Chapter 7 – A Father's Fear

The memories in the guest suite shifted again for Brielle as she sat with the photographs still spread before her. These were the quieter moments of their marriage, the ones that carried both love and the first real weight of Rafe’s fear.

Rafe Ashford loved Jasmine with a depth that filled every room they shared. His broad shoulders would ease only when she was near. His gray eyes softened whenever she entered. Yet the same deep love came paired with a poor ability to trust. His fear of betrayal made him overly protective and controlling in ways that grew harder to ignore.

One late afternoon Jasmine returned from a short walk in the garden with Ethan in her arms. The baby had fallen asleep against her shoulder. Rafe met her at the side door, his dark hair neat as always, his expression tight.

“You were outside longer than I expected,” he said. “I looked for you from the study window twice.”

Jasmine, kind and patient, adjusted Ethan’s blanket. “He needed air. The garden is quiet this time of day. We only walked the path near the roses.”

Rafe’s hand rested on her back as he guided her inside. “Next time tell me before you go. I do not like not knowing where you are.”

“I was only in the garden, Rafe,” she answered gently. “You can see it from almost every window.”

“I know,” he said. “But I still worry. The thought of something happening… it sits with me.”

Jasmine touched his arm. “Nothing happened. We are home. You can stop worrying now.”

Rafe kissed the top of Ethan’s head, then hers. “I will try. Stay where I can reach you. That is all I ask.”

Another day a neighbor from the nearby estate stopped by to return a book Jasmine had lent. The man stayed only a few minutes at the front door. Rafe watched from the hallway, his jaw set.

When the door closed Rafe turned to her. “Who was that? He stood too close while he spoke to you.”

Jasmine set the book on the table, her intelligent eyes calm. “Mr. Ellis from the next property. He only came to return the novel I lent his wife last month. That was the entire conversation.”

Rafe’s voice stayed low. “I do not like men lingering at our door. Especially not when you are the one answering.”

“It was nothing,” she said. “He was polite. He asked about Ethan and then left.”

Rafe stepped closer and took her hand. “I cannot help the way it feels. I keep thinking someone will try to take what is mine. You. Our son. This life we built.”

Jasmine squeezed his fingers. “No one is taking anything. I am your wife. Ethan is our son. We are right here.”

He pulled her into his arms, holding her longer than the moment needed. “I monitor the gate records some days. I check who comes and goes. It is the only way I feel at ease.”

She rested against his chest and mistook the controlling edge for simple insecurity born from how deeply he loved her. “Then check if you must. I have nothing to hide. My days are yours to know.”

The pattern continued through ordinary hours. Rafe would call the house if Jasmine’s short errands ran longer than planned. He would ask detailed questions about any man who spoke to her, even the delivery drivers or the gardeners who had worked at the estate for years.

One evening after dinner Rafe sat with her in the sitting room while Ethan slept upstairs. His gray eyes stayed fixed on her face.

“The new tutor for Ethan’s early lessons… he looked at you when he left today,” Rafe said.

Jasmine closed the book she had been reading. “He was only saying goodbye, Rafe. He is here for Ethan’s learning, nothing more.”

“I saw the way he stood,” Rafe answered. “I do not want him returning without Tom in the room.”

“That seems unnecessary,” she said softly. “He is a teacher. That is all.”

Rafe’s broad shoulders tensed. “I will decide what is necessary when it comes to your safety. I cannot risk losing you. The fear sits with me every day.”

Jasmine moved closer on the sofa and took both his hands. “You will not lose me. I choose you every morning. I choose this family. Patience will ease the worry in time. I believe that.”

He looked at her for a long moment. “You always say that. You always reassure me. I want to believe it is enough.”

“It is enough,” she told him. “Love like ours does not break from small fears. We will heal this together.”

Rafe lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Stay close to me. Tell me where you go. Let me know who you speak with. It is how I keep the fear quiet.”

Jasmine nodded, still certain that her steady patience and gentle words would slowly heal the insecurity she believed came only from love. “I will do that. For you. For us.”

He drew her against him once more. “I love you more than I have ever loved anything. That is why the fear is so strong. The thought of betrayal… even the possibility of it… I cannot bear it.”

“There is no betrayal here,” she whispered. “Only us. Only Ethan. Only the life we are building.”

Rafe’s arms tightened. “Then never give me reason to doubt. Even the smallest reason. I do not know what I would do if I ever truly believed I was losing you.”

Jasmine stayed in his hold and continued to believe that time and reassurance would ease the controlling need inside him. She did not yet understand that this same flaw,the poor trust, the constant monitoring, the questions about innocent moments, the way he mistook control for love,would become the foundation of everything that later fell apart between them.