Seventeen

Muted voices slowly pulled Fallon back into consciousness. At first she didn’t know where she was but then it dawned on her. She was in the hospital, fighting to keep her baby after nearly suffering a miscarriage.

Fallon blinked and opened her eyes. Her mother and father rushed to her side.

Her father spoke first. “You’re awake. When we heard you’d fainted, your mother and I were scared to death. Thank you for calling us.”

Henry turned and Fallon looked to see who he was speaking to. She noticed Ayden standing in the corner of the room, a haunted look on his face. Seconds later he walked out the door. It had taken courage for her big brother to make that call after their father had essentially abandoned him as a child. Fallon would be forever grateful. And she would tell Ayden that as soon as she had the chance.

“So, you’re going to be a mommy,” her mother stated with a wide grin. Nora came forward and lightly stroked her cheek. “You know, you’re making me a grandma way before my time.”

Fallon couldn’t resist a smile.

“How far along are you?” her father asked. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Two months.”

“You certainly didn’t waste any time, my dear,” her mother said. “It will certainly ensure Gage is on the hook for taking care of you and my grandson or granddaughter for years to come.”

Fallon sighed. Of course her mother thought in monetary terms. Fallon hoped Ayden hadn’t told them Gage’s true intentions and the reason she’d fainted. Her parents had no idea her marriage to Gage was over. Finished. She wouldn’t stay married to someone who’d lied to and deceived her.

“Where’s Gage?” Her father searched her eyes for an answer. “The mother of his child is in the hospital. Why isn’t he here at your side?”

Fallon rubbed her temples. She was not in the mood for this. “Not now, Daddy.”

“I agree, Henry,” her mother said quietly. “Now isn’t the time or place.”

“Like hell it isn’t. I smell a rat.” Her father pressed on. “I had to hear about my daughter—” he pounded his chest “—from Ayden of all people. The son who hates me because I walked away from his mama. And you tell me I’m wrong?”

“What do you want from me, Daddy?” Fallon wailed. “For me to admit I made a mistake marrying Gage? Well, I did. There, I said it. Are you happy now?”

Her father’s face clouded with unease and he came to sit by her bedside. “Of course I’m not happy to see my baby girl in pain. I only want what’s best for you. That’s all I have ever wanted.”

Nervously, Fallon bit her lip and nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Then let this go.”

“All right.” He nodded.

The nurse interrupted at the right moment when she came in with the cart to check Fallon’s vitals.

“We’re going to let you get some rest,” her father said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “But we’re a phone call away if you need us.”

“Thank you, Daddy. And one other thing?”

“Anything, baby girl.”

“It took a lot for Ayden to call you today, but he did it for me. Because he loves me. Please be kind to him.”

“I will.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

After her parents departed and the nurse checked her blood pressure and pulse, Fallon glanced at her phone for messages. There was a text and a voice mail from Dane stating he was en route to Austin because Ayden had called him, too. Her big brother was pretty amazing. There were, however, no calls or texts from Gage. Had she been expecting one? She shouldn’t. She’d made it crystal clear she didn’t want him near her, but theirs was only a cease-fire. Gage had chosen to leave, but he would be back. Of that she was sure.

The door to her room opened and Ayden returned. He’d long since abandoned the jacket and tie he’d come to her office in and was drinking what she suspected was coffee in a foam cup. He glanced around the room.

She read his mind. “They’re gone.”

He nodded and was quiet as he came to sit on the bed with her.

“Thank you for calling them. I really appreciate it. It must have been difficult dealing with our father after all this time. I know you didn’t stay for the reception.”

Ayden’s hazel-gray eyes rested on her face. “You have no idea how hard, Fallon. When he arrived, there was no tearful reunion. He was here for you and you alone. It didn’t matter that I was here, because I mean nothing to him.”

Tears sprung to her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ayden.”

He shrugged. “It’s okay. I made my peace with it a long time ago. I’m glad I have you and Dane.”

“So am I.” Fallon attempted a half smile. “I owe you a great deal for looking out for me and bringing me your findings on Gage even though you knew it would hurt me.”

