Breathless (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 1) Page 4

  “That’s a lie!” he said in a strangled voice. How could Cadence be so dishonest about such a thing as paternity? She knew as a Donahue how much he valued family ties.

  “No, it’s not, Parker. God knows I’m speaking the truth. Logan is your son. He’s almost two and a half. Do the math.”

  Do the math. His mind scrambled to calculate how long it had been since he and Cadence had been together. A little under three years. They had been intimate on a few occasions which they had both regretted. Giving in to their physical wants hadn’t been something either of them had been proud of and they had both vowed from that point on to wait until marriage for such an act of intimacy. Was Cadence suggesting she’d been pregnant when she had ended their relationship? Had that played a role in her decision?

  He shook his head, unwilling to believe something so incredible.

  She fumbled around in her purse, then pulled out her cell phone and began flipping through it. “See! Look for yourself! DNA doesn’t lie.” Cadence shoved the phone at him. He hesitated for a moment before accepting it. There was a photo of a toddler on the screen. Parker stared at the child looking up at him. He let out a gasp. Cadence’s son was the spitting image of him, all the way down to the cleft in his chin. Same eye color. Same dark hair. Same shape of the face. Same brows.

  Logan was his son! There was no question about it. The weight of it slammed against his chest with the force of a tsunami.

  “He looks—” he began, his words cut off by emotion. It felt like a huge lump was sitting in his throat. Parker couldn’t manage to get the words out.

  “Just like you,” Cadence said. She nodded, tears swimming in her eyes. “Because he’s your son.”

  “My son,” he said in a raspy voice filled with wonder. “I have a son.”

  Cadence smiled at him. She nodded. “Yes, Parker. You have a son.”

  He shut his eyes and reminded himself to count to ten. He had a son who had been taken away from him—one he hadn’t been aware of until this very moment. Not only had Mason Price absconded with his son, but Cadence had failed to tell him over the past two-and-a-half years that he was a father. He’d lost years of his son’s life. Parker hadn’t been there at his birth. He hadn’t rocked him to sleep. Parker hadn’t given him a bottle or changed a single diaper. Little Logan didn’t even know Parker existed.

  And if he couldn’t find Price he might never meet Logan. He might never be able to claim his child.

  Dear Lord, please protect my son. And grant me the wisdom to find him.

  “How could you?” he asked Cadence, his voice filled with condemnation. And a rage that frightened him.

  She reached out to touch his arm, but he shook her off. He didn’t think he could bear her touch at this moment. She’d betrayed him. He hadn’t thought Cadence could hurt him any more than she already had in the past, but this felt like a stab in the back. It was staggering information. It was such a huge, painful loss.

  Parker began pacing back and forth. He threw his hands up in the air. He wanted to scream and yell at Cadence, to accuse her of every sin he possibly could. A part of him wanted to give in to his emotions, while another part of him knew it wouldn’t get them anywhere. And no matter how angry he felt, his parents hadn’t raised him to rail against a woman under any circumstances.

  Parker needed to find his son. And no matter what he felt toward Cadence, she was his son’s mother. She was the only person who could help him locate Logan.

  What he needed at this moment was to be alone to process everything being thrown at him. He let out an angry cry of frustration, then yanked open his patio door and stormed outside. He kicked off his sneakers. Within seconds he was walking on the beach with the sand between his toes and the night breeze ruffling his hair. He began running at breakneck speed, desperate to flee as fast as possible from Cadence’s news. He was a father to a two-year-old boy. And his son was missing. He didn’t like feeling so helpless.

  Parker felt as if he might explode. He stopped running and looked out across the water. There were some bright lights shining in the distance. Parker focused on them and began to breathe deeply, in and out.

  You’re not alone. God was with him. Always. Even though the situation felt monumental for him to handle, Parker knew he wasn’t alone. Not when Jason and his other siblings were only a phone call away. That was the best part of being one of eight kids in a big bustling family. Donahue strong, he reminded himself.

  After a few minutes he sat down in the sand and buried his face in his hands. He knew he wasn’t simply reacting to this bombshell from Cadence. Although he’d tried to downplay his feelings, he had been crushed by his parents’ separation announcement. How was it possible that so much had changed in his life over the course of one evening? It made him feel helpless and completely out of sorts. He didn’t know up from down at the moment. All he could do was pray. And try to hold on to his sanity. He was barely hanging on by a thread.

  Dear Lord, please help me. This rage is threatening to consume me. I thought I’d put Cadence in the past and now she’s back with this amazing but shocking news. I need to find my son. I need to put this anger aside long enough so that I can formulate a plan to track my son down. And I’m afraid—for the first time in a long time. What if something’s happened to him? What if I never get to know my boy? How in the world will I be able to handle it?

  “Parker.” The sound of Cadence’s voice caught him off-guard. He hadn’t expected her to follow him down the beach. He felt her hand on his shoulder. “Please, talk to me. If for no other reason than for Logan. He needs both of us.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in an agonized voice.

  “Oh, Parker. It’s a long story. I think it’s best we don’t talk about it until later,” Cadence said in a low voice. “The important thing now is to find Logan as soon as possible.”

