“I didn’t know she was the type,” Sadie muses, returning to her salad now that Kimmy has calmed. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Archer returning to his spot at the door.
Interesting.
“Yes, well,” I sigh deeply and aggressively stab a piece of my chicken. “She wants to be in his life and I don’t know what her game is. I don’t believe her but if it’s true, I need to know before Killian gets too invested and ends up hurt again.”
Kimmy takes a large gulp of water and her voice is slightly raw when she speaks.
“Have you seen the kid?”
I shake my head.
Sadie raises her brow and shoves some lettuce into her mouth, then points at me with her fork. “Look at you, Cara. Your life has just become an exciting whirlwind of hot sex, bodyguards, and now this? Your days of no fun and too much studying are long behind you huh?”
Her tone is light but there’s an edge there I can’t quite decipher. But maybe I’m imagining it.
“I guess,” I offer Sadie a smile as Kimmy digs out her phone and begins to tap the screen.
“Blair posts her entire life online,” Kimmy says, her voice slightly hoarse now. “If there’s a child, I’ll find it.”
I chuckle. Kimmy is awhizzat cyberstalking but the enjoyment she gets out of it always amuses me. I wonder if her parents foresaw their detective instincts rubbing off on her in such a way.
“Do you want kids?” Sadie asks suddenly and my fork pauses.
“I…. yes,” I nod quickly. Beyond the duty required of me, I can picture a little version of myself and Killian running around.
“I suppose it’ll happen sooner or later. Unless Killian has started using protection?” Sadie continues.
It’s my turn to choke on my food and my eyes dart wide before I chuckle.
“He’s still as… ravenous as ever. But it’s something we both want,” I reply and my eyes narrow faintly at Sadie. “Why?”
“I’m just making sure. Your life might be a whirlwind now but children are for life, y’know? If Blair’s kid is real, you’re the stepmother, and then your own child on top? That’s intense,” Sadie teases.
Oh.
I hadn’t thought about it like that but she’s right.
I’m a stepmother? Oh goodness.
“Well,” I say slowly, “that’s partly why I need to find out the truth. If we’re to put our lives on hold for Blair I need to know she’s telling the truth. Blair really hurt him once before, I can’t let that happen again.”
Another surge of heat clenches around my heart and I glance at Kimmy who has abandoned her meal completely as she goes through her phone.
“Did she say how old the child was?” Kimmy asks.
“Nearly three,” I reply, dragging my last bite through the sauce and leaning back in my chair, full and satisfied.
“Hmm. Blair postseveryday, maybe missing one or two days but never more than that,” Kimmy comments and she holds her phone to me, flashing me a bunch of pictures I barely register before she turns it back to herself.
“Some parents keep their kids off of social media,” Sadie points out. “So many creeps out there these days.”
“Maybe,” Kimmy retorts, “but Blair must have onehellof a plastic surgeon to regain her gorgeous body after squeezing out a mini-human. Look—”
Kimmy leans into me and shows me the screen.
“—Three years ago there’s nothing. A flat stomach all around while she was swanning around Italy after leaving New York. If she has a child, that kid ain’t hers. I know filters can do a lot of crazy shit these days but you can’t hide a mummy tummy or tits. It’s life.” Kimmy shrugs. “Even if she took time off to have the baby, there are no gaps in her uploads, not long enough for a birth at least.”
Kimmy settles back in her chair, satisfied with the results of her investigation as Sadie wraps up her own meal.