“Honestly, Fallon, I struggled with whether I should tell you. I’d seen how happy you’ve been with Gage with my own eyes. Ultimately, after talking with Maya, she advised me I had to tell you, but it was hard. He clearly adores you and vice versa.”

“That’s a lie, Ayden.” Tears brimmed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. “He was acting, giving me a false sense of security before he slipped the rug right out from under me. And as for me...” Her voice trailed off. “I foolishly thought somehow love would find a way. I thought in time my love might heal the pain and heartache he’d been through. I was wrong.”

A wave of something close to desolation rushed through her. A sob broke free and she curled herself in the fetal position.

“It’s okay, Fallon,” Ayden whispered in her ear as he climbed onto the hospital bed and gathered her in his arms. “I’m here for you. Your big brother is here.”

* * *

Days bled together in a dull gray jumble for Gage. He was trying not to mope and was focusing all his energy into work and managing his company’s mutual funds. But it didn’t lighten his mood. Instead he only grew bleaker as the days dragged on. Meanwhile he’d learned that Fallon had been released from the hospital with strict instructions to relax and avoid stress.

When he’d told Theo, his best friend had given him an I-told-you-so speech. Theo had advised Gage to grovel at Fallon’s feet and beg her to take him back, but that was hard to do because, true to her word, she wanted nothing to do with him. She’d ignored every call or text he’d sent since her release. As for his mother, he couldn’t tell her about the baby, not until he made things right with Fallon.

She’d sent Ayden and Maya to pack up her belongings at his penthouse. Gage had been sure not to be there; he hadn’t wanted to see the sad looks on their faces.

His marriage was over when it should be thriving because they were having a child together. But he couldn’t confront Fallon now and beat his chest about his rights. The doctor had told him she’d nearly miscarried and, in another month or so, she’d be out of the woods. Then they could tell everyone their great news.

And so Gage was giving Fallon the space she needed to get stronger so she could carry their child to term. She and the baby meant more to him than anything. He knew he didn’t deserve either of them, but he would do his best by them. If she needed to relax in a stress-free zone and be with her family, then so be it.

He wasn’t prepared, however, for her brother Dane to make an appearance at his office. The youngest Stewart was known to been MIA on most occasions. He hadn’t even made their wedding, citing the excuse that he couldn’t leave the movie he’d been filming, even though he was one of Hollywood’s A-list actors.

“Dane.” Gage rose when the six-foot-tall man approached him. He was what the ladies called a Pretty Ricky with café-au-lait skin, dark brown eyes and a perpetual five-o’clock shadow. He was wearing faded jeans, a graphic T-shirt, black boots and a leather jacket. Dane’s good looks must have gotten him past Gage’s assistant even though he’d given strict instructions to not be disturbed. “What can I do for you?”

“I came here to give you a black eye,” Dane responded, making a fist and punching his other hand. “I heard about what you did to the company, but most of all to Fallon, how you played her for your own gain. And I came here to give you a piece of my mind.”

“By all means,” Gage responded, widening his arms. “Take your best shot. I deserve everything you have to say and then some.”

Dane frowned. “You’re not supposed to be helping this along.”

“Why not? I know what I did was wrong. I apologized. Told Fallon I made a mistake and I should have never lied to her.”

“Yet you did.” Dane glared at him. “She feels like you made a fool of her. How could you do that? How can you stand to look at yourself in the mirror?” He crossed to Gage’s desk and slammed his large hands on it. “Fallon has had a thing for you for years, Gage. And you knew that. You took advantage.”

“I admit my intentions from the outset weren’t honorable, but they changed when I fell in love with your sister.”

“Love?” Dane laughed as he stood to his full six-foot height. “C’mon, Gage.”

“It’s true, Dane. I love Fallon and I love our baby.”

Dane stared incredulously. “Does she know that?”

Gage shook his head. “That night...at the hospital. She never gave me a chance to say more. She ordered me out.”

“Can you blame her?”

“No, I can’t,” Gage replied. “It’s why I’ve stayed away, so she can calm down and get some rest. I don’t want anything to happen to her or our baby.”

