Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
T aylor closed the door to her hotel room with a soft click and leaned back against it. Glancing out the window, she saw the city lights and knew she couldn’t wait to get home to her son. While Washington was beautiful at night, her heart was back in Austin, hopefully sound asleep.
She slipped off her heels, her feet aching after hours of standing. Setting her purse on the small desk near the window, she rubbed her temples and let out a long breath, hoping to exhale the knot of tension that had been sitting in her stomach since the elevator ride with Caleb.
What is wrong with me? How could she still be attracted to the man who’d broken her heart and left her pregnant and unmarried?
The evening had gone better than she’d expected—or at least it should have. She’d handed out her business cards, pitched her services with confidence, and even connected with someone who might become a client.
Thanks to Caleb.
The thought sent a ripple of frustration through her. Crossing the room, she grabbed her phone from her bag and dialed her mom’s number, needing something to ground her.
“Hi, sweetheart!” Grace answered, her voice warm and cheerful.
Taylor’s shoulders eased at the familiar sound. “Hi, Mom. How’s Liam?”
“Oh, he’s fine,” Grace said. “He spent the afternoon building a zoo out of blocks and stuffed animals. He’s convinced the giraffe and the tiger are best friends.”
Taylor laughed softly, the image of her little boy filling her mind and tugging at her heart. “That sounds like him.”
“He’s sleeping now,” Grace added. “But he did have a little cough earlier. I gave him some water and sat with him for a bit. It’s probably just the dry air, but I’ll watch it.”
A flicker of worry darted through Taylor. “A cough? Is it bad?”
“No, no,” Grace said quickly, her tone soothing. “It’s just a little one. Nothing to worry about. If it gets worse, I’ll take him to the pediatrician, but honestly, he seemed fine by bedtime.”
Taylor bit her lip, her fingers tightening around the phone. “Are you sure? I could come back?—”
“Absolutely not,” Grace interrupted firmly. “You stay right where you are and focus on your work. If anything changes, I’ll call you immediately. But he’s fine, sweetheart. I promise.”
Taylor sighed, some of the tension easing from her. That little boy was her life, and she worried when he became ill. “Okay. Thanks, Mom. I hate being so far away when he’s not feeling one hundred percent.”
“I know you do,” Grace said softly. “You’re a wonderful mom, Taylor. But part of being a good mom is also taking care of yourself and your goals. Liam’s in good hands, I promise.”
Taylor sank onto the edge of the bed, the phone pressed to her ear. “Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that.”
A part of her felt guilty for leaving him behind, even though she knew he was in great hands. But she wasn’t there, and that worried her.
There was a brief pause before Grace’s tone turned curious. “So, how’s the convention? Meeting lots of new people?”
Taylor hesitated, the image of Caleb’s crooked smile flashing in her mind. “Yeah. It’s been... eventful.”
Could she admit to her mother that seeing Caleb again had torn open old wounds she’d worked so hard to heal? That the pain of his leaving had come rushing back, raw and unrelenting as if no time had passed at all?
And yet, it wasn’t just the hurt that lingered. Seeing him again had also stirred up everything that had drawn her to him in the first place—the easy charm, the spark in his deep brown eyes, the way his smile could light up a room.
How could she explain the maddening contradiction in her heart? The part of her that still ached with the memory of his betrayal, and the part that couldn’t help but remember why she’d fallen for him in the first place?
Her mother caught the shift in her voice immediately. “Eventful, huh? That doesn’t sound like the confident, take-charge Taylor I know.”
“It’s nothing,” Taylor said quickly, but Grace remained silent, waiting her out in that way only mothers could. Taylor sighed, giving in. “Okay, fine. Caleb’s here.”
Grace’s sharp intake of breath echoed down the line. “Caleb Burnett? Liam’s father?”
“Yes, Mom,” Taylor said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Well,” Grace said slowly. “How did that go?”
Taylor let out a humorless laugh. “It’s complicated. I wasn’t thrilled to see him, but... he was nice tonight. He introduced me to someone interested in hiring me for marketing services.”
“Oh,” Grace said, her voice softening. “That was thoughtful of him.”
“Yeah, it was,” Taylor admitted, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the comforter. “And that’s what makes it so frustrating. I want to hate him. I should hate him after everything, but I just... I can’t.”
Grace hummed thoughtfully on the other end of the line. “Why do you think that is?”
Taylor stared at the hotel carpet, the pattern swirling like the thoughts in her mind. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he’s different now. Or maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time trying to move on that I forgot how he could make me feel—how charming and infuriating he can be all at once.”
Grace’s voice was gentle when she spoke. “It’s okay to feel conflicted, Taylor. You went through a lot with him. Those feelings don’t just disappear, no matter how much time has passed.”
Taylor shook her head as if her mother could see her. “I can’t let myself go there, Mom. He walked away once, and I won’t give him the chance to do it again. It’s better for everyone if I avoid him.”
Her mother chuckled softly. “How’s that working out for you so far?”
Taylor groaned, flopping back onto the bed. “Not great. We keep running into each other. And every time I tell myself I’m going to ignore him, he says or does something that catches me off guard. Like introducing me to that client tonight. I didn’t know what to say except thank you.”
“Well, maybe that’s all you needed to say,” Grace said. “You don’t have to figure out the whole picture tonight, Taylor. Just take things one moment at a time.”
Taylor closed her eyes, the weight of her mother’s words settling over her. “I’ll try. But it’s not easy, Mom. Seeing him stirs up everything I’ve worked so hard to put behind me. And it’s not just about me anymore. I have Liam to think about.”
The thought of her son growing close to his father was bittersweet. She feared that if she told Caleb about Liam, he’d abandon her son, just like he had her. And then her son would be hurting, and she would move mountains to keep that from happening.
“I know,” Grace said gently. “But don’t let fear decide for you. You’re strong, Taylor. Stronger than you give yourself credit for. Whatever happens, you’ll handle it.”
Taylor swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, get some rest. And don’t worry—I’ll call you if Liam’s cough gets any worse. But I have a feeling he’ll be just fine.”
“Okay,” Taylor said softly. “Goodnight, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Grace said before the call ended.
Taylor set the phone on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling, her mind still tangled with conflicting emotions.
Seeing Caleb again had been like opening a door she thought she’d locked for good. And now that it was open, she wasn’t sure how to close it again—or if she even wanted to.
All the memories of their time together came rushing back, hitting her like a tidal wave. The laughter, the stolen kisses, the dreams they had whispered to each other late at night—it was all there, tangled up with the hurt.
The sharp pain of discovering she was pregnant without him by her side surged to the surface, mingling with the bitter memory of how he’d ended things. No explanations, no effort to make it work—just a cold, final phone call that left her standing alone in the wreckage of what they’d shared.
She remembered the endless nights spent crying, the tears flowing like a river as she tried to understand how someone who had seemed to care so deeply could suddenly not want her anymore. How he could walk away as though she hadn’t meant anything at all.
Getting ready for bed, the memories of that fateful night when Liam was created flashed in her mind. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. She’d promised herself she would not cry over Caleb Burnett again. It was over, and they were done.
And yet, they had a son he knew nothing about.
She rolled onto her side, pulling the comforter around her like a shield. For Liam’s sake—and her own—she needed to keep Caleb at a distance. No matter how much her heart betrayed her, stirring at the memory of his grin and the sound of his laugh.
But as she drifted off to sleep, Taylor couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that avoiding Caleb would be harder than she’d thought.