  Parker took a deep, steadying breath. The time for shock and awe was gone. He would never forgive Cadence for not telling him about his son, but he didn’t have time to dwell on his feelings. The clock was ticking away. He needed to get some answers from Cadence so he could track Mason’s whereabouts. She was right! He needed to find his son.

  He turned toward Cadence. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore were normally soothing to his soul. At the moment every wave felt like an assault on his eardrums. It seemed as if any slight thing might cause him to shatter. He steeled himself to focus on the matter at hand. Finding his son!

  He clenched his jaw. Parker wouldn’t allow himself to get distracted. “Let’s get back to the house. I need to know every last detail about your husband and where he might have gone. And what in the world made him take my son.”

  **

  Cadence felt an incredible burst of adrenaline course through her veins at Parker’s use of the words “my son.” After years of hiding her son’s paternity from the world, she felt like rejoicing. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, a sense of fear gripped her by the throat. Logan! Her son. He was so tiny and vulnerable. And he was out there somewhere with Mason, a man who had never had any use for Logan. Mason had known Logan wasn’t his biological son from the moment he’d discovered she was carrying a child, and he’d used that fact to torment Cadence ever since her baby was born. Mason Price was good at torture. It was his strong suit.

  By the time they reached the house, Cadence felt jittery. Time was of the essence. Logan was probably wondering where she was since he hadn’t spent a single day without her in his two-and-a-half years of life. And the man Logan called Papa didn’t know the first thing about taking care of her son’s needs. Mason had no real use for Logan. He had always been more of an inconvenience for him than anything. Logan was proof that Cadence had loved another man. Her son served as a reminder of why Cadence couldn’t or wouldn’t ever love Mason. And that knowledge seared his blackened soul.

  Parker motioned with his hand toward a love seat. “Why don’t you sit down, Cadence? It’s going to be a
long night. Would you like something to eat or drink? You look like you need some nourishment.”

  She shook her head. “I-I wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. Just the thought of food makes me nauseous.”

  Parker frowned. “You’re going to make yourself sick at this rate. That’s not going to do Logan any good. And you need to keep your strength up since I have loads of questions.”

  “You’re right,” she said in a low voice. The sound of Logan’s name coming out of Parker’s mouth gave Cadence goosebumps. She knew Parker might never believe it, but ever since her son had been born, she’d wished and prayed for this moment. Sadly, it had only happened because of her son’s disappearance.

  Parker walked toward the kitchen. Cadence followed behind him, then sat down on a stool at his counter. She watched as he pulled out a glass pitcher of lemonade. He reached for a glass, then filled it up almost to the top, placing it in front of her. “Drink up. You need fluids.”

  She took a swig of the lemonade, drinking quite a bit before placing the glass back down on the counter. She’d been thirstier than she’d realized. Before she knew it, Parker had filled a plate with crackers and cheese, as well as some mini pretzels.

  “I know you said you’re not hungry, but you should try and eat something to keep up your strength,” he said in a firm voice. Cadence let out a little sigh. Parker was being so kind. She knew she didn’t deserve it, not after hiding Logan’s paternity from him. If she lived to the ripe old age of one hundred, she didn’t think she’d ever stop feeling guilty about it.

  You had your reasons. A little voice buzzed in her ear. But Parker doesn’t know anything about those reasons. He has no idea. And for the last three years she’d needed to keep things close to the vest in order to protect Parker. And in the end, she’d done her best to save Parker’s life, but in the process, she’d been forced to marry a mad man who now held her son’s life in his hands. How could she ever explain it all to Parker? Would he even believe her?

  Cadence picked up a piece of cheese and placed it on a cracker. Her stomach grumbled in appreciation as she swallowed it. Although she was still scared to death, being in Parker’s company felt comforting. She trusted him. And she knew how meticulous he was about his job. Parker was one of the best PI’s in the business. She truly believed he could track down Mason and bring her son home to her. If anyone could make it happen, it was Parker.

  “What will you do now, Parker?” she asked, reaching for another cracker.

  He turned toward her, his eyes filled with determination. She’d seen this look enough times to know he had already started to formulate a plan. “I’m going to reach out to Jason and ask him to come over. He can help us. When I get off the phone with him, I want you to tell me everything. The good, bad and the ugly. Anything and everything about your husband.”

  “Ex-husband,” Cadence admitted. Parker’s eyes widened. He was trying to play it cool, but she knew he was stunned by her announcement.

  “You’re divorced?” His question rang out in the stillness of the kitchen.

  A sigh slipped past her lips. “The paperwork was just finalized. That may be the catalyst for why Mason took Logan.”

  Parker held up his hand. “I want to hear everything, but first I need to get Jason over here so he can help us out. He’s the best PI I have on staff. He’s an amazing asset.”

  Cadence nodded. She felt as if she’d just been given a slight reprieve. She had so much to tell Parker, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Giving him a recap of the last three years of her life was going to throw him into a tailspin. On the upside, knowing Jason was going to be assisting Parker in finding Logan made her feel an additional boost of confidence. She’d always loved Jason. He was charming and funny and as loyal as the day was long. They had always shared a nice friendship, until the very night she’d broken up with Parker. Cadence winced as she recalled the telephone call she’d received from Jason the very next day. It was a miracle that her ears didn’t still ring from the blistering words he’d hurled at her. It had broken her heart. And she hadn’t blamed Jason one bit.

