Chapter 3 #4
Jagger turned away from her, probably to hide his reaction. There was tension in his jaw and worry in his eyes when he turned back to her. “She says she’s talking to a lawyer.”
Concern grew in Chelsea too. She didn’t know Jagger’s family, but she knew what he’d done to make a life for Kaden. The idea of Jagger losing the little boy he clearly loved made her heart ache. “Does your lawyer think she has a chance?”
“I’m told judges favor mothers if they’ve got their lives together.
Especially over a single, former-playboy nephew.
” He shook his head. Disgust and frustration were etched on his face.
He was silent for a few moments, his gaze watching his fingers as they absently traced the outline of the tile on the table. “I was there when he was born.”
“In the room with his mother?”
He nodded. “It was about three in the morning and my grandfather couldn’t be bothered with it, so Tanya had the hospital call me.”
Chelsea wondered about the relationship between Tanya and Jagger that she’d call him.
She didn’t necessarily expect that it was a romantic relationship, but Tanya had called him during one of the most important events of her life.
But she kept her questions to herself, wanting Jagger to tell his story in his own way.
“When I got the call I was...” He laughed sheepishly. “Well, I think you can guess what I was doing. That was the height of my partying ways.”
Chelsea nodded to let him know she understood he was with a woman.
“She wasn’t happy that I left to go help my step-grandmother have a baby.”
For a long time, Chelsea had believed that rich people had the money and resources to make their lives easy, but as she learned more about Jagger’s history, she realized life was messy and complicated for everyone.
Jagger took a long drink of water. “When I got to the hospital, the nurses ushered me in and told me what to do. I remember feeling both annoyed and scared to death.”
“Scared?” Chelsea couldn’t stop from asking the question.
He looked at her. “For the most part, I’d been able to avoid heavy, deep, and real situations. The birth of a baby is about as heavy, deep, and real as you can get.”
Chelsea nodded.
“But I was annoyed, too, at having to do what my grandfather should be doing. Tanya wasn’t my responsibility. She and I got along all right, but she wasn’t married to me or having my baby.” He shook his head. “Selfish I know.”
And appropriate, Chelsea thought. Jagger was judging himself for his negative feelings, and not giving himself credit for being there when his grandfather wasn’t.
“So there I was, saying all the things I thought I was supposed to say to help Tanya, but on the inside wondering how long it was going to take and wondering if Jasmine would let me back in her place when I was done.”
Jasmine. As ridiculous as it was, Chelsea felt jealous.
“And then the doctor held Kaden up and...something shifted inside. At first it was coming face to face with my own pettiness, because seeing this new life put everything in perspective. But then, I felt profound sadness for him.”
“Sadness?” In Chelsea’s world, the birth of a child was always seen as a gift, something to be joyful about.
Jagger sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. Chelsea imagined he was back in that moment, because she could see the sorrow etched on his face.
Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at her. “He was this perfect little person, but he was a Talbot, which meant eventually, his soul would be crushed.”
Wow. Chelsea was shocked at his strong words. She tried to keep her facial expression neutral, but wasn’t sure she had, so she took a drink of her water.
“My grandfather was already done with Tanya by the time Kaden was born, so he wasn’t going to be involved in raising him. My father and I are both examples of what an unloving home can do to a person.”
“What do you mean?”
Jagger laughed derisively. “My father is the most selfish, misogynistic narcissist you’ll ever meet. My life was on that same path. Partying. Women. There isn’t much substance to us.”
“The hell there isn’t.” Her words burst forth in anger. Maybe Jagger had been shallow in the past, but the man sitting before her now, the one who’d changed his life for a little boy and was pouring out his soul to her, that man had substance.
Jagger’s wide-eyed surprise turned to amusement at her outburst.
Chelsea huffed out a breath. “You’re none of those things.”
“Thanks to Kaden. I thought Tanya would be a good mom, but I knew everyone else in his life would ruin him, so I vowed that day to keep it from happening. The world didn’t need another Talbot playboy.”
Chelsea felt her heart expand at the determination and commitment in Jagger’s voice. She’d always been attracted to his good looks and affable personality, but now she admired him. “You’ve always been in his life?”
Jagger nodded. “Tanya was able to keep it together the first year or so, but she complained a lot to my grandfather. He brought in Mrs. Stanton, who’d been my nanny, to take care of Kaden, thinking if Tanya had more time and a bigger allowance, she’d entertain herself and not bother him.
Unfortunately, with free time, she just got more depressed, and when one of the house staff offered her a little pick-me-up and a good time, she took him up on it. ”
“I don’t understand why people go that route.”
He shrugged. “It’s fast and easy. But it’s also dangerous and messes up your ability to be a good mom.” He took another drink of his beer. “She should be dead. Twice, she OD’ed. The second time, I found her on the floor next to Kaden’s bed.”
Chelsea shuddered.
“I tried to get her help.” Jagger looked into Chelsea’s eyes. “I really did. I never considered becoming his full-time guardian. But she wouldn’t get help. So the more she used, the more I took over his care. Mrs. Stanton is great, but I...” He didn’t finish his thought.
“You thought he needed family.”