Dane eyed him suspiciously. “You should know she intends to divorce you. If you really love my sister, you don’t have very long to fight for her.”

“I know, but I will. You best believe that.”

* * *

Fallon was ready to get back to work. Sitting on her bottom for the last two months had been sheer agony, but she would do anything to keep this baby safely in her womb. And she had. But she’d hated not being able to run her own company and be in the thick of the action.

Initially she’d been worried Gage would try to make a move on Stewart Technologies while she was out, but surprisingly it had been business as usual with no outside interference. It wouldn’t last for long. One day soon Gage would make his move. In the meantime she enjoyed visits from her parents, Shana, Ayden and Maya. Even Dane had come during the early part of her convalescence to spend some time with her.

But she’d done as instructed and worked remotely from Stewart Manor to keep her stress level to a minimum. Initially she’d wanted to go back to her cottage, but her parents had been adamant that if something happened, they’d be too far away. They’d insisted she come home.

Nora fussed over her and was already knee-deep in discussion with an interior designer on decorating a nursery for when the baby came. Initially, Fallon was suspicious of Nora’s motives. At the hospital her mother had made no secret of how her grandchild guaranteed Gage wouldn’t be off the hook financially. But then Nora had surprised Fallon by offering to be her birth coach. It had been a rare mother-daughter moment, one that involved tears and hugs. But, of course, it was over much too quick. Nora wouldn’t win mother of the year, but they were making inroads in their relationship. It seemed the baby was bringing them together.

Ayden and her father had gone from being civil to one another to actually having a conversation. They wouldn’t be breaking into a hug anytime soon, but progress was being made. And if her personal suffering had caused a reunion between her big brother and father, then Fallon would gladly endure it.

Today, however, she was excited. After her checkup this morning at the four-month mark, she’d been given the green light to return to work next week. It felt like she’d been given a get-out-of-jail-free card.

She was leaving the doctor’s office and heading to her car in the parking lot when she caught a familiar figure standing by her driver’s-side door.

Gage.

She’d known it was possible he might show up. Although she didn’t owe him a thing, she’d informed Gage of the doctor visit, but she’d urged him to stay away. When he hadn’t shown, she’d thought she was in the clear. She’d been wrong.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Fallon strolled toward him, hoping to give the appearance of nonchalance. Gage looked different. His eyes were haunted instead of intense as they usually were. He had on a leather jacket and faded jeans, which were hanging off him instead of clinging to his muscular thighs. Had he lost weight?

“How’d the doctor’s visit go?”

“Fine.”

“And the baby?”

“Is also fine,” she replied. “We’re both—”

“Fine, I know. I get that,” Gage interrupted her. “Can we talk?”

“I believe your lawyers can handle whatever it is that requires discussion.” Fallon used her key to unlock her door. “Can you step aside?”

Gage shook his head. “Fallon? We have to talk.”

“Why? Because you say so?”

“Because we’re having a baby. Do you honestly want other people deciding what’s best for our child?”

Fallon sighed. “All right, there’s a park across the street.”

She began walking toward the crosswalk and noticed that Gage was still standing there. Had he been expecting her to hold his hand? He could think again. She watched him insert his hands into his pockets and move quickly to her side.

When they made it to the park, they sat on one of the many benches surrounding the playground. How apropos, considering one day they’d be watching a child of theirs running around and playing on the swings, slide and monkey bars.

Fallon turned to Gage. “Well, you wanted to talk. You have the floor.”

Gage scooted around to face her. “Thank you for agreeing to talk to me.”

“I doubt I had much choice.”

“You have choices, Fallon,” Gage responded, “and I’m sorry if I made you feel like you didn’t. I forced you into marrying me and didn’t give you a whole lot of options.”

“No, you didn’t. I had forty-eight hours.”

“I was afraid if I gave you too much time, you’d turn me down. And I had a plan to bring you and your family down a peg. It was all so easy when you’re looking at it on paper, but after seeing you again, I was undone. I hadn’t expected to be so completely enamored with you. I wanted you for myself.”

