Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
“Ever,” she reassured, kissing him long and deep.
Seth groaned before sinking a fist in her hair and taking control of her mouth. The need to be inside her clawed at him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t invite Beck back to his room, and making love to Heavenly again would be like playing Russian roulette with the clock.
Reluctantly, he broke the kiss with a heavy sigh and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing hard. “If we don’t stop now, I won’t.”
Heavenly traced a finger down his bare chest. “I wouldn’t object to more time in bed with you…but I guess we need to get ready.”
“Yeah.” Seth backed away and watched her sigh as she padded to her suitcase.
She rummaged through her clothes. “Is the brunch a casual thing, or do I need to dress up?”
“Definitely casual. It’s just family and a few close friends.”
“Oh, good.” She plucked up a burgundy cotton V-neck, a black cardigan, and a pair of distressed jeans, along with a clean bra and panties, then laid them across the bed. Then she turned and scanned the dresser, a scowl slowly forming as she turned to him. “Have you seen my ring?”
“No.”
“Did you move it? I put it here last night with the rest of my jewelry. But—”
“Don’t panic.” But she was. He heard it in her voice. “It can’t have gone far.”
Seth scanned the top of the dresser. Earrings, check. Necklace, right where she left it. Engagement ring? Gone.
“Huh…” How the hell had that happened?
“Where did it go?” Her voice pitched higher, edging toward panic.
Seth pulled her against his side. “Easy, angel. It’s got to be here. Maybe it fell last night when I bumped the dresser on my way to the bathroom.”
“I don’t remember you doing that.”
Seth chuckled. “You wouldn’t. You and Beck were…busy.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks turned pink.
“Oh.” He smiled, tapping her nose. “Why don’t you jump in the shower? I’ll look for it.”
“I’ll help.”
Seth shook his head, almost grateful to have something to focus on besides his low-level panic over this baby and the white-hot terror of coming clean with his mother.
“You have to start getting ready or we’ll run out of time. Trust me, angel. I’ll find your ring. It didn’t grow legs, and I’m a detective. This won’t be a hard case to crack. Go.”
Heavenly wasn’t thrilled, but she nodded and made her way to the bathroom down the hall. A moment later, he heard the door close behind her and water rushing through the pipes as she turned on the shower.
In the blessed quiet, Seth devoted himself to the task, opening the blinds to let in more light. Then he gripped the edge of the dresser and scanned the area with a scowl. Nothing.
Maybe the ring had fallen under it? Behind it?
Careful not to scuff his mom’s hardwoods, he carefully lifted it away from the wall and crouched, peering into the sliver of space he’d created between the back of the dresser and the wall.
And he found Heavenly’s ring—pristine and sparkling in the morning light. But it hadn’t fallen to the floor, and it wasn’t alone.
Instead, the ring had snagged on the edge of dusty, yellowing paper, which looked as if someone had affixed it to the back of the dresser.
“What the hell?” he murmured as he retrieved the ring and placed the shimmering diamond on top of the dresser.
Then he leaned in to study the mysterious piece of paper he’d never noticed. Hell, never even seen.
It wasn’t a page, but an envelope. It had been duct-taped to the back of the dresser.
Why?
Had someone deliberately hidden it?
That was Seth’s guess.
His pulse kicked up as he picked at the tape. It lifted slowly, so brittle with age it mostly flaked away. Coupled with the yellowing envelope, Seth had to wonder… How long had this been affixed to the back of his dresser? Years? A decade? More?
And who would have put this here? One of his brothers? Someone else?
How had he not seen it?
Seth hadn’t lived here since he was eighteen, so why would anyone bother hiding something in his room after he’d gone?
Questions with no good answers swirled in Seth’s head as he leaned closer still and wiped away a thick layer of dust.
He caught sight of faint writing on the front of the envelope.
And he’d recognize that handwriting anywhere.
The air froze in his lungs. His heart chugged. His blood ran cold.
Seth knew without a shred of doubt who had hidden the note on the back of his dresser.
His father.
Afraid to move—to breathe—Seth stared at his father’s stark handwriting on the envelope.
For a moment, he considered shoving the dresser back and pretending he’d never seen it. He had a future to worry about—Heavenly, the baby, Hudson, Beck.
He couldn’t fucking let the past drag him back now.
But how could he ignore this? If his dad had written him a note, hidden it in his room—where no one else would find it—there was a damn good reason.