Chapter Twenty-Eight – Caden #2
Lilibeth drew in a sharp breath at the confirmation of who was standing in our house.
Rachel flashed me a fake smile. “I’m back.”
Confused, I asked, “You’re back…?”
Rachel forced a smile. “Yes, Caden. I’m back. I’ve come back to River Falls to save you from making a terrible mistake.”
Lilibeth balled her fists at her side. It reminded me of the earlier days, when she and I would spar. I used to love seeing her get mad. Now, that was the last thing I wanted.
“I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but I’m far from making any mistakes. How did you even get onto the ranch?”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Really? I have the code.” She looked around, taking a few steps farther into the room. “Still looks the same. Lacks a woman’s touch. I can fix that, though.”
Lilibeth’s gaze snapped to me. I shook my head, hoping that she knew I was trying to tell her to ignore Rachel.
“Rachel, I’m not sure why you’re here, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
It was Rachel’s turn to look surprised. “Leave? You’re asking me to leave?” Then she laughed. “Did you not hear me, Caden? I’m back in River Falls. I’ve come home.”
“And I’m not sure why you think I care.”
Rachel looked at Lilibeth and said, “I think your baby mama has to leave so the grown-ups in the room can talk.”
Frowning, Lilibeth shot daggers at Rachel. “The name is Lilibeth. Not baby momma.”
Rachel looked back at me. “My God, how old is she, Caden? What grown woman wears pigtails?”
“The woman I’m having a baby with does. Rachel, I don’t want you here.”
She started to take off her coat when I held up my hand.
“I’m not kidding around—you need to leave.”
Letting out a long and dramatic sigh, Rachel pulled off her gloves. “Caden, don’t be like this. What happened a few years ago was a mistake on my part. I needed to get out and explore the world a little. I’ve done that, and I’m ready to settle down now. I’ve come back for you.”
“Are you serious right now?” Lilibeth asked with a stunned expression. “You think you can just walk back into his life and all is well?”
Rachel turned to Lilibeth. “I am the love his life.”
I laughed, walked over to her, and grabbed her by the arm, walking her backward until we got to the door.
She smirked at me. “I always did like it when you took control.”
Turning, I placed my hand on Lilibeth’s back and walked her to the other side of the room.
“I’m going to follow Rachel back out to the road, change the damn code, then come right back.”
Lilibeth nodded. “I’m not feeling very well. I think I’ll head to bed.”
“I won’t be long.”
Another nod.
I bent down to look at her. “I’m sorry she came here.”
Nodding, she said, “You have nothing to be sorry about, Caden. She was the one who showed up here unannounced.”
I leaned down and kissed her. “Do you need anything? Something for your stomach?”
With a shake of her head, she replied, “I’m just tired.”
“I’ll be right back, I promise.”
Lilibeth smiled, then it faded when she looked past me.
Rachel hadn’t waited in the foyer. She’d taken her coat off and was sitting on the sofa.
I walked over, grabbed her coat, and took her arm once again. “You’re leaving.”
“Caden, what are you doing?” she protested, as I practically dragged her to the door.
“It’s up to you if you want your coat on or not, but we’re leaving right now.”
“Where are we going?” she asked with a flirty smile.
“I don’t know where you’re going, but I’m following you off the ranch.”
She blinked a few times. “You can’t mean that.”
I opened the door and guided her out. I didn’t even bother to get my own coat. I wanted her gone from my house, from the ranch…hell, from River Falls.
Once we were outside, I asked, “Who told you about Lilibeth?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, as we made our way over to her car. It was a BMW convertible. I wasn’t the least bit surprised Rachel was driving a sports car.
Opening the door, I tossed her coat and gloves into the passenger seat. “Get in, Rachel.”
“No! I’m not leaving until we talk. I know you love me, Caden. You don’t forget a love like ours.”
I let out a harsh laugh. “A love like ours? You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”
She lifted her chin in defiance.
“Either get in the damn car, or I’m calling the cops and telling them you’re trespassing.”
Her mouth fell open. “Caden Wilde, what is wrong with you?”
“Get in the fucking car, Rachel.”
With a huff, she got in and slammed the door.
I made my way over to my truck and got in. Rachel gunned it down the driveway. When a deer ran in front of her, she slowed down.
Luckily, my cell was in my pocket. I pulled it out and called Gatlin.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Rachel just showed up at my house, right after Lilibeth and I had finished dinner.”
“Rachel? How the fuck did she get on the ranch?” But I didn’t have to answer; he quickly figured it out. “The gate code.”
“I need it changed ASAP. I’m following her out to the gate now to make sure she leaves. I don’t want her getting back in.”
“I’m on it. I can change it now, then I’ll send out a text to the family and another to the ranch hands, letting them know it’s changed and why.”
“Thanks, Gatlin. Don’t forget to include Lilibeth on the family text with the new code.”
“Okay, next question. What the fuck is she doing here?”
“She said she came back for me. To save me from a terrible mistake.”
Gatlin laughed loudly. “Is she crazy?”
“Apparently. I’m sure Lilibeth is sitting back at the house, wondering what the hell is going on. I just don’t want her to be upset.”
“It’s Lilibeth. I highly doubt she’s worried about Rachel.”
I gripped the steering wheel. “Gatlin, look at it from her point of view. I fought off my attraction to her because I didn’t want my heart broken again. And who broke my heart? The nutcase who just showed up on my doorstep, declaring she wanted me back.”