“Do you honestly expect me to believe that?”

“I do. Look at how bullheaded I was. I wouldn’t give you an inch. I requested we get married in a month’s time.”

Fallon sighed. “All right, so you lusted after me. That doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me.”

Gage stared her directly in the eye. “I did. And I can’t take back what I’ve done. All I can do is tell you how incredibly sorry I am for hurting you. I never thought we’d have a real marriage, but somewhere along the line...” He paused. “Fallon, I fell in love you.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“I know you don’t believe me,” Gage said quickly. “Because I haven’t earned your love. I used and abused your trust. I can only hope one day you’ll believe me and let me be a father to our baby.” He glanced down at her stomach, which was starting to show signs of rounding thanks to the child growing inside.

“Gage...”

“I love you, Fallon,” he said again. “I probably always have and I certainly know I always will.” He rose and lowered himself far enough to plant a kiss on her forehead. “And I believe what we had together was precious, but it wasn’t built on the right foundation. One day it will be. I will prove to you I’m worthy of your love. I promise.”

Stunned, Fallon watched Gage walk away. She sat on the bench until she heard school bells in the distance. Gage loved her. Why had it taken him so long to say the words she’d longed to hear? The words she’d felt so long for him but couldn’t express for fear he didn’t feel the same? Was he expressing his undying love for her because of the baby? He’d lied too easily and believably before. He’d made her think he wanted acceptance into society, all the while seducing her, when all he’d wanted was to ruin her family. No, as much as it pained her, she needed to listen to her gut. Gage didn’t deserve her love or her trust.

Fallon patted her stomach and spoke to their baby. “I’m sorry we’ve made such a mess of this, but I’ll fix it.” Somehow, some way, she would. She would carve out a life for herself and this baby even if it didn’t include its father.

* * *

“I have to admit your call was a surprise,” Ayden said when Gage met up with him for drinks at a swanky downtown bar near both their offices a couple of weeks later.

“Even though I’m persona non grata in the Stewart family, I was hoping we could talk,” Gage responded.

“If you’re looking for help with Fallon,” Ayden began, “you can count me out. It’s up to you to heal the wound in your relationship.”

“Agreed. What’ll you have?” He motioned to the bartender standing in front of Ayden.

“I’ll have a whiskey.” Ayden turned to Gage. “So, what’s up? And has anyone told you that you look like hell?”

Gage smirked. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to the barber for a haircut much less a trim to his beard. Nothing seemed to matter without Fallon in his life. He slid a large envelope toward Ayden.

Ayden’s brow furrowed as he took it. “What’s this?”

“Open it.”

Ayden studied him for a long moment before sliding his finger under the flap and opening the envelope. He pulled out a stack of papers and read through them. Then those hazel-gray eyes so like Fallon’s stared at him in shock. “Why would you do this?”

“To prove to Fallon I only want her and our baby.”

“But why me?” Ayden inquired. When the waiter returned with his drink, he took a long swallow.

“Because they’re rightfully yours. They belong to you,” Gage responded. “Call it righting a wrong done to you and your mother. I know Henry cheated your mother out of her shares. I’m only giving you what you deserve.”

“I can’t let you do this, Gage,” Ayden responded. “This is a fortune. I’m sure there’s another way to prove yourself to Fallon. Plus, I’m not even sure how I feel about this. I mean, I’m not a part of the Stewart family.”

“My spies tell me otherwise. I heard you’ve been visiting Stewart Manor.”

“To see Fallon.” Ayden’s voice rose slightly. “Although Henry and I are polite to one another for Fallon’s sake, we’re far from bosom buddies. And even if I were to accept your generous offer, how would this look to Fallon? She might think you and I were in it together all along to get revenge against Henry because we both have a beef with him. I don’t want to ruin the relationship we have. Fallon and I have grown close.”

Gage slid off the bar stool and threw back the last bit of whiskey he’d been drinking. “You and I know the truth. We were never in cahoots to cheat Fallon. Just me. I’m the scoundrel and she knows that. You have to trust in what you’ve built with her. As for the others, do you really care what Henry thinks?”

