Judy’s POV
“No, absolutely not,” Gavin said on the phone, making my roll my eyes.
“What do you mean, no?” I asked, defensive. “This is your daughter, Gavin.”
“And I’ll deal with it myself. You aren’t going halfway across the world to catch Chuck cheating,” Gavin said. “That’s final.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line.
“You can send security with us,” I suggested. “And just let Alpha Jeremy know that we are heading to his territory. It’s not like we won’t be safe.”
“You are pregnant, Judy, and I don’t exactly have the time to go away right now,” he said firmly, but then he softened his tone. “Can you just trust me on this? You are a stubborn one, but I need you to listen to me for once.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Nan and Irene, who were now speaking with Sarah about design ideas. A few minutes prior, Sasha had her security drag Kerris out of the store. I’d be lying if I said I was upset about that; she got what she deserved, and Sasha seemed amazing, just as Irene had told me. I didn’t want her business to struggle just because of one incompetent employee.
Though Irene was engaged in the conversation, I could tell her mind was elsewhere, and her red eyes were void of emotion.
“You’re not here, Gavin. She’s hurting, and I hate to see it,” I said, my voice coming out barely above a whisper. “Haven’t you noticed that he hadn’t come to see her in the last couple of weeks? He keeps making excuses as to why he can’t visit… and why she can’t come see him despite her asking. He hasn’t marked her yet… she’s really upset.”
He let out a breath.
“We will talk more about this tonight,” he said gently. “Don’t make any decisions until we talk.”
A flutter of hope rose in my chest, and I nodded, despite him not being able to see me.
“Okay,” I agreed.
“I love you. Enjoy your day with the girls and don’t worry about the money. Spend till your heart’s desire.”
I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I retorted. “I love you, too, by the way.”
With that, I hung up and shoved my phone back into my purse before rejoining the girls. Sasha soon had me on a pedestal… literally… and she was taking measurements She wrote down notes and both repe and Nan went over some of the “must have” details for the wedding dress, including the magazine clippings they saved from earlier.
We spent a ton of time in the boutique, and by the time we were finished Sasha had a design to work with I was exhausted and starving, my belly was rumbling angrily.
I needed to get some food in my system as soon as possible.
“We should get going,” Nan said, rising to her feet. “I’m starving, and Judy looks more tired than she did earlier. It’s probably not good for the baby if she’s not resting.”
Sasha nodded.
“It was so nice to meet you, Nan, and lovely to meet you finally, Judy,” Sasha said, giving me a kind smile.
I smiled back.
“Yeah, you as well,” I said in return.
She turned to Irene and gave her a big hug.
“It was so wonderful to see you again. I know you’re busy and all, but don’t be a stranger,” she said, giving Irene another air kiss before pulling away.
“I’ll make sure to visit often,” Irene assured her.
With that, we turned and walked out, only to find Erik standing at the doorway.
“I thought you were going to wait in the car,” Irene said, folding her arms across her chest.
“You girls took a long time, so I came here to make sure you were okay,” he explained. “Your father would have my head if I let anything happen to you.”