“Yeah, okay, I can see that now. But surely you’ve told Lilibeth how you feel about her.”
“I have.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Lilibeth knows you love her.”
I briefly closed my eyes. “I haven’t told her that yet.”
“Dude—why not?”
“It hasn’t been the right time. I wanted it to be perfect.”
“Bet you’re re-thinking that move, huh?”
I let out a growl. “Is the code changed?”
“It is. What are you going to do now?”
“The one thing I should have done years ago. I’ve got to go.”
“Wait! What should you have done years ago?”
I hit the end button on the screen and watched as the gate slowly opened. Rachel put her car in park and got out.
“Fucking hell.”
I got out of my truck, slammed the door shut, and marched over to her.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You honestly thought you could just show up at my door and I’d fall to my knees and welcome you back?”
“You love me, Caden!”
“No, Rachel, I don’t love you. I didn’t even know what love was until I met Lilibeth. What we had wasn’t love.”
It was a full moon, so I could see her face screw up in disgust. “That little hippie? You honestly think you’ll be happier with her than me?”
“I’m happier without you, Rachel. Being with Lilibeth is just the cherry on top.”
“This is just because you got her pregnant. I can overlook that.”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Jesus H, what part of ‘I don’t love you, I don’t want you, leave me the fuck alone’ are you not getting?
Rachel, I do not want to be with you. Not now, not in a year, not ever.
I’m in love with Lilibeth. We’re having a baby, and if she’ll have me, we’re going to get married. ”
She took a step back. “You’ve asked her to marry you?”
“Not yet, but I’m going to.”
With a hand on her hip, she stared at me for a few moments—then she started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
Motioning to me, she said, “You. You and that stupid dream of getting married and having kids. You’re still hanging on to it.
Caden, you can come with me! We’ll travel the world together.
I finally got my trust fund from my grandparents.
Money isn’t a problem anymore. We can go to Greece and Italy, and didn’t you say once that you wanted to go to Greenland? ”
It was Iceland, but I wasn’t about to correct her.
“All the money in the world would never make me get back together with you. Honestly, Rachel, I have to thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I never would have realized how unhappy I was for years.
How I deserved someone who loved me for me, and wanted to see my dreams come true, as well as her own.
Truth be told, you did me a huge favor by saying no to me that day.
So thank you for that. It might have taken me a while to realize it, but you leaving was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. ”
Her mouth fell open. “You realize that if I drive off this stupid ranch, I’m never coming back.”
“That’s the plan. Don’t let the gate hit your ass on the way out.”
“Is this really what you want, Caden? Me leaving you, forever this time?”
I smiled. “Yes. Please leave now, Rachel.”
She stared at me for a good minute before she turned and got into her car. I watched as she drove through the gate, turned onto the road, and peeled out.
Pulling out my phone, I saw that Gatlin had already texted the family the new gate code…and the reason for the change. Emeline was the first to reply.
Emeline: That little bitch! I hope Lilibeth punched her lights out.
Ensley: God, how I wish I’d run into her first. I just got home and must have missed the little twat.
Mom: Girls! Language. Lilibeth, are you okay?
Ensley: Did you punch her? Please tell me you punched her.
Lilibeth: LOL! I did not punch her, but the urge was there.
I quickly typed out a reply.
Me: Followed her to the gate to make sure she left. Heading back to the house now.
My phone rang, and I saw it was Ensley.
“Hey.”
“What in the actual fuck? She came to the house?”
“Yeah. Treated Lilibeth like trash, then proceeded to tell me how happy I should be because she was back.”
Ensley let out a humorless laugh. “I hope you told her to go fuck herself.”
“Not in those exact words. I think it’s safe to say she won’t be back. I told her I was going to ask Lilibeth to marry me.”
Ensley gasped. “Oh my Gosh, Caden, are you?”
I climbed back into my truck after checking the code, which worked.
“I am. I mean, not tonight or tomorrow.”
“You’ll know when the time is right.”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I sighed. “I just hope she didn’t upset Lilibeth. She was so happy today after we found out we’re having a girl.”
Ensley screamed. “You’re having a girl! Oh my gosh! I’m going to have a niece! Holy shit balls!”
I closed my eyes. “Shit! Ensley, please don’t tell anyone. We’re telling the family this Sunday.”
“I won’t tell a soul, I swear! Are you happy?”
After turning the truck around, I headed back to my house, going a bit faster than I probably should have. “I’m beyond happy. I had a feeling it was a girl, so did Lilibeth.”
“Names?”
“Not yet.”
“And how are things going between Mommy and Daddy?”
I chuckled. “They were going amazing until crazy-ass Rachel showed up.”
“Caden, I know you, and I’m sure you’re waiting for this perfect opportunity to let Lilibeth know your true feelings.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I hate that you know me so well.”
“You need to tell her tonight. Even if Lilibeth doesn’t believe you’ll get back with Rachel, she’s a woman, and we have these crazy thoughts and ideas that don’t always make sense.
Then throw in the pregnancy hormones, and I’m sure she’s sitting at your house thinking the worst. Hell, she might even be packing. ”
“What!” I shouted.
“Okay, that would be me. I can’t see Lilibeth overreacting like that.”
I breathed out a long breath. “I’m turning down my road now. Will you let Gatlin know the gate code works?”
“I will. And Caden?”
“Yeah?
She waited a moment before she spoke. “Did you feel anything when you saw Rachel?”
“Not a damn thing.”