting considering you’ve never mentioned these calls.”

  “Because they weren’t worth mentioning. Terrell is my past and you are my present.”

  He noticed how she didn’t mention future. Was she hiding something from him, or was he just being paranoid? “I see,” he said tightly. “So your mother was full of shit?”

  “My mother has an active imagination.”

  “But I didn’t imagine you not telling me about phone calls from your ex.”

  She sighed. “Rhys, I don’t know why you can’t just take me at my word, but if you’re going to be like this, I think my mother isn’t the only one I need a break from. I know things are a bit crazy right now with what’s going on with your ex-wife, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my word.”

  “You should have told me, Sadie.”

  “Okay, I should have told you, but I didn’t. I’m sorry.” Her apology was curt and she sounded more than a little annoyed.

  It was then he realized, he needed to step away from this conversation before he said something he regretted. “Okay, Sadie. I’m sorry too. Give me a call when you get back home?”

  “Sure.”

  He hesitated for a moment but knew he couldn’t disconnect the call without telling her how he felt. “I love you.”

  There was a long pause before she answered. “I love you too Rhys. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. You sound tired, get some rest.”

  “I will. Goodnight.”

  A click sounded in his ear indicating she’d hung up first. What the hell just happened? Even though the call ended with the right words something seemed off. His heart was heavy.

  “Get yourself together, man.” He raked his fingers through his hair. It seemed his world was spinning off its access. Carys walked around the house in a state of depression, Lacey had the nerve to call him with demands
and now he and Sadie were having problems, not that he intended to let her go.

  Rhys walked out of his study and went upstairs to check on Carys. She was sound asleep. He sat on the bed next to her, careful not to wake her up. He couldn’t love her more if she was his biological daughter. He leaned dropped a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

  There was one problem he could solve. He intended to call his lawyer to draw up papers for Lacey to sign away her parental rights for a large lump sum of money. It would be the second pay off he’d given her, but this one would ensure that she stayed away. She’d get half of the offering now, and the other half when Carys turned eighteen as long as she kept her promise. Knowing Lacey, she wouldn’t pass up the money.

  He was on his way to bed when the door rang. Rhys was surprised to see a policeman standing on his doorstep. “Good evening. Is there a problem officer?”

  “Are you Rhys Edwards?”

  “Yes, sir, I am. What’s the matter?”

  “There’s been an accident and we found your information. Would you be able to come down to the morgue? We’ll need you to identify the body.”

  His heart plummeted to his feet.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Are you sure you don’t mind me tagging along? I mean maybe you and Carys should be spending this time together,” Sadie suggested when Rhys called to ask if she wanted to join him and his daughter for a horseback riding excursion. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him; it was just that the last couple times they’d seen each other, things had been awkward. Their last outing together had ended in an argument which she was still smarting over.

  They’d only been together a handful of times in the last month because of the accident that claimed Carys’ mother. The burial arrangements had fallen to Rhys because apparently his ex-wife had had a falling out with her parents who wanted nothing further to with it. Sadie had her own problems to deal with. Though her mother was gone, she called nearly every night to update Sadie on her health. To hear Jackie tell it, she was on her deathbed. She didn’t even get to see Rhys on campus because he’d taken a leave of absence to settle things. It was all taking its toll on Sadie.

  It didn’t help that Carys was back to being her evil rotten self. The comments were getting more personal and nastier in nature. It was as if the girl really did hate her. Sadie tried to tell herself the girl was just hurting over the loss of her mother, but for every fat and ugly comment she heard, it was getting more difficult to be around the child without wanting to backhand her. Maybe if she would have told Rhys from the get-go about what his precious angel was up to, perhaps it would have been nipped in the bud and she wouldn’t be going through this, but now if she said something she’d probably end up looking like the asshole for not being able to handle a fourteen-year-old child.

  Whenever she and Rhys would get together, he would include Carys because she “didn’t want to be alone”. And that last disastrous dinner played back scene for scene in her mind. They’d only gotten past appetizers when his cell phone rang. It was Carys, of course, asking him to come pick her up.

  Sadie shuddered as she remembered that night almost a week ago to the day. Rhys gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry sweetheart, but we’re going to have to cut this date short. Carys needs me.”

  Sadie frowned. “Isn’t she at a sleepover?”

  “Yes, but she says she misses me. What am I supposed to say to that?”

  “How convenient,” Sadie muttered allowing her bitterness to seep through.

  Rhys narrowed his eyes slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Normally she would have kept her mouth shut, but she wasn’t in the mood to be accommodating tonight. “She misses you when we’re on a date, yet you guys see each other almost every day. I barely see you anymore.”

  “I’ve tried to make as much time for you as possible. For Christ sake, my daughter is going through a lot and I thought you understood.”

  She stared back at him mutinously not saying a word. If he thought she’d cave he could forget about it. She was moody and hungry. That he couldn’t spare her a couple hours for a meal without having to run off the minute Carys called made her wonder why the heck she was fighting so hard to be with him. That she couldn’t feel compassion when she knew Carys and Rhys needed it made her even angrier. She hated herself for feeling this way but couldn’t help it. “I understand. And I think I’ve been more than patient, but I can’t help but wonder why it is that she needs you whenever we get together?”