Ayden gave him a sidelong glance. “Once upon a time I did, but not anymore.”

“Well then, you’re a Stewart, Ayden. Take what’s yours. Take what should have been your inheritance. I have no right to it and neither does Fallon. I hope she’ll understand the reasoning behind my decision.”

“I hope to God you’re right,” Ayden said, grabbing the papers and scribbling his name on them. “And I don’t regret this decision. But, yes, on my mother’s behalf for everything she was denied from Henry, I accept.”

Leaving the bar, Gage had never felt so good. The last two months he’d been tormented by his actions. Each morning he woke up feeling as if something had broken inside him. It had. But tonight he’d relieved himself of the one thing standing between him and a second chance with his wife. He hoped it was enough to prove he loved and wanted Fallon and their baby.

* * *

Fallon still couldn’t believe what Ayden had shared with her. Gage had given Ayden all of the stock he’d acquired in Stewart Technologies. And he hadn’t sold it to him. He’d given them to her big brother lock, stock and barrel, without asking for anything in return.

It was a generous gesture and Ayden explained that at first he wasn’t entirely sure what to do. But then he told her why he’d said yes. His mother, Lillian, had helped his father start Stewart Technologies, but during the divorce she’d been outgunned by Henry’s fancy lawyers and had walked away with a small settlement. Ayden felt it was okay to accept Gage’s gift. And Fallon had agreed. He’d been surprised Fallon wasn’t angry with Gage for not offering them to her first.

She wasn’t. Yet Ayden had offered to share the stock Gage had given him with her. He wanted to prove he wasn’t in cahoots with Gage on a takeover, but Fallon turned Ayden down and told him to keep the stock. She already ran Stewart Technologies and had shares in the company herself. She didn’t need more. But Ayden? He’d been abandoned by their father. Fallon was ashamed Henry acted as if Ayden didn’t exist. He’d never even paid child support, much less acknowledged Ayden’s accomplishments. The shares were his just deserts. She was surprised Gage had understood that and hadn’t wanted to keep them for himself. After everything that had happened to Gage and his mother, she was certain he felt entitled to them, but he hadn’t. Instead he’d offered them to Ayden.

A man who, like Gage, had been looked down on.

She doubted her father would agree with her. He would be livid that Ayden, the black sheep, had leverage over him. But Fallon didn’t mind if Ayden had a larger stake in Stewart Technologies than she did. She was CEO and running the company, after all. Ayden had his own company, Stewart Investments, to worry about.

What she couldn’t get over was Gage’s generous act. It gave her hope that there was some humanity left in him. That he was a man she could love. A man who could be a father to her baby.

And so today she’d decided to hop in her Audi and drive to see her bullheaded, arrogant and controlling husband to find out if she was still living in a fairy-tale world where love won out in the end.

She didn’t waste time parking when she arrived at Gage’s building; she merely tossed her keys to the valet, waved at the doorman and rushed to the private elevator. She pressed the code for the penthouse and impatiently waited for the car to ascend to the top. She paced the travertine-tiled floor until finally the doors opened into the penthouse.

The apartment was dark and Fallon wondered if Gage was home, but then she saw a figure in silhouette outside on the terrace. It was Gage’s favorite place to go when he needed to think things over. The pocket doors were open so the click of her heels as she approached caused Gage to turn around in his chair. Her heart quickened at the sight of him.

“Fallon?” His voice was raspy.

When she was within a few feet of him, she answered. “Yes, it’s me.” She noticed the glass in his hand with a dark liquid she could only assume was brandy, his drink of choice.

“I thought perhaps I was dreaming like I have been the last couple of months, hoping you’d come home. That you’d come back to me. Is that why you’re here? Are you back for good?”

Fallon stared at him from where she stood. He looked haggard, with lines around his eyes, and his beard had grown. When was the last time he’d shaved? “I don’t know, Gage, that depends on how this conversation goes.”

The hope she’d given him instantly caused him to straighten and he walked toward her until they were face-to-face.

