Kian (Undercover Billionaire, #1)(20)

Lily’s life would never be the same again, and even if it did make Roxie a bit uncomfortable being back home, her niece had been through enough, and Roxie could bite the bullet and make a sacrifice for the sake of this precious child.

“We’re just fine, Lily Bear, I promise,” Roxie said as she bent down. “We’re just visiting with Uncle Sal.”

Lily nodded bravely, but she didn’t say anything as Roxie stood up and moved into the brightly lit hometown office. Before she managed to shut the door, a surprised gasp emerged from in front of the two of them, causing Lily to cling desperately to Roxie’s legs as they both gazed ahead.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” a woman cried, her lips turned up in a beaming smile, her eyes practically sparkling.

If Roxie thought she’d be able to do this meeting without any fanfare and then slip back to her small place and think some more about running away, that thought had just been brutally pushed from her mind.

Standing in front of her wearing a surprised-but-delighted smile was her former best friend, Eden Skultz. They’d been through thick and thin together all through their school years, and Eden had been one of the people Roxie had left behind. Guilt instantly filled her as she gazed at the woman who had been by her side for all the important events in her life.

“Hi, Eden,” Roxie said with a fake smile in place. “It’s great to see you. I’d forgotten you worked here,” she added far too lamely.

“Well, you’ve been gone a long time, so I can see the memory lapse,” Eden said with only the smallest hint of betrayal in her voice. She paused for only a moment before she rounded the desk she’d stood up from and came over to throw her arms around Roxie in a crushing embrace.

“Yeah, it’s been a few years,” Roxie said. She was perfectly aware of exactly how long it had been since she’d run away from this town, run away from Kian Forbes, but she didn’t need to say that out loud.

Finally, Eden let her go, but took her arm and walked with her to the sitting area, where coffee and snacks were laid out.

“I’m here for a meeting, but I don’t want to interrupt you,” Roxie said with a slight smile. She really just didn’t want the two of them to get into a discussion about the good old days, because she feared that would hurt too much.

“You know it’s always been relaxed here, and the two of us can definitely visit before you see the old man,” Eden countered as she took a seat and invited Roxie to do the same. Roxie didn’t have much of a choice without seeming rude. It was odd to have such thoughts around someone she’d once been so comfortable with.

“You’re looking great,” Roxie said, noting that her friend hadn’t changed at all in the years they’d been apart.

Eden laughed. “I’m a single woman. I have to at least try to maintain some semblance of my youth,” she said as she picked up an orange and began to peel it. “But you’re the one who’s been gone. I want to hear all about you since you’ve left our small town to travel the world.”

Roxie cringed. This was the type of question she’d expected from her small-town friends, but it wasn’t something she’d been looking forward to. It wasn’t as if she could tell them she’d gone out and conquered the world. For one thing, she’d been running away, not running toward something. For another, she’d accomplished a big fat zero. That wasn’t something someone wanted to admit to.

Before Roxie was able to say anything, Eden zeroed in on Lily, who was clinging to her leg. The child was so quiet, she would be easy to overlook at this point.

“Well, looks like at least one thing has changed in your life,” Eden said, making an assumption about Lily. This would be the hardest part that Roxie had to play in her new role in life, especially since she wasn’t sure what she could say.

Lily looked bored, and though Roxie had been playing the parent role for only about a month, she already knew that look meant trouble. She quickly dug into her oversize purse for the small figurines and handed them to her niece, who gratefully took them, instantly absorbed. Roxie let out a relieved breath.

“I have to admit, I’m a little jealous of how amazing you look,” Eden said with another warm smile, contradicting her words. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

“I . . . um . . .” Roxie trailed off.

“And now you’re a mom,” Eden said, sadness in her eyes, though the words should be spoken in joy.

“Not really. I’m just trying to not screw things up,” Roxie admitted.

“You won’t,” Eden assured her. “I’m really sorry about the loss of your sister.”

The words nearly ripped Roxie’s heart from her chest. Of course, everyone would know about her sister, and know Roxie had Lily. Roxie wondered if they also knew about Kian’s role as her father. To even think about that gave Roxie an instant headache.

“Thank you,” Roxie finally said, not knowing what else she could add.

“We won’t dwell on that,” Eden assured her. “Tell me instead about your life. Are you married?”

So much had changed in the past few years that though it might appear on the outside that Roxie hadn’t grown much, she knew very well that she was a new person. She wasn’t as naive as she’d once been—that was for sure. Her looks might have matured the slightest bit since she was now a respectable twenty-six years old, but she had aged what felt like ten years on the inside.