Chapter 24
The autumn air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp leaves as I dragged the rake through the yard. It was slow, repetitive work, but the doctor said I needed to stay active, and this was as good a way as any. The baby kicked lightly, a gentle reminder of what was to come.
I was about to gather another pile when the unmistakable sound of tires on gravel sent a jolt through me. I straightened up, my eyes narrowing as the sleek black Mercedes rolled into the driveway. Again.
Vaughn.
I gripped the rake tighter, steeling myself. As he stepped out of the car, I couldn’t help but notice how different he looked. Gone was the business suit. He wore faded jeans and a thick white fisherman’s sweater, the casual look almost disarming. Almost.
“What do you want, Vaughn?” My voice was cold, but I was bracing for whatever he had up his sleeve this time.
He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze traveling over me, pausing at my belly. His brow furrowed. “Should you be doing that? You could hire someone, you know.”
I clenched my jaw, annoyed by the casual way he tried to act concerned. “I’m fine. And you don’t need to worry about me. I don’t need you.”
Without warning, Vaughn closed the distance between us in one swift motion. He grabbed the lapel of my coat and yanked me forward. I collided with his chest, my breath catching from the sudden contact. His arms locked around me, strong and possessive.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Joey,” he murmured, his voice a dangerous whisper against my ear.
I struggled in his grasp, trying to push against his chest, but his hold was unyielding. My heart raced—partly from the proximity, partly from the memories of what we once had. God, it felt good to be in his arms, but I couldn’t let him back in. Not like this. Not after everything.
“Let go, Vaughn,” I said, my voice shaky but determined.
“Pick one,” he repeated, his tone harder now, a challenge in his eyes as they bore into mine.
I shoved against him with all the strength I had left, managing to push out of his hold. I took a step back, breathing hard. “Or what? You’ll make my life miserable? Because, newsflash, you already have. Do you even realize what you did to me?”
His face twisted with something close to regret, but I didn’t let him off the hook. I wasn’t falling for whatever game he was playing now.
“I’ve thought of nothing else for the past six months,” he admitted, his voice low.
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in every gesture.
“I was furious when Colson gave you what I thought you didn’t deserve.
You deceived him, Joey. You kept the mansion under the pretense that you’d pass it on to his child—the child you no longer had. ”
His words cut deep, reopening wounds I had worked so hard to close. The memories of that dark time, the loss, the grief—it all came rushing back. I swallowed hard, but I refused to let him see me break.
“I was protecting your father,” I said, my voice trembling but steady. “I didn’t want to burden him with the knowledge that our baby wouldn’t survive. It wasn’t fair to tell him when he already had so much on his shoulders.”
Vaughn stepped closer, his eyes softer now, less accusing. He reached up and cupped my chin, his fingers warm against my skin. I fought the urge to close my eyes, to lean into his touch like I had so many times before. But I couldn’t. Not anymore.
“You should’ve told him,” he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “He was stronger than you gave him credit for, even when he was dying.”
The pain in his words was raw, unguarded. For the first time, I saw past Vaughn’s arrogance, past his walls, and into the heart of a man who had been hurting just as much as I had. But that didn’t change what he’d done. It didn’t erase the manipulation, the lies, the broken promises.
“I did what I thought was best,” I whispered, stepping away from his touch. “And I’m doing what’s best for our son now. Vaughn, you can’t just walk back into my life and expect things to be like they were.”
He sighed, his frustration clear as he ran a hand down his face. “I’m not asking for things to be like they were. But this… this is my child too, Joey. I can’t just stand by and watch you shut me out.”
I met his gaze, my heart twisting painfully. “You shut me out first. You used me, manipulated me to get what you wanted, and damaged my reputation. Do you really expect me to forget all that? To let you waltz back in like nothing happened?”
He didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might walk away. But instead, he took a deep breath and looked at me with a seriousness that sent a chill down my spine.
We stared each other down, neither of us willing to back down, the tension between us thicker than the autumn air.
Vaughn exhaled loudly. “What do you want to hear?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Hear?”
“What do you want me to say? That I fucked up? That I was scared if I let down my facade it would make me look weak?”
I didn’t understand. “What are you taking about?”
“I was so hopelessly in love with you for so many years that when I got what I wanted, I was afraid.” He paused for a moment. “When I’m with you I turn into someone I don’t know. I was scared of losing myself.”
“And that would be a bad thing? You spent so much of your life being an arrogant asshole that you were afraid to show who you’d become when you were with me? So you decided to hurt me in the worst way? Ruin me?”
Vaughn scrubbed his face. “I did what I know.”
“And you ruined us in the process. Why didn’t you ask.”
He met my gaze. “I did ask. You wouldn’t give in.”
“It was how you asked. Like I should just give up everything because you wanted it. You’ve spent so much time getting what you want that when you didn’t you resort to manipulation. I loved you, Vaughn.”
I didn’t realize tears were coursing down my face until Vaughn reached out to wipe my tears.
