Destined to Change by Harley, M. (top android ebook reader TXT) 📕

the fuck are you saying, Loralei? You just want me to leave? You don’t want to give me the chance to explain?”

I turned and faced him. “There is nothing for you to explain. This, whatever the hell this was, is over. You have a family to take care of. So go do it!”

He stomped off toward Jake’s truck. When he got in the truck, he slammed his fists down on the steering wheel. He was mad. He was yelling, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. He started the truck up and peeled all the way down the lane.

I watched him drive away. He was angry, but he didn’t even put up a fight. No matter how much I didn’t want to admit it, I really wished he would’ve.

I went in the house and called my mom. I asked her if she could please pick the kids up at school and keep them until tomorrow. I lied and told her I felt like I was coming down with something and just needed to rest for a bit. I was sure she didn’t believe me, but she agreed anyway.

I ran a hot bath, climbed in, and tried to wash all my worries away. Well, that didn’t work so I had to come up with a Plan B. A plan that didn’t involve me messing up Jaxon’s life. He and Stacy were married and they had a daughter. They needed to be together. Their daughter needed her father.

I was hoping that Jaxon could be a father to the twins, but he needed to take care of his child, and he needed to be with Stacy to do that. I couldn’t interfere and ruin their family, no matter how much it hurt me to see him drive away today.

Jaxon

I couldn’t understand what was going on. I was so pissed off. But at who? Loralei? Stacy? Or myself? It was a definite toss-up.

Stacy told Loralei about the DNA test and she still wanted me to leave. God damn it! She must have felt that this would be an easy way out for her. I was so in love with that woman that I couldn’t see straight and she gave up on me. Just like that.

She made the decision that she wanted me to leave. She wanted me to go to my wife and raise a kid that’s not mine. How the fuck did I fall in love with her? Apparently, she didn’t love me near as much as I loved her.

I had known in my heart the entire time that the DNA test would come back and say I wasn’t the father. I knew that I couldn’t have kids. Stacy and I had tried for so long and when she told me about Jaz, I just knew she wasn’t mine. I knew at that moment, I was the reason why we couldn’t have kids.

“Uncle Jake, I think it’s time for me to head back to California.” I couldn’t even look up at him when I said this. I knew that he would know something was wrong. I had moved beyond pissed, now I was hurting.

“Son, what’s going on? Did something happen with you and Loralei?” Uncle Jake asked. He was worried about me, but I just didn’t want to talk about this right now.

“Stacy came back, and she has a kid. Her name is Jaz.” The look on Uncle Jake’s face looked like something out of a bad movie.

“What do you mean she has a kid? Is it yours? Does she look like ya, son?”

“That doesn’t matter, Stacy’s my wife and I need to do the right thing by her and our family. I am taking her back home. I just want you to know how much I appreciate you letting me come stay with you. I really needed to get away, and you made me feel at home here. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

I grabbed Uncle Jake and pulled him into a man hug. Trying not to let him see how much it was hurting me to leave Loralei. But this was her decision and I had to abide by it, because I loved her.

Chapter 12

Cade

These past five weeks had passed like molasses. I hadn’t had sex for almost two months. I was so horny I could explode, literally.  I planned to leave for Harper Farms tomorrow. I was taking my cousin Clay with me to help me with the cattle. He wasn’t too much of a worker, but I had to get his ass out of town before he got himself killed.

That boy needed to learn to keep it in his pants, or at least pick his partners from a higher breed of women. He was twenty-one years old, and he definitely inherited our family’s good looks and charm. We were a sexy-ass bunch of cowboys. The last gal he was with told her brother about some of the things he did, like when she caught him in bed with their mother, and he threatened to shoot him. I’m pretty sure he would’ve if I hadn’t intervened. Goddamned family, can’t live with ‘em, and it’s illegal to shoot ‘em.

Tomorrow I would get to see Loralei again. I missed her so much. I told Mr. Davidson not to tell her I was coming. I wanted to surprise her - boy would she be surprised. I really wanted her to be happy to see me. I really hoped that asshat was out of the picture. A guy could dream right?

I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I was like a kid waiting for the carnival to come to town. I was too damn excited to sleep.

“Wake the hell up!” I screamed at Clay from down the hall. “I got shit to do today, and you ain’t holding me up.”

“Hold your fucking horses. I’m awake!” he screamed back at me.

We were in the car and headed to Harper Farms before six o’clock a.m. I had my thermos of black coffee, and I