Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)

30. RHETT

30

RHETT

My phone keeps pinging with messages. “What the hell is so important right now?” I pat my cow between her big brown eyes. “Want some more pumpkin, sweetheart?” I ask her as I hand her a piece.

Her calf bumps against me, and I chuckle. “You want some too, huh?” I break off a small chunk, which he gobbles out of my hand.

My phone buzzes again, and I grab it out of my back pocket. It’s Jace.

Jace: Is Paige okay?

Me: Why wouldn’t she be?

Jace: You haven’t seen the video yet, huh? One sec.

What video? It takes a full five minutes for the damn thing to load. I hold my phone up to try to get another bar, but the signal is weak out here.

Finally, it plays. My stomach drops as I watch my ex tear into my sweet wife. Whoever’s recording this follows them back to my truck. I hold my breath as I wait for Paige to start crying because Amber is a viper. And then it’s like a switch flips, and Paige yells back. I watch, riveted, as my wife defends herself, but the part that kills me dead is when she yells that I belong to her now. “I will cherish him with my whole heart for as long as he’ll have me!”

Fuck, yes, she belongs to me.

I grab my horse’s reins, slide my boot into the stirrup, and hoist myself into the saddle. “Let’s get home,” I tell Apollo.

By the time I open the sliding glass door to the kitchen, my heart is pounding. I have no idea what to expect.

I find Paige and the boys huddled together in front of the TV. Cartoons are playing, but they don’t look like they’re watching.

“Hey, guys.” I kneel in front of them. “Are y’all okay? I heard what happened.”

All three of them have bloodshot eyes and red noses. I hold open my arms, and the boys rush into them. Paige’s eyes are swollen, and I’m so pissed that Amber hurt her, I wanna howl at the sky like a wild beast.

I can’t go another minute without her in my arms. So I sit next to her, scoot Gabriel next to me while I keep my arm around him, put Austin in my lap, and pull Paige to me with my other arm, so that I have all three of them close.

She shoves her face against my chest, and I can feel her shoulders shake as she cries. “Who told you?”

I wince. She’s not gonna be excited about this, but I don’t wanna lie. “Jace forwarded a video someone took.”

Tugging her closer, I rub her back, and she hiccups. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the boys out of there quicker.”

“Baby, you have nothing to apologize for. I appreciate you not letting her take them.” Amber has gone too fucking far.

Paige sits up and wipes her eyes. “I feel bad that Gabe and Austin had to see… had to see that.”

I kiss her forehead. “Well, let’s do a little family check-in.” I look down at my boys. “Today was tough, and I know you two don’t understand everything that happened, but the most important thing is that y’all did nothing wrong. And I want you to know I love you both more than I can say. You two are my whole world, and I’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

Austin starts crying. “I’m sad.”

“Aww, buddy, it’s okay. I’m sad too that everyone got so upset today.”

Gabriel sniffles. “Is Mom gonna take us back this week? ’Cause I don’t wanna go.”

Austin shakes his head. “Me neither.”

“Dad, we wanna stay with you. Mom is always so mean.” My tough little dude tears up, and I squeeze him tighter.

“Boys, you don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to, okay? I’m gonna talk to my lawyer and see what we can work out.” Seeing Amber freak out like that in public makes me wonder. I always assumed she was only like that with me. “Does your mom ever yell like that when you’re with her?”

Gabriel finally gives up trying to be strong, and tears stream down his face. “She always yells at us. She hates us. I don’t know why she wants us to come over at all. She tells us to shut up and that we’re annoying.”

Fuck. My throat tightens up, and I pull him in for a hug. “I’m sorry, son. I had no idea. But like I said, you’re not going anywhere.”

Paige touches my shoulder. “I’m going to give y’all some time to talk.”

I grab her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Her eyes get watery, and she points to the kitchen. “I’m going to get dinner started.”

I let her go. For now.

After I set Austin down next to me, I wrap my arms around my boys’ shoulders. “How was the gym? Did you learn anything?”

Gabriel immediately perks up. “Paige said I did a great roundoff.”

“What about you, Austin?”

“I did cartwheels.”

“Awesome, boys. Are y’all enjoying that?”

Gabe smiles so wide, I can see all his teeth. “We love it.” He leans close like he needs to tell me a secret. “Paige is awesome. Can we keep her?”

Austin nods. “Yeah. Awesome.”

I chuckle. “I’m gonna do my best to get her to stay.”

Turning, I watch my wife rush around the kitchen, and I realize that if she leaves for Boston, she’s gonna take my heart with her.

I don’t know who I was fooling with a fake marriage, ’cause my feelings for Paige are as real as it gets.