26. Cordelia
The next morning, we get dressed to meet Esmarie for brunch. The woman loves brunch. Since last night, Kai hasn’t been able to stop touching me, and I love every minute of it until his phone rings. It’s Emerson, and Kai escapes to the balcony to take the call. When he comes back, it’s like a storm has rolled in and hovers over Kai. I’m afraid to ask because I’m still trying to make sense of all of this and how I fit into it.
I rub my belly while waiting for Kai to finish getting ready. He picked what I call his old money look. Olive green linen pants and a white shirt that’s buttoned one too many times. He helps me off the sofa and I unbutton the top one, fussing with his thin gold chain.
He glances down, and the corners of his mouth tip up. “If you wanted to get me naked, all you have to do is ask, you know.”
I smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Are you going to tell me what that phone call was about?”
“Not right now. I will, though, okay?” Kai says.
I purse my lips, but he grabs my hand, keeping me from walking away. He dips his head and kisses me so gently it breaks my heart a little.
“Do you trust me, gem?” he asks, leaning his forehead against mine. I nod against him. “I promise I’ll tell you, but I want to know what Liam has to say first. There’s no reason to lose it before we have all the information.”
“I don’t know what makes me more nervous,” I mutter as he takes my hand, leading me out the door.
“Well, let me tell you this. We may have to settle for the courthouse.”
My heart thuds, and my stomach twists with nausea. I’m not sure if it’s nerves from what Kai said or morning sickness. There’s a lot going on in my body right now, and I’m not entirely sure what is what at the moment. Also, my boobs hurt. A lot. “I guess that’s fine.” It’s been days since we got engaged, and I thought we might enjoy that for a little longer than we are. But I love him, and there isn’t any point in waiting, either. For better or worse, right?
“We will figure it out together, that much we do know. I’ve got you, baby, I always will.” He leans down and kisses my temple.
I smile at him and try to process everything happening at warp speed.
Esmarie is already at Eden’s Garden, another brunch place. It has a cute patio that sits right on the beach with brightly colored sun umbrellas angled in every direction. She’s waiting in a bright orange booth with food already on the table next to an open window.
When we approach, she stands and Kai leans down, kissing her on the cheek, before she rounds the table, bringing me into a hug. She gently puts her hand on my belly and looks at me with glittering eyes. I smile and she goes back to her seat.
“I hope you both slept well?” Esmarie asked. Kai glances at me, and I hope I’m not blushing right now. Kai takes my hand and sets it on his thigh while he takes a sip of his coffee. “I hope you don’t mind. I took the liberty of ordering a few things for us before you arrived.”
“Thank you, it looks wonderful,” I say, looking at all the brightly colored fruit and Danishes. Kai grips my hand in his, not wanting to let me go, and I collect fruit and a Danish with my other, filling my small plate.
“Did Emerson call you?” Esmarie asks Kai.
“He did, but I haven’t talked to Liam yet, and he was going to look into a few things.”
“It’s an election season, Kai. You know he’s going to announce running again soon. You know what he wants,” she says quietly, leaning forward yet still looking every bit the regal queen that she is.
“Yes, Mom, I do. That’s why we’re trying to figure out what his move is so we can get ahead of it.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible, son. Even when I was with him, I’d anticipate everything, and he’d still surprise me. And I paid for it,” she says. A flash of pain covers her face before she locks it back up into a picture of peace.
Kai’s hand twitches on mine like he’s doing his best to keep his anger in check. “I told Cordelia everything,” Kai says to her.
She glances at me. “And how do you feel about that, Cordelia?” she asks before taking a sip of tea.
I take a drink of my own, looking for the best words to answer her question. Kai squeezes my hand, and I glance at him before facing Esmarie. “There is nothing to say. I love him more than the things he can’t control. I blame his father, not him, and certainly not you.”
She looks me in the eye, likely searching for the lie, but she won’t find one within me. I mean it. I don’t like the position Kai’s in, and I don’t have to agree with all of it, but I certainly will continue to love him through it, nonetheless.
“I applaud you for your acceptance of a difficult past, but you do understand why I struggle to believe you are so quick to embrace it,” Esmarie says. Kai threads his fingers through mine and sits up a little more.
“Mom, we had the discussion. Our family is not easy to love, seeing as we come with a mountain of baggage. That being said, she is very aware of all of our realities. I understand your apprehension, but if she says she’s fine with it, then she’s fine with it.”