“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here until you let me into your life again.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “And what about Ashworth?”
“I can run it from wherever. You know that.”
I did. Colson ran Ashworth until he was too incapacitated to make decisions and that was only the last two weeks of his life.
I nodded. “You can. But you took away what was given to me. I don’t understand why you did what you did.”
Vaughn got down on his knees. “I’ll do anything you say to make it up to you…anything. Just say the word, Joey.”
I smirked and pointed at the leaves. “I could use some help raking the leaves.”
“Why don’t you sit down and let me do it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I thought you would give me a hard time. Vaughn Ashworth doing manual labor?”
He began raking. “If that’s what it takes.”
Vaughn hissed through clenched teeth as I dabbed disinfectant over the raw blisters on his palm.
He’d worked hard, clearing most of the leaves in the front yard, a sight I hadn’t expected to see—him knee-deep in leaves, struggling like an ordinary person.
I eyed the backyard, the one leading down to the river, and decided I’d spare him the ordeal. I’d hire someone else for that.
As I carefully placed Band-Aids over his wounds, Vaughn ran a hand through his damp hair, pushing it back with a frustrated sigh. "I could use a shoulder massage. My arms feel like they're about to fall off."
I chuckled softly, glancing up at him. "I bet you haven’t done anything like this in a long time."
He straightened, puffing his chest out a bit. "I work out almost every day."
I couldn’t help but smile at his pride. It was true, he looked different—leaner, more rugged than the polished man I’d known.
But this wasn’t about a day of yard work or his physique.
If Vaughn wanted to be part of our son’s life, he’d need to do a lot more than rake some leaves. I wouldn’t let him off that easily.
“I made dinner,” I said, changing the subject. “Beef stew.”
His eyes lit up. "Margaret’s recipe?"
I nodded. My mother had passed down her recipes to me, and I’d made a habit of using them. It was comforting in a way, grounding. “And fresh apple cake. It’s not lobster or caviar, but it’s good food for cold nights.”
Vaughn checked his reflection in the mirror, running a hand through his hair again before pulling a sweatshirt from his bag.
The sight of that suitcase in the corner reminded me he was planning to stay, fully prepared to camp out in Mystic until I forgave him.
A part of me admired his persistence, but another part bristled at his confidence.
He followed me out of the bathroom and took a seat at the granite island in the kitchen. I ladled stew into a bowl and slid a plate of freshly baked bread toward him.
“This smells incredible,” he said, lifting the spoon to his mouth.
I smiled faintly, pleased with the compliment. I had grown used to cooking for myself these past months, taking care of everything without help—no chef, no maids, no one to rely on but me. It had been empowering, in a way.
“What did you do up here all this time?” Vaughn asked between bites.
I shrugged, leaning against the counter. “Everything I used to do before I got tangled up with your family. It’s not so bad getting your hands dirty.”
He raised an eyebrow, dipping a piece of bread into his stew. “We didn’t grow up so different, you know.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “Vaughn, we were worlds apart. You grew up in couture clothes, skiing during holidays, and dining in Michelin-star restaurants. I was in worn jeans, reading in my spare time, and cooking dinner for my family.”
He set his spoon down, looking at me seriously. “Joey… I should’ve asked you out back then. I mean, it worked for Logan and Simone. He was her first, you know that, right?”
I blinked, caught off guard. My brother had always been popular in high school, but I had no idea about him and Simone.
“I didn’t know,” I admitted. “She wasn’t exactly nice to me in high school.
When she graduated, I was relieved. But even then, the snubbing never stopped.
I wasn’t wealthy, or part of the elite, but I did get a great education. ”
Vaughn stood up slowly, moving around the counter toward me. My hand instinctively went to my belly as our son kicked, a reminder of everything that had changed.
He paused, eyes focused on my hand. “May I?”
I nodded, and he reached out carefully, resting his palm on my stomach. The baby kicked again, harder this time, and Vaughn’s brows shot up in surprise.
“He’s strong,” he murmured, a mixture of awe and something deeper in his voice. “A strong boy.”
“He’s an Ashworth,” I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.
Without warning, Vaughn leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
I closed my eyes at the warmth of his lips, feeling them linger for just a second longer than necessary.
I should’ve pulled away. I should’ve kept my guard up.
But in that moment, with his hand on my belly and his lips on my skin, all the hurt and betrayal swirled together with the undeniable connection between us.
When he finally pulled back, I opened my eyes, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us. But the walls I’d built around my heart weren’t so easy to tear down.
“Vaughn, this doesn’t change anything,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “You still have a long way to go.”
He nodded, but his eyes held a quiet determination that made me uneasy. “I know. But I’m not giving up. Not on you, and not on our son.”
The tension between us thickened, unspoken words hanging in the air. I wasn’t sure what came next—whether we could ever bridge the chasm that had formed between us—but I knew one thing for certain.
Vaughn wasn’t going to let me walk away without a fight.