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

My mom pointed toward the back hall that led to the kid’s playroom. I walked in and Mags had Sammy pinned to the floor in a chokehold. God, I loved that girl. “Whatcha doin’ there Mags?”

She looked at me with that sweet, innocent expression on her face. The one she always got when she was doing something to Sammy that she shouldn’t be doing. “Mom, I’m trying to teach your son a lesson. He keeps telling me that girls aren’t as tough as boys. But look, Mommy, he can’t get up. So, who’s stronger now, Sammy? Huh, huh? Is it you?”

Sammy grunted, “No.”

Mags won. She was thrilled. “See, was that so hard? You shoulda just agreed with me. Boys are not stronger than girls.”

Sammy ran over to me and threw his little arms around my waist. He gave me the biggest hug and looked up at me through those long black eyelashes, with his daddy’s eyes. “I love you, Mommy.” Then he whispered, “I’m so glad you got here, Mommy. I think Mags was gonna kill me.”

I had to laugh at that. “Sweetie, your sister wasn’t gonna kill you. But remember all little boys were made by mommies. So mommies must be pretty strong girls, huh?”

Sammy thought about that for a minute and then he said, “You’re right, Mommy. You’re a very strong girl.” And then he pulled my head down closer to him. “Mags is pretty strong too. But don’t tell her I think she is, okay. Can it be our secret?”

I shook my head at him and told them to go get washed up for dinner.

I had things I needed to start working on now. I made a promise to Declan and I intended to keep it.

Chapter 14

Cade

Clay and I had been working on the farm for a few weeks now. He went to my place the day after Lor was released from the hospital, and picked us up enough supplies to last for the entire time that we needed to stay here to wait for the DNA test.

Loralei was doing her damnedest to avoid me. In the morning, when we went to the office for breakfast, she would always be already sitting with Jake or some of the other guys. I didn’t know if she told them something about me, or if they just didn’t trust me. But they watched both of us like a hawk. If it hadn’t been me that they were keepin’ away from her, I woulda appreciated them takin’ such good care of her.

When we were out working in the field, she would make sure to keep a field’s distance between us. Every time I saw her, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something about this woman that made me lose all sense.

I finally caught her alone out beside the barn. I walked up behind her and put my hands over her eyes. “Guess who?”

She said, “Cade, back off. You’re too close.”

Well, I felt like I needed to be a hell of a lot closer. Like inside her, and that wouldn’t even have been close enough. “Hon, I could never be too close to you,” I said as I gently pressed my body up against her backside.

She jumped away from me. “I’m serious, damn it. Back off!”

“Okay, okay. Goodness, I was just playin’ around. It seems like you’ve been ignorin’ me. I haven’t had a minute alone with you since the truck on the way home from the hospital. I miss ya. How have ya been feelin’? Everything okay with the baby?”

That pissed her off. The look on her cute little face said she wanted to pull my head off and feed it to the coyotes. I had no idea what I had done to piss her off, but I had a feelin’ I was gonna hear about it real soon.

“Damn it, Cade! I told you I don’t want anybody to know about the baby! Don’t say a word about it, someone will hear you!”

I hated that she wasn’t excited about our baby. I wanted to shout it to anyone that would listen, but she wanted no part of that. I was so fuckin’ excited, I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t think the smile had left my face since I found out she was pregnant. That damn test was unnecessary, that baby in her belly was mine. I had wanted to have a family for so long. This had to be God’s way of helping me out. I was finally gonna have a family. I couldn’t fuckin’ wait!

I rubbed my hands up and down her arms and then slid them down to her hands. I grabbed her hands and held them in mine. I pulled them up to my mouth for a quick kiss. I loved it when I made her shudder. She was as affected by my touch as I was by hers.

God, I wanted this damn woman more than anything. “I’m sorry, hon. I won’t mention it again. I’ll wait until you're ready.” I leaned in and whispered in her ear, “But I hope we don’t wait too long, because I’m so excited to be a daddy. You have no idea.” I kissed her ear and just as I was about to suck her earlobe into my mouth, her dad walked around the corner.

He cleared his throat. “Loralei, what the hell is going on here?” He asked with a look of serious disdain. When I turned toward him he had his eyebrow raised and was staring at me like he wanted to brand me with that branding iron he was holdin’.

Loralei said, “Nothing, Dad. Not a thing. Cade was just heading inside, and he was checking to see how I was feeling, that’s all.”

Her dad looked me up and down, with his eyebrow still raised. “Sure as hell didn’t look like nothin’ to me. But you're a grown woman and I