Love Collides (Fate's Love #3) (20 page)

~ Kade ~

Mom’s hand clutched mine as we sat opposite Stan Pallen, my lawyer. I was due in court in two days for my preliminary hearing.

“We have some good news.”

At last.

“Mr. Ford is awake. We got the call this morning. He has sustained serious injuries, including broken ribs, a broken nose, and a shattered jaw. He will require constructive surgery to his face.”

I winced at the description, all the time thinking,
I did that.

“So, what happens now? If he doesn’t press charges, Kade will go free, right?”

Stan’s lip drew into a tight line. “It isn’t quite that straightforward, Mrs. Ford. There are witnesses willing to testify that Kade attacked Mr. Ford.”

“But he was protecting me. Larry came for me.”

“And that will contribute to our defense, but these things are not straightforward. Once a complaint is filed, the prosecuting attorney’s office can still pursue the case. The injuries Kade inflicted are very serious, Mrs. Ford.”

Mom started sobbing into her handkerchief and guilt rushed through me. What the fuck had I done?

At the time, I did what I thought was necessary, but now? Now it felt like there had to be a better way of dealing with it. It was too little too late, though.

“So, what’s the worst-case scenario, Stan. Give it to me straight.”

“Worst case is they push for aggravated battery and you serve a minimum of twenty-one months.”

“And best case, they review the case and recognize that you were defending your mother. You might serve time, but with your clean record and your father’s rather colorful history, you could walk away.”

I dragged a hand through my hair. Twenty-one months in prison? And if I read between the lines of what Stan was saying, it could be a lot longer. Mom wouldn’t survive that.

I wasn’t even sure I would.

~

It had taken me almost an hour to calm Mom down after we left Stan’s office. She was a mess, and I felt like a huge failure. I’d let my emotions get the better of me and let my heart rule my head. And what a clusterfuck that had turned out to be.

“It’s me; let me up,” Ethan’s voice crackled over the intercom.

Nice to see you too
, I muttered under my breath while unlatching the door and leaving it ajar.

“You’re alive then.”

“Can we not?”

“Yeah, not happening until I’ve said my piece. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Ethan,” I groaned, not wanting to get into it with him. Not after listening to Mom talk like I was already locked up.

“No, man. This needs to be said. You fucked up. We all know that, but it’s what you do after the shitstorm that counts. And you hiding away up here is the coward’s way out. The Kade Ford I know isn’t a coward.”

I slammed my fist down on the counter. “She left. Staci left me. Not to mention the fact I could be sent down for a minimum of twenty-one months,” I mimicked Stan’s voice. “Prison, Ethan. I could go to prison.”

“And?”

“Are you fucking serious? And? My life will be over.”

“If you let it beat you.”

Was he for real?

“Kade, when you want something, you go after it. I’ve seen it time and time again. Remember in college when we had just fixed up our first engine and you looked over at me and said ‘one day I’m going to own my own shop.’ Or the time that chick, what was her name, Laney something, Laney Marks. She blew you off and you went after her hard. It was impressive how quickly you had her in your bed. Total dick move sleeping with her and then dumping her, but your dedication to the cause was commendable.” Ethan gave a slight laugh, but I grimaced, unable to see the funny side to anything at this particular moment.

“What’s your point?”

“Life will go on. Whether you are cleared of the charges or you serve time, one day you’ll be free of this, of him, and life will go on. And will you be able to say you fought all the way? Or will you have to live with the regret of knowing you gave up?”

Ethan stepped back into the doorjamb. “You’re better than this, Kade. Don’t let him win. Fight. I’ll see you at the hearing next week. You know where I am.” He turned and left.

Fight.

That was the problem. Everything was so messed-up; I had no idea what I was fighting for anymore.

~ Staci ~

I found my row and slid into the window seat. I’d taken this flight more times than I could count, but none had ever felt as permanent as this. I knew I could come back at any time, but my decision was made. My future was in Portoviejo.

