knew from the moment I saw you that you’d be nothing but trouble. No self-respecting woman your age has a boyfriend practically young enough to be her son. And yet, despite all my reservations, and against my better judgment, I still welcomed you into my home these past few months. And this is how you show your gratitude.”
“Aunt Caroline” — Leslie tried to interject and placed a hand on her shoulder — “please —”
“Don’t!” Caroline snatched away from Leslie and closed in on the threesome, her eyes still focused on Rylee.
“It wasn’t enough for you to have one of my sons; you just had to have both of them, didn’t you? Well, you may have them fooled by your pretty face and your sweet smile, but I see right through your act. You’re nothing but a fucking whore!” Caroline hissed. “Get out of my house! You are not welcome here anymore.”
Rylee stared at Caroline in shock, too stunned to defend herself against the other woman’s verbal attack.
“If Rylee’s not welcome here, then I must not be either.” Nick spoke quietly but firmly, and his response drew gasps from several people in the room, including Rylee.
“You can’t mean that.” Caroline stared at him. A look of disbelief shone plainly on her face. “Yeah…I do.”
“You would choose her over your own mother, your own family?”
“No. I would choose the woman I love, and the family I love,” Nick corrected her. “I don’t want to choose one over the other — I shouldn’t have to. But you’re not leaving me any other options.”
Rylee could hear the pain and anguish in Nick’s voice. Her arm wrapped around his waist, and she held him tight against her as she fought back tears that threatened to fall.
“Okay, everybody,” Leslie spoke up again. “Let’s all just calm down before somebody says something they’ll end up regretting later.”
“And what about you?” Caroline ignored Leslie as she turned her attention to Noah.
“Are you willing to walk away from your family because of this…woman?”
“It seems to me that my family wants to walk away from me,” Noah said hoarsely, his voice filled with emotion.
“Whether you understand it or not, whether you agree with it or not, the fact remains that Rylee is the woman we want.” Noah’s hazel eyes stared down at Rylee. “The woman we love.”
Noah turned back to his mother. “And that’s not going to change just because you or anybody in this room has a problem with it.”
He removed his arm from Rylee’s waist, and reached for her hand, his fingers entwined with hers. Nick did the same with her other hand.
“So,” Noah continued, “if it makes you feel better to have someone to blame for this, go right ahead. Blame me, blame Nick, blame anybody but Rylee. She’s done nothing wrong, and she didn’t deserve the treatment she received here tonight.”
“If that’s how you feel, fine.” Caroline’s voice broke, and she pointed toward the door.
“Leave.” Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and her lips were pressed into a thin, hard line. “No!” Leslie shook her head vigorously. “Please, don’t do this!”
With their hands still connected, Nick led the way out of the kitchen with Rylee and Noah close behind him.
“Nicky…” Tears flowed down Leslie’s face, and José wrapped his arms around her.
Nick stopped in front of Leslie and kissed her briefly on the forehead. “Don’t cry, Leslie. Everything will be fine.” He nodded at José. “I’ll talk to you later.” They continued to the door, and Caroline’s voice followed them out of the house.
“Mark my words; that woman is going to break both of your hearts.”
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as they were away from the house, Nick released Rylee’s hand.
“Noah, take Rylee back to the house. I’m gonna go check on the dogs.”
Rylee looked at him. “We can go with you.”
“Nah, that’s okay.” Nick shook his head, avoiding eye contact with her. “I’ll
“Aunt Caroline” — Leslie tried to interject and placed a hand on her shoulder — “please —”
“Don’t!” Caroline snatched away from Leslie and closed in on the threesome, her eyes still focused on Rylee.
“It wasn’t enough for you to have one of my sons; you just had to have both of them, didn’t you? Well, you may have them fooled by your pretty face and your sweet smile, but I see right through your act. You’re nothing but a fucking whore!” Caroline hissed. “Get out of my house! You are not welcome here anymore.”
Rylee stared at Caroline in shock, too stunned to defend herself against the other woman’s verbal attack.
“If Rylee’s not welcome here, then I must not be either.” Nick spoke quietly but firmly, and his response drew gasps from several people in the room, including Rylee.
“You can’t mean that.” Caroline stared at him. A look of disbelief shone plainly on her face. “Yeah…I do.”
“You would choose her over your own mother, your own family?”
“No. I would choose the woman I love, and the family I love,” Nick corrected her. “I don’t want to choose one over the other — I shouldn’t have to. But you’re not leaving me any other options.”
Rylee could hear the pain and anguish in Nick’s voice. Her arm wrapped around his waist, and she held him tight against her as she fought back tears that threatened to fall.
“Okay, everybody,” Leslie spoke up again. “Let’s all just calm down before somebody says something they’ll end up regretting later.”
“And what about you?” Caroline ignored Leslie as she turned her attention to Noah.
“Are you willing to walk away from your family because of this…woman?”
“It seems to me that my family wants to walk away from me,” Noah said hoarsely, his voice filled with emotion.
“Whether you understand it or not, whether you agree with it or not, the fact remains that Rylee is the woman we want.” Noah’s hazel eyes stared down at Rylee. “The woman we love.”
Noah turned back to his mother. “And that’s not going to change just because you or anybody in this room has a problem with it.”
He removed his arm from Rylee’s waist, and reached for her hand, his fingers entwined with hers. Nick did the same with her other hand.
“So,” Noah continued, “if it makes you feel better to have someone to blame for this, go right ahead. Blame me, blame Nick, blame anybody but Rylee. She’s done nothing wrong, and she didn’t deserve the treatment she received here tonight.”
“If that’s how you feel, fine.” Caroline’s voice broke, and she pointed toward the door.
“Leave.” Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and her lips were pressed into a thin, hard line. “No!” Leslie shook her head vigorously. “Please, don’t do this!”
With their hands still connected, Nick led the way out of the kitchen with Rylee and Noah close behind him.
“Nicky…” Tears flowed down Leslie’s face, and José wrapped his arms around her.
Nick stopped in front of Leslie and kissed her briefly on the forehead. “Don’t cry, Leslie. Everything will be fine.” He nodded at José. “I’ll talk to you later.” They continued to the door, and Caroline’s voice followed them out of the house.
“Mark my words; that woman is going to break both of your hearts.”
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as they were away from the house, Nick released Rylee’s hand.
“Noah, take Rylee back to the house. I’m gonna go check on the dogs.”
Rylee looked at him. “We can go with you.”
“Nah, that’s okay.” Nick shook his head, avoiding eye contact with her. “I’ll
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