Page 86 of Malachi
“Eden, are you alright?” Ruth asked beside me.
“No,” I whispered quietly, feeling myself start to tremble. “I need to get out of here.”
“Okay, just a moment,” Ruth nodded with understanding.
“Excuse me for just a moment. I’m just going to show Eden where the bathroom is,” she whispered to her sister, who sat on the other side of her chair. Gently, she helped me stand from the table and led me down the hall.
“What’s going on?” she whispered as we walked further from the gathered masses.
“I think everything just hit me all of a sudden,” I explained.
“Do you think you can make it through the brunch, or do we need to leave?” Ruth asked with concern.
“I think I can get through it. I just need a minute,” I sighed heavily, feeling that shaky feeling intensify.
“The bathroom is right through here. Why don’t you splash some water on your face and see if you feel any better? If you don’t, just say the word and we are out of here, okay?” I was grateful for her help, nodding my head as I turned and entered the bathroom. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Gone was the young girl filled with wonder and wild dreams. In her place stood a woman, wife of Malachi Temple, yes, but more than that, I was Eden Temple, a strong, capable woman in my own right.
I could do this. After hearing what my new family had gone through, this brunch was a cakewalk. I splashed water over my face, feeling my anxiety settle enough that I felt able to return to the table.
I would not buckle under the pressure of this. I was Eden Temple. And I was a badass.
CHAPTER22
MALACHI
I paced the floor of the pole barn, tired and frustrated. It had been one hell of a day, in and out of meetings that either bored me to tears or made me physically sick to my stomach. There was no in between. No gray area. Towards the end of the day, Zeke had let us know a brother’s meeting was necessary. Why, I had no idea.
Eden was still back at the house. Her day had been hell, according to her, though she didn’t give me any details. By the time I had made it home, she was running a bath for herself. She said she’d meet me here when she finished. When I had pressed her for details, she had resisted, telling me we would talk later. I didn’t like that answer one bit. I knew the girls had had a luncheon today, but it had obviously taken a much bigger toll on her than either of us expected.
I had urged her to come with me, even offering to give her a bath myself later when our little brother’s meeting ended, but she had refused. She said she needed a little space. That didn’t bode well. Everything within me wanted to go to her, to tell my brothers to fuck all the way off, and simply care for my wife. But she had insisted she would be down here shortly.
I paced the length of the barn, waiting for everyone to show up. Perhaps everyone would show up late, giving me time to run back to the house and —
“Hey, Malachi,” Zeke called, walking up to the barn from his house with Talia tucked into his side protectively.
“Hey, Zeke. So what’s this meeting for?” I asked, needing to occupy my mind with something other than racing back to the house for Eden.
“I’d rather wait and tell everyone all at once. You understand?” he shrugged me off. My shoulders literally dropped with disappointment.
“You okay, Kai?” Talia asked, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.
“Yeah, yeah,” I waved her off.
“Something has you worried. I can tell,” she urged me to be honest.
“It’s nothing. Just Eden is back at the house still and it’s making me wonder if I shouldn’t have just waited for her,” I admitted.
“Is she doing okay?” Talia asked, her expression wincing slightly at the mention of my wife.
“I don’t know. What do you know?” I questioned, realizing that Talia might know more than I did at this point in time.
“She had a bit of a time at the luncheon thing today,” Talia sighed. We all turned as Levi and Ruth, along with Ollie and Delilah joined, everyone walking up to the barn, having parked a little ways away to seem more inconspicuous.
“Hey, everyone,” Levi called.
“Now just to wait for Gideon and we can get started,” I muttered under my breath, glancing back towards the house, wondering when Eden would arrive. It was a bit of a walk down here. I should have just brought her myself. I shook my head, regretting my entire series of life choices with Eden from this evening.
“Malachi, do you want to go get Eden? We can wait,” Talia suggested, a knowing smile playing at the corner of her lips.
