Beautiful Sacrifice (Maddox Brothers #3)(68)

Every inch of me felt raw and relaxed as Taylor collapsed next to me, panting and smiling.

“Holy shit, woman. I thought I loved you before …”

I reached down until I found Taylor’s fingers, letting them intertwine with mine. “As long as you love me after. Now, that would be something new.”

He turned onto his side, propping his head with his hand. “Those aren’t words I just throw around. I’ve never said that to anyone besides family.”

“I’ve only said it to one person until now.”

He shook his head. “Just one?”

I looked at the window, the glow from the streetlight outside pouring in. “Olive.”

“No one else?”

“No,” I said, looking back at him. I touched his cheek. “Just you.”

The thought seemed comforting to him, and he relaxed.

My eyes closed, and while Taylor settled in beside me, I willingly let fatigue drag me down beneath the waves of unconsciousness. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t alone in the dark.





Waking up in Thomas’s old room in Jim’s house, I worried that Taylor would wake up at any moment, and awkwardness would set in. The sun had been up about as long as I had, but Taylor was still asleep next to me, breathing slow and deep.

Birds chirped outside, a perfect blue sky and a few electrical wires the only things visible through the window from where I lay on the bed. It was going to be one of the best days of my life. Whether Olive knew it or not, it was the day I would become a part of her memories, and I could carry that with me forever.

“Baby?” Taylor said. Tightening the arm that had been relaxed across my middle, he pulled me closer to him.

“Yes?” I said, taken off guard by the term of endearment. In my experience, those terms were only used when trying to keep up appearances.

“I’m not sure I can ever wake up without you again.” His voice was sleepy but content.

I breathed out a laugh and nuzzled my nose against his neck. “You can.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Estes Park is going to miss you.”

“I guess so.” He covered my cheek in kisses. “So, what’s the plan today? I don’t want to be an accomplice to kidnapping before breakfast.”

I sighed. “I don’t want her to know who I am or why I’m here. I just … want to see her with my own eyes. This time, I’ll be prepared, and I can savor the moment of when I leave a tiny footprint in her life even if I’ll be the only one who knows.”

“I’ll know.”

“I know it sounds selfish,” I said, covering my eyes with my fingers.

Taylor lifted my chin with one hand, uncovering my eyes with the other. “It’s probably the least selfish thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Olive is next door, and all you want is to be introduced as a stranger, so you can hold on to that moment while she goes on with her life.”

I’d never thought of it that way. It sounded sad but honorable. Once again, the woman reflected in Taylor’s eyes was someone worthy of forgiveness. No amount of gratitude could ever repay something like that.

“You’re just saying that because you have to,” I teased.

He smiled, but there was only sincerity in his eyes. “I’m saying it because it’s true.”

When I didn’t respond, he looked down. The sudden change in his mood was disconcerting.

“What?” I asked.

“I want to ask you something even though the answer doesn’t matter.”

I waited.

“Where’s Olive’s father? Her biological father?”

I swallowed. “That’s a long conversation.”

“But you didn’t love him?”

I shook my head. It was true. Even before I’d met Taylor, I knew appreciating the attention of an older man—a man who was supposed to be an authoritative figure—was not the same as love.

“Did he … did he hurt you?” Taylor asked.

I shook my head again. “How important is it for you to know?”

Taylor thought about it for a moment. “I want to know.”

I turned away from him. I didn’t want to see his face. “He was my teacher, my coach, in high school. He’s married. She knows he cheated but not that it was with a student. She doesn’t know about Olive.”