Page 36 of Chasing I Do
Gage gripped the back of his neck. “You reamed Darcy after the wedding. Had her arrested, tried to sue her, and you never thought to ask if maybe, I don’t know, she called off the wedding because Kyle was cheating?”
“Even if he did stray, men cheat, Gage. Your father, God rest his soul, didn’t have it in his makeup to stray. But some men do.”
“No, Mom, cowards cheat. Men know what they have when they find it and hold tight.”
“Kyle is dead,” she said, her voice sharp enough to fillet marble. “What does it matter now?”
“Because she was pregnant. With Kyle’s kid.” Gage needed to sit down, but was afraid he’d be unable to get back up.
“Is that what she told you? That it’s his?” Margo said, her words laced with anger. “And you believed her?”
“It’s Kyle’s, Mom.”
“How do you know this isn’t some ruse to get money from the family?”
“She hasn’t asked for a penny.” A weird feeling overtook him. It started low in his gut, and moved up to his chest. “Why aren’t you even open to the possibility that it could be Kyle’s?”
“Because Kyle didn’t want kids.” She said in that hoity toity, mom knows best tone that always managed to rub him wrong. “He had a career to build and he promised me he’d wait at least five years before considering kids withher.”
“Maybe he lied.”
“Gage,” Margo said, sounding more hurt than horrified. “Kyle had his faults, but he wouldn’t lie to me.”
A few weeks ago, Gage would have sworn the same thing, but he was coming to understand that none of them really knew Kyle as well as they thought.
Tired of arguing, and not wanting to be there much longer, Gage walked into his room and grabbed his phone. When he returned, he handed it to his mother. It was opened on a picture Darcy had taken for him, of Kylie feeding the ducks. And once again, he was leveled by how much Kylie looked like Kyle—and, in turn, Gage.
“Oh my,” Margo breathed, and slowly walked over to the table to sit. “She looks just like him.”
Gage smiled. “Kylie has his humor too.”
“Kylie. That’s her name?” Margo looked up, tears glistening in her eyes. “How old is she?”
“Four, and she’s a great kid.”
Margo looked back at the picture. “Of course she is, she’s an Easton. I can see it in the way she holds herself. So proud and diplomatic. So much likeyourfather. Oh, and those curls, she is an angel.” Margo focused on Gage, her smile full of a yearning so real, he felt his stomach bottom out. “When can I meet her?”
Gage took a seat and let out a breath. “Soon, I hope.”
“What do you mean soon?” Margo demanded. “She is my grandchild. I want to meet her.”
“And you will. Darcy just wants to make sure that we do what’s best for Kylie, and I agree.”
“What’s best for that child is to be with her family.” Margo stood, irate and determined. Not a good combination for future peace talks with Darcy. “And she can’t keep me from her.”
“She can.” And if he couldn’t get his mom to tread lightly, he had no doubt that she would.
Chapter 9
For Darcy, a lazy Saturday morning was as rare as a fairy sighting. But with only a small vow renewal on the evening’s schedule, and Kylie still sound asleep, it seemed as if the fairies were sharing some of that pixie dust.
Darcy padded out on the front porch with her sketch pad and Stephanie’s wedding book. She’d spent a good portion of last night poring through her ideas, and laying out what she was sure would be Stephanie’s perfect wedding.
Wanting to make a few more changes and get the layout sketched, she snuggled in the wicker swing with a hot mocha latte—extra whip. The world seemed still and quiet as the sun rose over Mount Hood. She took stock of the week and checked in with herself.
But instead of peace of mind, all of the taking stock and checking in was giving her a headache. Because without the noise and chaos of being a single mom, she was left to focus on Gage. And how she could have sworn he was about to kiss her.
Even more alarming—she would have kissed him back.
