Page 46 of Falling for Love

And I’m not letting her go.

We arrive at Carter’s office. He brought his partner with him because Robert James will be starting Taylor’s case while Carter finishes up his current trial. They’re dressed in jeans and T-shirts, weekend casual, and I’m hoping the laid-back atmosphere will help keep Taylor calm.

Grasping my hand, she explains the hold the senator has over her and turns the incriminating documents on Chandler over to the lawyers. We stopped by the bank to retrieve them from her safe deposit box.

After a lot of reading and questioning, both men seem optimistic on her behalf, but she fidgets and I know she won’t feel settled until their words are confirmed by federal officials. As high-profile attorneys with the right connections, they assure us she’ll be sitting down with someone at the Federal Election Commission soon.

By the time we walk out of the office, I see her exhaustion in the lines around her eyes and the dark circles beneath. She went into the day on edge, and everything that’s happened since has only added to her stress.

We step into the elevator, and I wait until the doors close. I’ve already formed a plan so I turn to her. “I think you should stay at a hotel for a few days,” I tell her. “I don’t want to risk you going home and having the senator or reporters waiting for you.”

She meets my gaze. “Can’t I stay at your hotel with you? I don’t want to be alone. I’m just so drained.”

My heart squeezes in my chest at the weariness in her voice. I pull her close and she sags against me. “As much as I’d like that, Cross can find you at my hotel, too. It’s listed under my name. Let me message Carter and ask if he can book you a hotel room so Cross won’t be able to find you. I can stay there with you.”

She smiles, obviously relieved. “Thanks for being here,” she says, kissing my cheek.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” I assure her.

The elevator doors open and we step out. Before walking out to the street, I message Carter upstairs. Within seconds, he replies. I text him a thank-you and read the details before turning to Taylor. “Carter’s firm has discount corporate rates at the Hotel Bennett. He’ll take care of making you a reservation. The front desk will ask for some form of ID, so he said he’ll book it under an associate’s name, and we’ll meet the woman who will check in for you and give you the key.”

“This is all so … complex. Underhanded.” She shakes her head and sighs.

I lift one shoulder. “Better underhanded than dealing with the senator,” I mutter.

Her lips twitch. “Amen.”

I let out a laugh. “In the meantime, let’s get you something to eat.”

She recommends an out-of-the-way place where we can relax. Once seated in a corner in the back of the restaurant, she orders a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat toast, lemonade, and a piece of carrot cake. I eat a burger and fries, but spend most of the meal watching her forget her troubles and focus on feeding her hunger. She devours the meal so quickly, I wonder if she ate something before she left for the festival this morning.

“What?” she asks, realizing I’m staring. “I’m eating for two.”

Her cheeks heat and I grin. “I’m not judging. I’m enjoying. It’s good to see you relaxed.”

She sighs. “I was so nervous I only ate a protein bar this morning.”

I frown and nod. “I assumed you hadn’t had much to eat.” Another reason to get Chandler out of her life. Eliminate the stress.

She pushes the dessert plate away from her, leans back in the chair, and breathes out a long stream of air. “I’m full.”

I chuckle. “Me too.” I wipe my mouth with my napkin and place it on the table beside my plate. “How was your time with your family the last couple of days?” I ask.

While I had meetings with workmen in the hopes that we’ll be able to do renovations one day soon, she caught up with her mom, dad, and sister.

She smiles. “It was nice. I wanted to tell them about the baby, but it’s not the right time. I need Chandler’s threats behind me so they have nothing to worry about.”

I nod in agreement. “And like I mentioned, I want to be there when you tell them,” I remind her.

She nods. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Taylor

The next morning, I wake up in Jack’s arms. A glance at the nightstand clock tells me it’s after ten. Beside me, he breathes in and out, snoring lightly. Not wanting to wake him, I slip out of his embrace and climb out of bed.

I slept as well as I could considering all that’s weighing on my mind. Not even the bubble bath I’d taken last night had helped me relax fully. My future is uncertain and no matter how many times Jack or my new lawyer reassures me, I won’t feel better until the federal authorities tell me I’m not in any trouble because of my work for Chandler.