“What does it mean?”
“It means that my past is coming back to haunt me in more ways than one,” Henry admitted. “Some of the last operations I put in place before I came here are unravelling in a way I never intended. I’m not sure what to do about it. I might have to leave for a while. The problem is I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to come back.”
“No one will stop you,” Stef replied. “Nell is going to have a baby, and you’re the baby’s father. I doubt she’ll keep your child from you. She might be angry, but she’s not vindictive.”
“Tell that to my spinal cord,” he replied with a sigh. “That couch might have been sustainably built, but it was not meant for sleeping.”
“And yet you’re still sleeping here when Seth’s monster is within walking distance,” Stef pointed out.
“I can’t leave Nell. She might need me.” It was why the thought of taking care of the situation was so distasteful. That and the fact that he didn’t want to do that work anymore. He was tired of having blood on his hands.
However, if Kayla Summers was in trouble, he didn’t have a choice. He owed her. He’d ruthlessly placed her in danger, and now he might be the only one who could save her.
“I came here to talk to you about that. If you need to leave for a while, Nell can come to the house. I’ll pay for round-the-clock protection. I’ll call some friends and find a good company to use,” Stef offered.
He knew who he trusted. “Use McKay-Taggart.”
“I thought you were against that company.”
“Only because Ian Taggart was one of my protégés,” Henry admitted. “Call him. He’s absolutely the best, and he’ll have trained the best. He’s going to find out I’m alive at some point, though you might not mention you know me. I don’t know that Taggart won’t be angry. I left everyone when I came to Bliss. I dropped it all.”
“Don’t do the same thing again,” Stef advised. “Don’t drop us. It would be a huge mistake. I know Nell.”
“Then you should know there’s a possibility that she never forgives me. Hell, today she basically said she thinks we’re not really married.”
“Because you lied about your name.” Stef nodded. “I would be worried about that, too. Do you want me to have a lawyer look into it?”
“It wouldn’t matter at this point.”
“But it will in the future,” Stef said. “Your name is on her LLC. You’re on all the joint accounts.”
Was that why he was here? To look out for Nell. “Yes. I do want a lawyer. Have one draw up a postnuptial agreement. Whether or not our marriage is legal, it’s real to me, and any documents like that will give her some sense of peace. If I leave the marriage, I’ll leave with what I brought in. Nothing.”
When he’d walked away from his old life, he’d walked away from everything. He’d left behind his condo, his car, all of his money. Everything he’d saved and invested. He hadn’t touched it because it was more important to maintain the illusion of his death.
“Henry, you’ve made a lot of money.”
“Nell’s talent has made a lot of money,” Henry corrected. “And she started publishing before I came back. She keeps everything, including the cabin and the land. I won’t take anything away from her.”
Henry hadn’t realized how tense Stef had been until his shoulders relaxed.
“All right. I’ll have the documents drawn up. I actually think it could have an impact on Nell,” Stef allowed. “No matter what happens, I don’t think you should leave Bliss. I know Seth will let you stay in that monstrosity of a house, but there are also some cabins around that you can lease, and there’s lots available to build on. You might like building a place for you and your kid.”
“I’ve been wondering if I deserve a kid. Maybe it would be better if I wasn’t in his life.” He’d never wondered, but was that why his father had walked? Had he known what a shit he was and that any kid would be better off alone than with him? “It’s not like I know how to be a parent. My dad walked away and my mom died young.”
Stef shook his head. “So did mine. Well, my mom walked away and my dad was absent. And I love my son with every fiber of my being. It’s not about what we know or what we’ve been through. That’s the amazing thing about kids. They don’t care. All that matters is if you love them enough to be with them. They’ll handle a lot of heartache if you share it with them, teach them how to be good humans. I think that’s what Nell would call it. You know how to be a good human, Henry.”
Nell had taught him. This town had taught him. “I know how to be a bad one, too.”
“And that’s why you’ll be good at this if you choose to honor your vows. Nell doesn’t think you’re legally married? Show her that her husband doesn’t need a piece of paper to do the work of being her husband.” Stef stepped back, moving toward the door. “I think that’s Laura bringing Nell home. Give me a call and we’ll set some things in motion.”
“I’ll do what’s best for Nell. I promise. That’s why you came, right? You wanted to