Swiping a tear out of the corner of my eye, I replayed the goodbye with my family. After Dad had sat me down and asked me to tell him the whole story again, he had hugged me. He’d wrapped his thick arms around my waist and almost squeezed the air right out of me. I didn’t know who was more shocked—me or him—but something changed after I told them about the baby. I knew Joel would take longer to come around, but he had promised not to hunt down Mikey in the name of my honor. Even Tanner called from duty station after Joel had texted him with my revelation.

They finally knew my reasons for not being around much, and I think they understood what life had been like for me a little more. I didn’t doubt that they’d always be as protective as hell, but Dad had whispered four words to me before I left that I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear. He was proud of me. It might have taken twenty-seven years, but I finally felt like we could move forward. For the better.

Now all I needed was time to forget the blue-eyed guy with the sinful tongue that my path seemed destined to collide with.

If only for brief moments in time.

Chapter 16

~ Staci ~

I waved off the last of the children and shuffled my papers into a pile. When I’d arrived back in Portoviejo a little over a month ago, I’d thrown myself back into work, picking up extra classes to teach at the village school. I just needed to keep busy, but now I was finally starting to feel at peace again. And the void I felt was slowly being filled with the smiles of the local children learning their first English phrases and watching baby Sofia grow and learn every day. It felt right being here. Did I miss Kade? With every beat of my heart. But I no longer felt like I was running—and I finally felt home.

Kero’s head peered around the doorway. “Staci, come down to the beach with us?”

“Not tonight; I haven’t been feeling so well.”

After feeling low for a couple of days, I was pretty sure I was coming down with something.

“Okay, your loss.” Kero flashed her wide grin and waved as she disappeared.

I picked up my bag and made my way back to project headquarters. Drew had managed to arrange with my professor so that I could email my research proposal. It probably meant a trip back to the States in the spring, but I wanted to visit Dad and my family sooner rather than later.

“How was class?” Drew looked up from his desk as I passed his office to get to my room.

“Great; the new kids are picking it up quickly.”

“It’s good to have you back. We missed you around here.”

“I bet that’s what you say to all the girls.” I laughed.

“Only the ones who work as hard as you do. Come in for a minute?”

I stepped inside his small office and pushed the door shut.

“Listen, I haven’t wanted to ask because you haven’t said anything, but I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.”

“Remember what you said to me? You said that at least you could say you tried. Well, I did, too. I tried. This is where I’m supposed to be.”

Drew smiled sadly, and I wondered if there was more to his story than he’d let on that night after Christmas. “As long as you’re sure. It’s not the life for everyone. Long hours, insufferable weather, mosquitos, and Kero.”

We both laughed, and I said, “What’s not to love, right? See you tomorrow, Drew.” I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “And thank you. For everything.”

~

“Miss Staci, Sofia sits now. Come watch.” Camila beckoned me over to their small home as I headed to the local farmer’s market.

“Wow, she’s growing so much, Camila. Aren’t you a cutie pie?” I tickled Sofia’s chin, and she reached out for me.

“She loves her Tìa Staci.”

Aunt Staci.
Camila’s sentiment touched me. She was one of the first women I worked with in the village. When I first arrived, she was pregnant with Andres and Pablo. Young and alone—after her husband died in a fishing accident—I spent a lot of time with her. Teaching her English and helping her prepare for the babies. I guess I saw some of myself in her and although my heart ached as I watched her bump grow, I knew I had to help her.

Camila placed her daughter on the floor in front of her and cushioned her back with her arms. Sofia swayed backward and forward before toppling back into her mother’s hands.

“Wow, chica inteligente.” I hoped I’d gotten my pronunciation right, but from the grin on Camila’s face, I figured I had.

“I’ll come by tomorrow, okay? Adios.”

“Adios. Buenos noches, Miss Staci.”