“Why did you do it, Gage?” Fallon asked, searching his face. “Why did you give Ayden those shares?”

“Because they’re rightfully his,” Gage responded. “Always should have been. I had no right to them. I was angry and acquired them as a way to get back at your father. To strike him where it hurts. Then he would see I was good enough for you. But you know what?”

“What?”

“The person I hurt most was you. The woman I’ve come to love. And as a result, I hurt myself because you left me. Alone. How I’ve always been.”

She dragged in a sustaining breath. “Gage...” Her heart broke for him even though he was the reason they were in this situation to begin with.

“I know I have no right to ask you this.” His eyes pierced hers as he held her gaze. “Can you forgive me for being such a stupid, arrogant, bullish fool in search of power and prestige? I can’t change the man I was, but because of you I can change and be the man you need me to be—a whole, mature man.” He glanced around and his mouth twisted in pain. “Because none of it means anything without you, Fallon. I’m sorry. Your being here gives me hope that perhaps—perhaps—you might be willing to give us another chance. A chance to be a family. Because I want more than anything to be married to you.”

Fallon didn’t move. She stayed where she was. Her heart galloped in her chest. She was afraid to move, let alone speak, because her heart was so full. She felt the tears silently slide down her cheeks one by one. She felt the moisture against her skin but was suspended in time with Gage as she always was whenever he was near.

“Please don’t shut me out of your life, Fallon. Please let me be near you and our baby.” Gage reached out and cupped her cheek. “Don’t cry, please. That’s not what I want.” Slowly he pulled her to him, cradling her in his arms.

It was her undoing. His words were scraping away all her defenses, all the walls she’d erected around herself. Fallon knew why Gage had been so generous and why he’d given those shares to Ayden. He wanted to prove that he wanted her more than his quest for revenge. The truth blazed in her heart, sure and true. Gage was the man she loved. The man she’d always loved. Whom she would love forever.

“I love you.” The words escaped her lips before she had a chance to take them back. And as she said them, the heaviness she’d felt for weeks began to lighten.

It was an indelible fact. She could never stop loving Gage. He’d had her from the moment he’d helped her after she’d fallen off that horse. “Totally. Uncontrollably. And with all my heart.”

“Oh, God, Fallon, I love you, too, so much.” His voice sounded choked.

They reached for each other at the same time. Their eyes locked in a hot, heated moment before he bowed his head and he brushed his lips across hers. The slow, sweet kiss caused a low moan to release from her lips. Oh, how she’d missed this. And when he angled his head so he could deepen the kiss and take full possession of her mouth, Fallon was on board. She slid her tongue against his and the taste of him exploded in her mouth.

A slow curl of heat unraveled in her as she tangled her arms around his neck. It had been too long—far too long—since he’d touched her like this. Kissed her like this.

“Gage,” she murmured when they came up for air. She took in large gulps, breathing in his dark, delicious scent that was so real and achingly familiar. Peace filled her as Gage held her to his hard, solid chest. “Make love to me,” she whispered.

“With pleasure.” In seconds he’d swept her into his arms and carried her down the hall to their bed.

* * *

Gage laid his beautiful wife down on their bed and smiled as she hurriedly removed her clothing and his until he could lie beside her. Catching a whiff of her delicate floral scent awakened every cell in his body and revived memories of how good it had been between them. It had been those images that had haunted him in the weeks they’d been apart, tormenting his mind and his body. He’d been unable to sleep and it showed in the tiredness he’d felt each day.

Until now. He considered himself lucky Fallon was forgiving him. He would have another chance to be a better husband and a father to their child.

He looked down at her in bewilderment. “Is it really possible we can try again? Start afresh?”

Fallon reached for him then, wrapping her arms around his neck and bestowing him with sweet, tender kisses. And Gage realized what true forgiveness looked like.

“Good. Because I want to give you everything,” Gage said.

Their lovemaking that night was slow and worshipful because there was nothing but love and joy between them. They found their way back to each other’s bodies, exploring every available inch while whispering loving words that would blanket them and last them a lifetime. Until, eventually, sleep claimed them as they lay in each other’s arms.