  His mouth fell open. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. I find it hard to believe the generous woman I thought I knew is being so selfish.”

  “Well, if I’m so selfish we might as well call this a night. You don’t want to keep your little angel waiting. As a matter of fact, I’ll save you the trouble of taking me home. I’ll call a cab.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Sadie. Of course, I’ll take you home.”

  She grabbed her purse and headed for the front to claim her coat. Sadie stood on the curb looking for numbers of taxi companies on her phone by the time Rhys caught up with her. Grabbing her by the forearm, he turned her around to face him, his face beet red in his apparent anger. “What the hell has gotten into you? Are you kidding? Storming out of the restaurant like that?”

  She shrugged, unmoved by his anger. “I thought I was giving you what you wanted—to get to Carys sooner. If I find my own way home that’s one less worry you’ll have.”

  “Bullshit. You’re doing this because you’re being childish.”

  Sadie cocked a brow. “So I’m being selfish and childish? Fine, then leave me alone.” She wrenched her arm out of his grip and stomped off.

  This time when he caught up with her, he grabbed her by both arms and turned her around so quickly she didn’t see his head descend. He ground his lips against hers kissing her hard and deep, pressing his tongue past her slightly parted lips and stealing her breath away. As always when she was in his arms, Sadie melted unable to resist his brand of seduction. She found herself returning his kiss, pushing her tongue forward to meet his, her fingers tangling through his hair. Her body hummed with need and her pussy throbbed.

  They held each other several moments before breaking away, gasping for air. Rhys pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to fight with you Sadie. Don’t you think I’m just as disappointed as you are that our evening has been cut short?”

  She could only nod, not trusting herself to speak; besides, she suddenly felt so bone-weary she couldn’t think straight. Rhys took her by the hand and led her to the car. Neither one of them spoke the entire car ride to her house. Sadie was okay with that. The steamy kiss they’d shared outside the restaurant changed nothing. He would drop her off and then run to Carys. Would this be the pattern for the rest of their relationship? After a chaste kiss on the cheek when he walked her to the door he left.

  He called her a couple days later and they spoke as if everything was okay, but the tension was still there. Now he wanted her to go horseback riding with them? She could think of ten thousand things she’d rather do than spend time with Carys, like shaving her legs with broken glass. But if she told him that she’d really look like an even bigger bitch than she’d acted on their last date.

  “Sadie are you still there?” Rhys asked on the other end of the line, snapping her out of her silent musings.

  “I’m sorry. Uh, horseback riding? Today?”

  “Yes. We’d love for you to join us.”

  “Well…I uh, I’m sure you two would rather be alone without me tagging along.”

  “Not this again.”

  “No. It wasn’t meant like that. I’m just saying I don’t want to intrude.”

  “We’d both like you to come. Anyway, it was Carys’s idea. She knows we haven’t seen a lot of each other lately and suggested I invite you.”

  “She did?” That didn’t sound like the Carys Sadie had come to know. Could it possibly be that losing
her mother changed something in Carys?

  “Yes. She’d be very disappointed if you don’t come, as will I. Please. I think this would be a great bonding opportunity for the two of you since she loves horses.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been on a horse before.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of you. Carys is an expert horsewoman. She’ll show you the ropes.” That was what Sadie was afraid of, but she kept that comment to herself. She honestly didn’t feel like going horseback riding, she was still tired and for the past week, all she felt like doing was sleeping. She wasn’t sure where this fatigue came from. On top of that, she thought she was coming down with some kind of flu bug because she couldn’t keep anything down.

  “Rhys, I don’t know. I’m not feeling one hundred percent.”

  “Sadie, please, we haven’t seen each other in a nearly a week. I need to see you. After horseback riding, we can do something together. Just you and me.”

  “What about Carys?”

  “I’ll drop her off at her girlfriend’s house. Please, love. I want to see you.”

  It was hard to say no when he pleaded like that.

  She sighed. This was going against her better judgment. “Okay.”

  “Great. The stables are actually closer to your house so if you wanted to meet us there we could do that, or it’s no problem if we swung by and picked you up.”

  “Just give me the directions and I’ll be there.”

  * * *

  “Are you sure she’ll come, Daddy? I mean she seemed awful upset the last time I saw her. Maybe she doesn’t want me hanging out with you guys.”

  Rhys wrapped his arms around his daughter’s shoulder and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’m sure that isn’t the case, sweetheart.”

  “But…I don’t know, I still feel like she doesn’t like me.”

  It wasn’t the first time Carys had said that. A couple weeks ago he would have refuted that statement with absolute certainty, but with Sadie’s strange behavior lately, he didn’t know what the deal was. He didn’t want to believe that, particularly when he was in love with Sadie to the point of distraction, but what the hell was going on with her? “I’m sure she does, honey. It’s a nice thing you’ve done inviting her to join us like this. I know how protective you can be of your horses. You didn’t let your best friend ride either of them for months.”