Page 52 of Summer Salvation
TWENTY-SIX
THEO
My father is disappointed in me, but what else is new?
Sure, I successfully manage the money of some of the wealthiest people in the Pacific Northwest and make a good living, but in the eyes of my father, marrying a con artist is synonymous with high treason.
“Well, I see you’ve learned your lesson,” my father grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. “This is ridiculous, Theo. How can you get involved with a woman you barely know?”
“Because I know her better than you think,” I insist. “I didn’t rush into this. It simply happened. Hadley is not like Serena.”
From the corner of my eye, I spot Hadley leaning against a bookshelf in one corner of the room, her body folded into itself, no doubt wondering what she’s gotten herself into.
“Isn’t her name Jordan,” my mother interjects.
“Jordan, Serena, who cares,” I say. “Hadley isn’t pretending to be someone else.”
“He ran a background check,” she finally says. “And one of the partners at his firm taught one of my classes at Emory.”
“Look, I’m almost forty. I don’t have to justify anything to you. I wanted to be honest with you about what’s going on, and to ask for your support.”
“We’re here to help, Theodore,” my mother says in her syrupy-sweet voice that reminds me of all the times I was in trouble as a child, and she attempted to play “good cop.”
“It’s why we offered to keep the kids for the rest of the summer,” my father adds. “So you can sort out thismess.”
The way he says “mess” makes me think he’s referring to more than the situation with Serena.
“When I know more information about Serena’s release, then we’ll figure out a plan, if it’s needed.” I glance back at Hadley, knowing she’s right about how to handle the situation. It’s best to not make any rash decisions. Serena never posed a threat before, and it would be wrong to assume she’s one now simply because she was in prison.
Eventually my parents leave, but not before expressing their displeasure with me and my choices once more, in private.
There’s no time to dwell on their visit because once the kids realize I’m free, they beg to go to the beach and start the bonfire.
“Okay,” I tell them with a chuckle. “I need to talk to Hadley first and then we can go.”
I motion for her to follow me upstairs to the master bedroom. Once the door is shut, I press her against it, stealing a heated kiss from her lips.
“Is this how it’s going to be,” I murmur, letting my hands skim across her hips. “Stolen moments behind closed doors? Sneaking kisses like teenagers?”
“For now,” she answers with a tilt of her chin. “But not forever.”
“What if we tell the kids tonight?”
“And what if they’re upset? I can’t spend the week taking care of them knowing they hate me.”
“They aren’t going to hate you,” I insist. “Piper will probably be overjoyed.”
I smile and think about how my daughter has grown close to Hadley. For a while, she was withdrawn and sulked around the house. Not even time spent with her beloved dogs could shake her out of the sadness of her mother leaving. Until Hadley. My life isn’t the only one that’s changed. The kids are happier with her in their lives.
“I am not here to be a wedge between them and their mom,” she says. “Please, don’t rush this.”
A frustrated growl slips out; I can’t help it. I’ve kept plenty of secrets and this is the one thing I want to tell the world.
“Fine,” I relent. “But tonight? You’re all mine.
“Yes, sir,” she says with a purr.
I kiss her again, my hand drifting up and over her breasts to settle at the base of her throat. She makes me needy and feral; I can’t get enough of her taste or her touch. I want all of her, every minute of every day. I drink every drop of the sweet salvation she offers me, hungry for more even when we break apart.