Page 104 of The Au Pair Affair

“The invitations are sent.” He faked a wince. “It’s out of my hands.”

His head was on the verge of exploding. There wouldn’t be enough doctors to repair him if Tallulah showed up at this wedding with a professor. How old was this guy anyway? He didn’t want to know. “How old is this professor, Chloe?”

“Um... like, forties? Yeah. And a Sagittarius, so helovesan adventure.”

Burgess could barely see straight, the throb in his head had intensified so much. Forties? Adventure? This had all happened in the space ofone week? Was she... moving on already? Because henever would. Ever. It was Tallulah or no one—end of story. And suddenly, he was more helpless and panicked than he’d ever been in his entire life. This would never have happened if they’d just let him remain in the darkness, numb and angry and protected from further pain. “As soon as I’m better, I’m kicking everyone’s ass!”

“Aha!” Sig widened his eyes. “Does that mean you’re going to rehab?”

Burgess crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t say that.”

“You stubborn motherfucker.”

“Sig!” Chloe gasped.

“Sorry.” He tapped his finger on the back of the phone. “I’ll see you later with some Pop-Tarts. Frosting, right?”

“Myhero!”

A line appeared between Sig’s brows. “Youdon’t have a plus one to this wedding, right, Chlo?”

“Yes, I do.”

His left eye twitched. “Okay. See you later.”

Sig hung up the phone.

The rookies were elbowing each other.

Burgess and Sig traded a silent communication that could only come between two athletes that had spent the last six years predicting each other’s moves on the ice. Sig’s jaw flexed. Burgess shook his head almost imperceptibly. Sig’s upper lip curled. Burgess sighed.

“What was that?” Wells said, sounding almost awed.

“We’ll tell you in a minute. But we have one more intervention guest and she’s been waiting very patiently with an iPad and a Big Gulp.” Sig jerked his chin at one of the rookies and they stood, opening the door.

And in walked Lissa.

Burgess’s throat seized up so suddenly, he briefly looked away to get himself under control. His chest burned like the surface ofthe sun.My kid. My kid is here. Seeing me like this.It was unbearable and yet, he was almost knocked over by the relief and joy of her presence.

“Hey, Liss.”

She’d stopped at the side of the bed. “Hi.”

He reached out and ruffled her hair. “I’m okay, kid.”

Was he, though? He should be up trying. To move. To heal.

If anything could be deemed motivation... it was his daughter. She needed him. Tallulah had made him see that, hadn’t she?

Lissa remained stoic for several beats of time, before her chin started to wobble. “Dad?”

“Yes?”

It took her a long time to speak. “I messed everything up,” she whispered finally. “I keep thinking about how happy you looked with Tallulah before... I said those horrible things to her. I didn’t even mean them, I was just sad.”

“She knows that, Liss.”

Hope traveled like a shooting star across her face. “How do you know? Have you talked to her?”

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