The Broken One (Corisi Billionaires, #1)(20)

I ran my hands through my hair and tried to shake off all thoughts of Heather and her child. I might have brought them comfort, but they were stopping me from being able to close the door on May 20. Two days, and I was still looking back, still wasting time hating myself for things I could do nothing about.

If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up at a liquor store again . . . and that was something I refused to allow to happen. At least, not until May 20 came around again.

Through sheer willpower alone, I pushed through emails and a pile of paperwork. The sun had set, and Miss Steele was long gone by the time I closed down my computer and pushed back from my desk.

I walked over to the table where the gift still sat and stood there for a moment simply looking down at it. What the hell. I tore off the wrapping and pulled back the cardboard. Inside, wrapped in clear plastic wrap, was a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

Homemade cookies. Many of them broken, but no less delicious looking.

I lifted the plate out and inhaled.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me I’d worked through lunch and dinner.

Perhaps because I was so hungry, or because I hadn’t indulged in a cookie for years, I savored one bite. It was soft and chewy with a hint of nuts. Perfection.

I stuffed the rest of the cookie into my mouth, then licked the bit of chocolate that had stayed on my thumb. It tasted like childhood and laughter. Memories of wrestling with my brothers over after-school treats brought a smile to my face.

I didn’t expect something as simple as a cookie to affect my mood as much as it did. Yet I was still smiling as I rode down the elevator, gift box tucked under my arm.





CHAPTER TEN



* * *



HEATHER

Every parent knows the dread of a surprise fever. Ava had been fine the night before, a little restless, but I thought it was because she was still so excited to have Wolfie home. When she refused breakfast—I knew.

A temp of a hundred was enough to keep her home, but not enough to impress our pediatrician into giving us medicine. He told me to let her rest, give her plenty of fluids, and watch for any other symptoms.

I called Erica. She echoed his advice, then apologized for not being free that day to watch her. She had her own doctor appointments set up but could cancel them if I really needed her to.

Of course I couldn’t ask her to do that.

My third call was to my assistant to tell her I was working from home that day. Luckily there wasn’t much I couldn’t do on my laptop as long as Ava was quiet. With her snuggled up to my side on the couch, I turned on cartoons for her and went through my morning emails.

A short time later the ring of my doorbell had me sliding out from beneath a cuddly Ava to answer it. I dreaded how I looked—still in pajamas with my hair probably sticking up in every direction. What could I do? There hadn’t yet been time for me to think about how I looked.

Thankfully, it was only Teri. She’d stopped by the pharmacy and gotten everything from Pedialyte to an assortment of children’s fever medicine. I laughed when she accused me of trying to get her sick too with a hug.

I was still smiling when I settled back onto the couch with Ava. It wasn’t that I’d needed the supplies, but I was moved by her concern for my child.

I was lucky to have good people in my life who cared about me and my family. I told myself to focus on that rather than the disappointment I’d felt when I hadn’t heard anything from Sebastian.

I ran a hand lightly over Ava’s hair and tried to imagine how I would feel if I’d lost not only my partner but also my unborn child. I wouldn’t be all smiles either.

Still, I shouldn’t have bought into Erica’s romanticized version of our meeting. Although I would deny it if anyone asked, a part of me had wanted it to be true. I’d imagined him munching on Erica’s cookies, thinking of me while mustering the courage to call.

Disappointment is a by-product of unrealistic expectations.

Unrealistic expectations are unhealthy.

I might feel hurt, but that was on me.

He could not have been clearer about how he felt.

I tried to push him out of my thoughts, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how different he’d looked in his honeymoon photos compared to the brusque man who’d filled my doorway. A tragedy like he’d experienced changed someone forever. I still missed Brenda. As I rubbed Ava’s back, I shuddered at the thought of who I would become if I ever lost her.

Stop.

Horrible things happen to people every day. I couldn’t carry the weight of all their pain with me or live in fear that it would happen to me.

I wasn’t a stranger to sadness or loss. My childhood had contained enough of it to give me a real empathy for anyone experiencing either. I refused, though, to let those dark thoughts pull me down. I’d worked too hard to make a new life for myself.

Sad from something you saw in the news?

Not sure what to do with those feelings?

Do something good for someone—anyone. You can’t help everyone, but you can make someone’s day a little easier.

Okay, maybe I’ve read too many self-help books, but before them I was lost and angry.

I made a modest online donation to a children’s hospital. No, it wasn’t the kind of donation they’d make a plaque for, but it made me feel better. My child only had a slight fever. There were parents out there dealing with much more, and every little bit helped keep programs funded for them.