I left them and continued my journey to the farmer’s market when my stomach lurched. Still feeling a little off color, I took a few deep breaths and a sip of water from my bottle. The feeling passed and I kept walking.

After buying some papayas and kiwis from the small market, I wandered back to headquarters. Saturdays were always quieter because it was technically our day off. Sometimes, I borrowed the project’s Jeep and ventured down to the beach at Crucita. If the tide was right, you could surf. It didn’t happen often, but Kero and I had been out on the waves once or twice. But all I wanted to do today was hang out around headquarters.

I was beat, but it had been a busy week and the humidity was stifling.

Kero saw me approaching and waved. I lifted my hand to wave back, but the world spun around me and I felt myself falling.

~

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Doctor Pengala’s rich voice said from somewhere nearby.

My eyes fluttered open to three concerned faces.

“Give her some room, please. We don’t want her passing out again.”

I passed out?

Drew and Kero gave the doctor some room to check my vitals.

“How do you feel, Staci?”

“I’m okay, I guess. A little confused. Oh, I haven’t felt well all week though. I must have picked up a bug.”

Doctor Pengala made a strange sound and left the room.

“You scared the life out of me, Staci. I screamed so loud Drew came running out of his office.” Kero clutched my hand, and I thought she was going to pass out.

“As long as you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, Drew. Nothing a little rest won’t solve. Honest, you guys get back to whatever it was you were doing on our day off.”

“Day off? With this one running the show?” Kero thumbed to Drew. “We can dream.”

Drew followed her out of the room shaking his head.

A few minutes later, Doctor Pengala returned. “I need to collect a urine sample and some blood if that’s okay. Just to be safe.”

“You think I could have picked up something nasty?”

“Maybe, maybe not, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

~

Doctor Pengala insisted on keeping me overnight for observation. It was unnecessary, but when I tried to get out of bed and my legs almost gave way, he demanded a nurse keep a close eye on me. I started to worry that I might have picked up something nastier than I first suspected.

“Ahh, good morning, Miss Staci. Let’s have a look at you, shall we.”

I groaned, still half asleep from my restless night on the donated and overused hospital bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

“But apart from tired? Any headaches? Pains?”

“No, I feel okay. Thank you.”

“We have you test results. You haven’t caught anything nasty.”

“Oh, that’s good news. I’ll just grab my things and get going.” I was halfway off the bed when Doctor Pengala laid his hand over mine.

“You’re pregnant.”

“Wh-what?”

“The urine sample tested positive.”

“I’m pregnant?”

“Yes.”

Fuckety.

~ Kade ~

“Congratulations, man. If we weren’t surrounded by our friends and families, I’d hug the shit out of your right now.” Ethan pulled me into him anyway and clasped me around the neck. “Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again, you hear me. Some of us actually care whether you’re around or not.”

“Ethan Shaw, put my boy down and let this old woman get a hug in.”

Ethan released me, laughing along with our friends, and Mom opened her arms wide. I wasted no time in flinging myself at her, picking her up, and swinging her around.

“For the love of God, Kade Ford, put me down.”

“No can do, Mom. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” The words choked me up a little.

For a second, standing in the courtroom waiting for the jury to deliver my fate, I thought it was going to all go to shit. But true to his word, Stan had worked tirelessly to win them over and the jury delivered a verdict of not guilty. The courtroom had to be called to order after the cheers coming from the crowd.

But no one was more relieved than I was.

Gathered on the steps of the courthouse, each one of my friends and family came to hug me. When Liv reached me, she leaned into me and whispered, “Should I tell her, or will you?”

“I’ll do it.”

She deserved to hear it from me, along with a huge fucking apology for how I treated her when she flew back to see me. I might have had a victory today, but the fight wasn’t over yet.

I still had to go get the girl.

~

Ethan pulled into the drop-off zone and cut the engine. “Are you sure about this?”

“Never been more sure of anything.”

