Page 102 of Exposed Ink

“What?” he hisses, glancing from Taylor to me and lastly Jamie.

“Shane, please,” Jamie begs. “Can we talkalone?”

“Fuck no, we can’t,” he barks. “I let you into my home, and you pull a stunt like this? You’ve clearly recovered enough if you have time to plot against me and try to ruin my relationship with the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

“You loved me too,” Jamie points out.

“No, I didn’t,” he scoffs. “I liked you. I was a teenager, and you were cute. We had fun together, but it wasn’t love. I love my family, I love our daughter, and I love that woman right there.” He nods toward me, and butterflies attack my chest.

“You need to leave,” he tells Jamie. “If you’re not up for going back to the city, there’s a bed-and-breakfast in town. I’ll have my dad take you there.”

Jamie glances at Taylor—I think hoping she’ll argue for her mom to stay—but Taylor says, “I agree. You should go.”

With a huff, Jamie storms out of the kitchen.

Shane calls his dad, who agrees to take her to the town’s bed-and-breakfast, and within a few minutes, she’s gone without so much as a goodbye.

“I’m so damn sorry,” Shane says, pulling me into his arms. “I never should’ve left you alone with her. I knew she was hinting at wanting to get back together, but I ignored it, thinking once she was healed, she’d leave again, and then we’d go about our life.”

“It’s my fault,” Taylor says. “I asked you to let her stay with us, and you only said yes for me.”

“It’s not your fault,” he corrects. “She’s your mom, and you were trying to do a good thing. She took advantage of the situation.” He looks at me and notices my hands shaking. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I think I’m just hungry.”

“Fuck, the food,” Shane says. “Three of the guys have caught the same bug, and they’re short a man. I agreed to go in tonight. I can call them …”

“No,” I tell him. “Go. They need you. We can talk about all this once you’re done with your shift.”

“I can pack your soup for you to bring to the station,” Taylor offers. “And I’ll make sure Kinsley is still here when you get back.”

“Okay, thanks.” Shane chuckles.

“Come here,” he says, pulling me into his arms. “I don’t know what was said, but I know Jamie can be brutal with her words. I want to know what happened, what all was said, so we can discuss it and move forward, but until then, I need you to know that even if you weren’t in the picture, I wouldn’t be with her. You’re not keeping our family from being together—youaremy family.”

“And mine,” Taylor says, those two words helping to piece back together my heart.

“Well, that’s good,” I choke out. “Because you both are mine too.”

* * *

“What are these?”Taylor asks, holding up the dozens of sticky notes.

“They’re mine.” I snatch them from her. “It was my way of telling your dad I wanted to move in with you guys.”

“Okay. Then, why were they in your makeup bag?”

“Why were you in my makeup bag?” I mock glare.

“I’m out of finishing spray, so I was borrowing yours.”

“You’re not even going anywhere,” I say with a laugh.

“I don’t need to be going anywhere to put on makeup,” she sasses. “I put on makeup for me, not for anyone else,” she scoffs, making me laugh harder.

God, I love this girl so much.

“Now, back to these.” She waves the sticky notes in the air. “Are you serious about moving in?”

---