  Parker spoke into the phone. “Hey, Jason. Sorry to wake you up, but I have an emergency over here. I’m going to need you to come over right away.”

  Parker seemed to be listening intently to whatever Jason was saying on the other end.

  “I’ll see you in fifteen,” Parker said, a look of relief washing over his face.

  As close as Parker and Jason were, Cadence knew there was nothing that would have kept Jason away once Parker told him it was urgent.

  “He’s on his way,” Parker announced after ending the call.

  “Jason doesn’t live here anymore?” Cadence asked. When she was Parker’s lady, he and his brother had been practically joined at the hip. Jason had lived with Parker the whole time Cadence had been dating him. Although she knew it was a blessing that Jason would be providing his PI services in the search for Logan, she felt a bit panicky at the idea of coming face-to-face with him after all these years.

  She didn’t even want to imagine the look on Jason’s face when he walked into his brother’s house and saw her. It would be a shock, she imagined, since Parker hadn’t divulged a single thing over the phone.

  “No, he moved out over a year ago after he got his own place. I didn’t want him to go, but he felt it was time.”

  “And how is he? Good?” Cadence asked, trying to fill up the awkwardness with conversation.

  Parker’s jaw hardened. “I’m not in the mood for small talk. I want answers. The sooner the better.”

  There was no mistaking the edge to Parker’s voice. He seemed to be mere seconds away from snapping under the pressure. Cadence knew the feeling. She felt the same way.

  She bit her lip. Parker’s irritation with her served as a reminder that nothing was the same as it used to be between them. She was the woman who’d abruptly dumped him and broken his heart. Cadence had given Parker the impression that there had been another man in the picture, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. She’d lied to him over and over again. And now it was time to tell the truth and pray Parker would believe her.

  “There’s nothing greater in this world than knowing you brought a life into this world. It gives new meaning to living.”

  Penelope Donahue

  Chapter Three

  Cadence fiddled with her necklace. She didn’t know where to start. The truth was a perilous road to navigate at times, but it was the only way at this point. Keeping secrets had done nothing but bring her endless pain and guilt. And she had lost Parker in the process. Logan was missing! There was no use crying over spilt milk. In her heart, she could honestly say that the things she’d done had been for a greater good.

  In hindsight, Cadence realized she’d had other choices, other avenues to travel down. But she’d been so frightened. So paralyzed with dread. Fear had been such a powerful force back then. Mason had made her believe in no uncertain terms that he was fully capable of harming Parker and her parents.

  God, please help me find the right words.

  “This all started three years ago…a few months before I broke things off with you.” She ducked her head down and focused on her cross necklace, the one her parents had given her for her sixteenth birthday. It was one of her most precious possessions. In her worst times of strife, Cadence garnered strength from it. She needed it more than ever at this moment.

  “I first met Mason because he had business dealings with my father. It was when we first started dating. My father had him over to the house for dinner one night and he seemed like a charming older man who was very savvy in his business dealings. Daddy was very impressed with him, so I assumed he was someone worthy of admiration. Later on that week he called me on my cell phone. I had no idea how he got my number, but he made it clear he liked me romantically. To be honest, I was stunned. He was more than twice my age and a friend of my father’s. I told him in no uncertain terms I was committed to you. He sto
pped contacting me for several months, then he began reaching out to me again.” She shivered. “He started sending me roses and gifts. A diamond brooch. Concert tickets. I rejected every gesture, every invitation. But it just seemed to get worse. He knew where I’d been and the places you and I went on dates.”

  “And you never told me any of this?” Parker asked, his tone infused with anger.

  “No, I didn’t. I wanted to handle it by myself instead of involving you. And, to be honest, I wasn’t sure if you would fly off the handle and confront him.” She locked gazes with Parker. “I couldn’t run the risk of alienating Mason since my father was counting on working with him so he could salvage his business. As you know, my father ended up losing nearly everything, and it was a chance for him to recoup some of his standing in the business community by working with Mason. Clearly, I made a huge miscalculation. He continued to stalk me.

  “Instead of things getting better, they got worse. He began showing up places where he knew I would be. And calling me at strange hours. I was frightened, Parker. When I told him to knock it off and that I was happily involved with you, he made his first threat.”

  “What threat?” he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

  “To send my father to prison.”

  Parker frowned. “Prison? For what?”

  She bit her lip. She’d never breathed a word of this to anyone. “Embezzlement. He was in possession of information that could send my father to jail for the rest of his life. I couldn’t run the risk of it. And he was making other threats against you as well, Parker.”

  He visibly bristled. “What kind of threats?” he pressed.

  “To kill you.” She said it as plainly as possible. There was no way to sugarcoat it. Parker wasn’t the type of person who responded to prettying things up. It wasn’t even possible in this situation, she realized. The truth was ugly and brutal and shocking.