“Well, it took you long enough. Listen, about what I said to you, before-”

“You said exactly what I would have if the roles were reversed. I was scared, man. I was so fucking scared that I was going away for a long time. But it was Mom, and the fear I saw in her eyes. I couldn’t just stand there, Ethan. I couldn’t.”

Ethan raked a hand through his hair. “I know. If it had been any of us, we would’ve done the same thing. Draw a line under that shit. What’s done is done. He’s going away for a very long time, and you and Jess can look to the future.”

“Thanks. For everything. I’ll pay you back, as soon as I get back. Okay?”

“Last thing on my mind. Now go before we have to hug it out again.”

I climbed out of his car and grabbed my bag out of the back, smiling to myself.

Another first.

But this time, I hoped it was a first of many.

~ Staci ~

Pregnant.

It was almost ironic, if it wasn’t so cruel. But if life had taught me anything, it was to always expect the unexpected. And finding out I was almost three months pregnant was a shocker.

Ten years after keeping one pregnancy a secret, here I was doing it all again. While the father was thousands of miles away awaiting his fate by jury. Livy said she would call as soon as they knew, so I was assuming no news was good news. But between the pregnancy hormones and my anxiety for Kade, I was a mess.

What the fuck was I going to do?

With nowhere to run to, and no desire to make any rash decisions, I did what I did best; I threw myself into work. It was probably better that I wasn’t in Gainesville. The last thing Kade would want or need was this to deal with.

Doctor Pengala had been great; he arranged appointments for me at the main hospital in Manta. And for as much as I felt guilty for keeping it from Drew and Kero, I needed time to figure out what I was going to do before I told anyone. Which was why I was headed to the coast. I’d lied and said I wanted to catch some waves. Kero was busy with one of the smaller projects in a neighboring town, and Drew rarely left the office, so it gave me a chance to drive out to Crucita without interruption. I wanted space to think and to sort through my emotions. I had to make the biggest decision of my life.

~ Kade ~

Eleven hours and twenty minutes after leaving Gainesville, I arrived in Portoviejo. I was tired, hot, and in serious need of a shower. But all of that could wait. I needed to see her. The nervous energy bounced around my stomach as the Jeep slowed down.

“This is the place. Go get her.” Drew flashed me a knowing smile, and I thanked him for driving me out here. When I’d showed up at the project, he seemed to know exactly what I was talking about, which I took as a good sign. Staci had talked about me. Which meant there was still hope.

The beach stretched for miles in front of me, and although it was emptying, I wondered how in the hell I was supposed to find her. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. My eyes scoured the coastline pausing at a figure standing in the water. I couldn’t be sure, but my heart sped up as I strained to make out her slender frame and long wavy blond hair.

It was her.

I moved slowly in her direction, taking in the sight of her. Everything felt right now that she was in my world again. Even just being near her calmed me.

Staci bent down to swish her hands in the water, drawing patterns in the crystal blue waters. The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon, illuminating her in a glow. She looked so beautiful, it pained me to think I might have screwed things up between us for good.

When I was near enough to call out to her, I stopped. It hadn’t occurred to me to ask Drew why she was out here alone, but now I could see there was something on her mind. Don’t ask me how I knew; I just felt it.

My eyes willed her to turn around. To look in my direction.

If only she would look at me.

~ Staci ~

I swirled my fingers through the cool water, drawing lazy patterns. I’d spent the whole day thinking about my life, about the life growing inside of me, and about Kade. I was still no closer to a decision.

My heart of hearts wanted to keep the baby, to have the chance that was ripped away from me all those years ago. But the decision didn’t just affect me. If I kept the baby, Kade was going to be a father. I would be binding us together forever. How could I make that decision without him?

The beach was almost empty, but I loved this time of day, just before the sun set over the horizon. The sea sparkled under the orange glow. It was beautiful. Sensing someone watching, I glanced over my shoulder.