Written with Regret (The Regret Duet #1)(75)

“What?” I replied, playing along. “All by herself?”

He flashed me a playful smile. “Yep. She said she was going to start collecting guinea pigs for her farm. And what better place to do that than Africa?”

“Well, obviously. I sure will miss her though.”

“Surprise!” she yelled, jumping out from behind the couch with the balloon in her hand.

But that wasn’t why my heart stopped.

Or why my lungs seized.

Or why the blood drained from my face and my head got light.

No, that was because a smiling, blond woman walked out from a hiding spot behind the curtain with Caven’s father, Malcom Lowe, at her side.

It wasn’t him. I’d watched Malcom die. I’d seen his dead body.

But this guy… He was too familiar.

I reached back and caught Caven’s hand, praying that I stayed in the present as my mind took the slow route to making sense of what I was seeing.

“Happy Birthday!” Rosalee sang, oblivious to my panic, and just the reminder that she was so close to that man set me on edge that much more.

“Come here,” I choked around the fear.

She smiled up at me as I all but dragged her to her father.

“Jesus,” the man muttered, looking down at the floor.

It wasn’t his voice.

It wasn’t Malcom’s voice.

I’d never forget that voice, and this one wasn’t his.

I didn’t know if it was the trembling in my hands or the shake of my legs that gave me away, but Caven curled me into his front.

“Relax. It’s Trent. It’s just Trent.”

Right. Trent.

His brother.

That he’d told me was there.

With his wife.

Trent.

Malcom’s other son.

Who had clearly gotten his father’s looks.

But he was not Malcom.

Because Malcom was dead.

And had been dead for a long time.

I tipped my head back to look at Caven. His arm was locked around my hips, and his eyes blazed with concern and… Shit. More guilt. After sucking in a deep breath, I held it in, willing my heart to calm and reminding my memories and my nervous system where I was and where I wasn’t. Caven’s strong hold on me did wonders to ease my racing mind.

“It’s okay,” I breathed, not yet trusting my voice. “I’m okay.”

“Aw, man, did I scare you again?” Rosalee asked. “Please don’t leave.”

I swallowed hard. I could do this.

It was Trent.

We were all safe.

I didn’t move out of Caven’s arms. I wasn’t quite there yet, but I finally found my voice. “I’m not leaving. I promise.”

“Yay!” She clapped before handing me the balloon. “It’s Hadley Posie Day, so you get to eat sweets all day! And guess what? Daddy said as long as I eat my hot dog later, I can eat sweets with you!”

I smiled down at her as my heart resumed a non-marathon pace. “That sounds amazing.”

She tapped her fingers one at a time as she counted off. “We got cake and cookies and candy. Oh oh oh! Daddy bought lots of ranch for you too. And I made you a present.”

“I cannot wait to see it.”

“Hey, baby,” Caven said. “Can you run out to Alejandra’s and tell her that Hadley is here and see if she wants to join us for lunch?”

Rosalee cocked her head to the side. “I thought she was going to Ruby’s house?”

“Just…do me a favor and go check. Okay?”

She shrugged and looked back at me with a big smile. If she noticed that I was currently glued to her father’s hip, she didn’t mention it at all. “I can’t wait for you to see your cake. I put rainbow sprinkles all over it.”

I feigned excitement for her sake. “Ohhh. I can’t wait, either.”

“I’ll be right back.” She took off at a dead sprint that, given her clumsy Banks genes, looked more like a speedy flounce.

As soon as we heard the door shut behind her, Caven put his lips to my ear. “You okay?”

“Yeah…I, uh.” I peeked over my shoulder and found Trent eyeing us with suspicion.

The moment our gazes collided, his whole demeanor softened. He wasn’t as tall or as big as Caven, but they shared the same olive skin and dark hair. The most notable difference between the two men were their eyes, shape and all. While Caven’s were perfect ovals of sparkling blue, his brother’s were dark brown and deep set, the kind that always look contemplative and cynical.

“I’m Trent,” he said. Not taking a step forward. Not extending his hand. Just standing there with his wife tucked into his side. His face was unreadable, but the sag of his shoulders told me he hated this just as much as I did.

“I’m Hadley.”

He gave me a weak smile. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I can’t do much about the face though.”

“Don’t be silly. No need to apologize. I was…surprised. That’s all.”

He tipped his head to the pretty woman at his side, his arms wrapped securely around her much the way Caven was holding me. “This is my wife, Jennifer.”

I offered her a brisk nod. “Nice to meet you.”