He inhaled deeply and nodded. “When she left, she planned to take Kaden, but there was no way I’d allow that. She didn’t fight me very hard on it.” He shook his head. “I learned later that my father paid her five hundred thousand dollars to leave.”
“What?” Chelsea’s stomach clenched. What kind of family was Jagger from?
“She was supposed to take Kaden and disappear. He wasn’t happy to learn Kaden hadn’t gone.”
“Why? Doesn’t your father like him?”
He laughed derisively. “My father doesn’t like anyone but himself. But he especially doesn’t like Kaden because my father doesn’t like sharing my grandfather’s money. He’s been trying to get at Kaden’s inheritance since the moment my grandfather died.”
“Jagger.” She wasn’t sure what to say.
“It’s possible she’s back for Kaden, but it’s also possible she’s back because she’s blown through the money my father gave her.
Either way, I’m going to fight.” He looked at her with determination.
“I love that kid. I...I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.
” He turned away, as if he was embarrassed he’d revealed so much of himself.
She reached out, placing her hand over his. He looked down at her hand over his, then turned his over and clasped hers. She felt the heat of his touch, but it wasn’t an electric zing like usual. Instead, it was a slow-flowing warmth that wrapped around her heart.
He looked up from their joined hands. “She abandoned him even before she walked out. Not a single word for two years. Meanwhile, I’m the one who’s cared for him when he’s sick.
I taught him how to throw a ball and ride a bike.
I’m the one who takes him to tee-ball and the dentist. I know you think it wasn’t me, that I pawned off all the child rearing to Mrs. Stanton, but you’re wrong. ”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Only the school stuff because...well, only the school stuff.” He turned away.
Chelsea titled her head.“Why?”
He blew out a breath. “Because I couldn’t face you.”
Had she heard that right? “I don’t understand.”
He looked at her again. “Because of what happened at the wedding.”
“Oh that.” She sat back, pulling her hand free as her humiliation and embarrassment came to the surface again. “I’m not surprised you ditched me, Jagger.”
His face pinched in a pained expression. “I didn’t ditch…well, I did. But I didn’t want to. Mitch asked…”
He didn’t finish the statement. He didn’t have to. Mitch. She should have guessed he’d intervened. Except, it was his wedding. How had he even been able to pull his attention away from Sydney long enough to notice Jagger talking with her?
“Do you always do what Mitch tells you?”
His lips twitched upward. “He carries a gun.” Then his expression turned serious. “He cares for you. Looks out for you. And I...I couldn’t tell him my intentions—”
She snorted. “Yeah, right.” She couldn’t imagine that Jagger would be romantically interested in a woman like her. Although, maybe he thought she’d be an easy lay. She was single, unattached, and no matter how hard she tried, she could never stop herself from going a little gaga around him.
Jagger’s eyes narrowed questioningly. “I liked you...do like you, Chelsea, but I couldn’t guarantee him I wouldn’t hurt you and, since you’d been through so much, I didn’t want to take that chance.”
“So you just ditched me?”
He inhaled deeply and winced, as if the memory of what he’d done bothered him. “I did. Look, I don’t deny I sowed my oats or that I can be a mean SOB at times. But I’m not a jerk—”
She bit her lip but couldn’t stop her eye roll.
He gritted his teeth. “I know what I did was a jerk thing to do, but I knew if I went back to your table to make my excuses, I wouldn’t leave. And since Mitch is my friend, just about my only friend down here, I knew I had to go. I’m sorry if I hurt you—”
“More like humiliated me.” She grimaced, wishing she hadn’t let him know how much his abandoning her had hurt her.
He let out a curse. “I’m sorry for that. And ashamed. I hope you can understand and forgive me.”
Well, of course she could because he was looking at her with those brilliant blue eyes...electric blue?...with remorse. “Why would Mitch do that?”
“He cares about you. He takes his promise to Brian seriously. I can’t imagine he hasn’t also warned you away from me. I do have a reputation.”
Mitch hadn’t ever warned her away until that night. He hadn’t said anything at the wedding or afterwards.
“I know he’s protective of me, but not why he’s so negative about you. Do I need to be warned?”
He smiled, but it had an air of mischief. “Do you want to be warned?”
There was no reining in her hormones from that. An electric thrill ran the entire length of her body before settling in her chest, making her heart hammer.
He cocked his head to the side. “No one ever worries about warning me.”
“About me?” That was ridiculous.
“Sure. Despite what some might say, I have a heart too.”
“Has it ever been broken?”
“Not yet.” His gaze held hers, studying her as if he was wondering if she’d be the one to give him a taste of heartbreak. That was even more ridiculous. For that to happen, he’d have to love her. No, he was just flirting in the way Jagger did with all women. Did he even realize it?
She stood. “I should probably go. If Mitch finds out I’m here, you might get in trouble.”
“Except you came to me.” He stood and moved closer to her. He didn’t touch her, but he didn’t have to for her to feel the heat of him. For the scent of sexy devil to surround her. “I’m willing to risk it.”
She bit her lower lip as she took a step back in retreat. She extended her bottle to him. “Thank you, Jagger.”
He nodded at her, amusement dancing in his gaze. “You’re welcome, Chelsea. Let me walk you out.”