“No one. But that doesn’t mean?—”
She shakes her head. “So you’re saying you don’t think Rowyn was behind this.”
I can’t believe she’s even asking me that. “Of course not.”
“You must be wondering how these pictures got out,” Ash says.
“Billy wrote the article,” I mutter, anger flaring.
“You don’t think Rowyn gave him access to your place?”
“No. Rowyn would never do that to me. The bastard probably broke in.”
“Are you mad?” Gina asks.
“Damn right I’m mad. Mad at myself that she was so worried she ran away. I obviously did something…or didn’t do enough to make sure she didn’t think the worst of me.”
Gina and Ash exchange another look. Gina turns back to me. “That’s really sweet, Jaxon.”
“You don’t for one minute think she did this?” Ash asks, seeking confirmation.
I hesitate. They don’t trust reporters. “No. Do you?”
He shakes his head. “Not even a little bit.”
I swallow hard, and yet here we are. Rowyn is gone, and every second I waste is another second I can’t hold her, can’t protect her, can’t fix this.
I shake my head, my shoulders so tight they’re about to cramp. “I’m upset that she thought I would think the worst,” I admit, forcing a few deep breaths to calm myself. “I clearly haven’t done enough to show her how much I love her. This…this is all my fault.”
“Oh, Jaxon.” Gina throws her arms around me. “You’re the best.”
I push to my feet, urgency burning in my chest. “I need to come up with a plan. Now.”
“Well,” Gina says, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “You know she’s a reporter…a writer…always showing rather than telling in her work. But maybe this time, you should just tell her. Use your words.”
I glance around the lobby, scanning for my fastest exit. “I’m going to, as soon as I find her.”
Ash pulls me into a firm hug. “Dude…you’re going to be a father.”
“Yeah, I know.” The words are both terrifying and exhilarating. I’m still furious that Rowyn ran, still stung that she thought I’d assume the worst—but underneath it all, a small, fierce joy pulses in me. “I just hate that this is how I found out.”
“She was going to tell you,” Gina insists. “She wanted to tell you. She was scared you’d think…well, you know.”
My chest tightens. My God. What was going through her head? I don’t know, but I can cut her some slack. Life hasn’t been easy for her, and she knows my history with my ex. I can understand her fears, but this—this is us. Rowyn and me. We’re a team. And the truth? This is on me too. I should have told her sooner that I wanted a life with her, a family, kids, the white picket fence—all of it.
Just then, Rip steps off the elevator and walks toward us. His gaze flicks from me to Gina, to Ash, then back to me. “Uh…what’s up?”
“Rip, you still marry people, right?” I ask, my voice tight with urgency.
“Right.”
“Keep the chapel open. We’ll be back.”
He shrugs, clueless but willing. “You got it.”
I don’t waste another second. I step outside, leap into the first cab that pulls up, heart hammering. At the airport, I manage to get the last seat on a plane leaving in ten hours. Ten hours… Rowyn’s no doubt already on an earlier flight back. If only I had woken sooner.
If only I hadn’t slept through her arrival.