I thought I would be more scared about everything than I am, but I’m not.
Kai’s long fingers release my own and wrap around my wrist. He lays two fingers on the underside, searching for my pulse point. He’s done that a few times as if he doesn’t believe I’m telling him the truth about how I feel. He presses them to my skin and looks at me. His expression is tight and full of concern. Before I can reassure him, his phone buzzes in his pocket. He leans forward and pecks me on the lips, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
“It’s Liam. I need to take this,” he says, looking between Esmarie and me. She waves him off, and then Esmarie levels me with her stare. Now I’m nervous.
I walk out onto the patio to a corner where the closest table with people is at least ten feet away. “Liam.”
“Hey, so I found a few things.”
“Alright, what is it?” I ask, taking a deep breath of ocean air. It’s starting to get warm this morning, and the paranoia is building. I spin in place, checking my surroundings. Cordi and Mom are talking, and everything looks normal.
“They know about Cordelia just as Emerson suspected,” he says gently. Adrenaline shoots through my body, and my other senses become hyper-aware as I glance around the restaurant again. Clarence nods to me and keeps his attention on our surroundings.
“Explain,” I say sternly, forcing calm into my body before I grab a chair and beat it against the wall.
“You know Costa is looking for hackers, and we didn’t know why, so I tried to get in with them. Well, I got in with them, and I created a back door to—“
“Spit it out, Liam,” I grit out.
“I accessed one of their phones, and they’re looking into her. Questions are being asked about Cordelia.”
“Do you think they will try to use her against us?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I do,” he sighs. I look at them again, and they aren’t talking anymore. They’re staring at me instead. I wave, trying to reassure them. “You guys will have to get married sooner rather than later,” he says.
“It’s going to be the best way to protect her, isn’t it? Helping her disappear won’t work, will it?” I ask. I don’t want her to feel like she has to marry me with a gun to her head because that is essentially what’s happening.
“I mean, you can try it, but she will be a sitting duck out there. I guess we could send her with security like Mom, but…”
“I told her everything, Liam. She knows about the family and what Dad did. She’s also aware of the very real threat against Mom.”
“Oh shit, man. And she’s …cool with it?”
I exhale and look at the ocean crashing against the shore over and over again. “I wouldn’t say cool, but she’s accepted that this is our family. She still wants to marry me. So that’s probably good.”
Liam chuckles. “I was right about her. She really is one of the good ones.”
“Yeah, and I’m the one corrupting her,” I mutter.
“I have a feeling she’s not easily corruptible, brother.”
I stare at Cordi, who is still staring back at me. “No, you’re right, she’s not. Because, for some reason, she still thinks she can see the good in me. Regardless, this is all a bad idea.”
“You’re probably the best of us, Kai. Plus, it doesn’t matter now; you guys started it, and you can’t go back. And now that they are looking into her, you really can’t. So, to protect her the best way we can, you need to make her a Coldwell. Emerson and I are behind you, Kai. It’s going to be okay. She’s family now.”
My heart surges. No one has to get hurt. We just have to stay ahead of Dad. “Thanks, Liam.”
“You’re welcome, brother. Let me know when I need to be there with Emmy.”
“Plan on coming soon. You know he hates that nickname,” I say, smiling.
“And that’s exactly why I keep saying it.”
“He’s going to break your nose,” I grumble.
“Too late. He broke it, and then I broke it again while rock climbing.”
“You’re a dumbass. Okay, I’m at brunch with Cordi and Mom. I need to get back. Emerson still hasn’t talked to us about the beach house yet, either.”
“Yeah, he’s working on it. I’ll check in with him. And Kai?”
“Yeah?”
“She loves you, and you love her. That’s all that matters right now. Family is all that matters.”
My stomach unknots a little as I stare at Cordelia. “You’re right. Thank you, Liam.”
“Talk soon,” he says and hangs up the phone. I take a deep breath, willing the adrenaline to slow through my veins, if that’s even possible. I need to be calm, even though every bit of me is on high alert.
I reach our table and sit, pressing a kiss to Cordi’s temple.
“Everything okay?” she asks.
I glance at Mom, then back at Cordi. “Yeah, we have a lot to talk about,” I tell them. Mom gives me that look, and worry floods Cordi’s eyes. I grab her chin and tilt it up, gazing down at her. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” I kiss her quickly. “We can’t talk here.”