I chuckled. Speaking to Yve was better than any therapist. “I don't know where to start.”
“Did you sleep with Nate?”
“No!”
“Are you debating whether you should sleep with Nate?”
“No.” I paused. The thought had crossed my mind, but I was still very angry with him. “I’m ignoring Nate.”
“Then, what?”
I filled my lungs and blurted out everything. “Julian backhanded me, Nate found me crying and knocked out Julian, and Delaney saw her husband defend me.”
“Oh, babe . . .”
“Then today a customer yelled at me, and Nate defended me again, and I feel as though nothing is going the way it’s supposed to.”
“Okay. First, when are you going to leave the fucking asshole? You know he doesn’t deserve you. And of course Nate is going to defend you. Anyone who sees what Julian is doing to you will come to your rescue. You know you deserve more, babe.”
“Sometimes I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
“You need to fight back. You went there so things could get better. And if you’re going to live thousands of miles away from me, I want you to be happy.”
“You’re right.” I sighed.
“Damn skippy, I’m right.”
“I love you, Yve.”
“I know, because I’m freaking awesome.”
I laughed. “Enough about me. What’s going on with you?”
She grunted. “Nothing. I was on the brink of an orgasm when you called.”
My hand slapped across my forehead. “What . . . Are you . . . Are you having sex right now?”
“Sure am.” I heard the unmistakable slap of a palm across flesh. “Steve here was just listening to my religious prayers.”
“Oh, God.”
“That’s what I said.”
“I’m letting you go.” I hung up the phone. Who the hell was Steve, and what happened to Ryan?
A few minutes had passed and my gaze was focused on the white fluffy clouds above when light footfalls ran past me.
“Hey, Aunt Brie!” Caleb shouted as he zipped past me with a fishing pole in his hand. I pushed off the sand and rested on my elbows.
“I figured I’d find you here.” Nate appeared behind me. I sighed dramatically. “It’s nice to see you, too.”
“I want to be alone.” I shook my head and lay back down. “And you’re the last person I want to see.”
“Wow. I didn’t know I’d be worse than Julian.” I opened an eye and found that Nate was sitting right behind me. “I figured your husband would be the last person you’d want to see.”
“Nate, I’m tired. I don’t want to talk about Julian.”
“But you avoid me like the plague, and I want to talk about him.”
I huffed and sat up. His eyes were on Caleb, who was two hundred yards away. “I’ll give you five questions. Go.”
“Do you hate me?” From the corner of my eye, I saw his head turn in my direction.
My gaze was on Caleb, but I could feel Nate watching me. Inhaling, I looked over at him. “I thought you wanted to talk about your brother?”
“Well, it’s my fault. I sent him after you when—”
“When you were too much of a coward to call me?” I cocked one eyebrow at him.
“I was going to go—”
I shook my head and lifted a hand to stop him. “Seriously, I don’t need to hear it.”
“I think you do.”
“You picked her, and you didn’t even have the decency to call or tell me.”
Nate shifted so he faced me. “I was packed, and my boarding pass was printing when I found Delaneysitting on my steps.” His eyes scanned mine. “She told me she was pregnant. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t abandon a child. Not when everyone who was supposed to love me had left me.”
I felt my lower lip quiver. Tears threatened to fall, but I kept them at bay. “I knew you’d never leave once she told you.” I wanted to tell him that in my heart I knew Caleb wasn’t his, but I couldn’t form the words. Not when it was written all over his face how much he loved that boy. “I understand, but I still hate you.”
He looked out toward Caleb, then back at me. “Why?”
I shook my head. “It’s easier to hate you than admit that I’m still in love with you.” The last three words came out as a whisper. Nate held my gaze, and I desperately wanted to be held in his arms.
“Dad!” Caleb’s voice pulled me out of my trance. He was running toward us, his hand pointed to where a gentleman and younger boy were approaching.
“Delaney said you took Caleb fishing,” the man said in a southern accent. Nate stood and shook his hand as they exchanged pleasantries.