Page 85 of The Redemption of Remy St. Claire

She smiled. Her first genuine smile in a long time. “We’ve hired a babysitter—Olivia. She handles change rooms, showers, and one girl in the pool. It’s turned out to be a good idea. Both girls love the water. Soon they’ll be ready for lessons.”

“You sound like a proud parent.”

Her smile diminished. “A big sister and a stepmother, Zach, not a parent.”

He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. He knew her too well. “Go home, Remy.” He frowned. “Now.”

Suddenly, she was too tired to argue. All the adrenaline dissipated. She’d be okay to drive home, but not much more than that. When she stood, her legs were less than steady.

He was there at her side, offering a hand at her elbow.

Proud she didn’t flinch, she accepted his unspoken support. After a moment, she was able to stand on her own. “I’ll take you up on that offer to leave early.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow.” He escorted her back to her office. As she scooped up her briefcase, he glanced around and lowered his voice. “You can trust me, you know. You can tell me anything.”

An odd pressure formed in her chest.I get it—I just can’t.She offered her bravest smile. “I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t appear convinced, nor did he look like he’d press her. And that was a good thing, because she was on the verge of telling him everything, and that’d be a disaster. It’d irreparably change his impression of her. She couldn’t afford that.

With a wave, he departed.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

And sent one text before she left for the day.

Chapter thirty-six

Something’swrong.

Rusty unbuckled Mira from her car seat while Olivia did the same for Calleigh, but he struggled to stay focused on the girls.

He glanced across the cab of the SUV. “I know I told you I wanted you to stick around so I could get some work done. Will you stay even if I don’t actually do work?”

The young woman snickered. “As long as you’re paying me, you can do whatever you want. In fact, you don’t even have to pay me at all, but I know we’ll just have another disagreement.”

She pulled Calleigh from her seat and then closed the door while he did the same with Mira. He took the girls’ hands while Olivia retrieved Bianca from her car. She was heading to the house when she stopped short, pointing to Remy’s car. “Do you want me to play with the girls in the family room?”

Ever appreciative of her intuition, he nodded. “I’d appreciate that. I need to find out what’s going on.”

He stepped into the front hall and pivoted, heading toward the master bedroom.

Olivia led the girls through to the family room.

Their bedroom door was closed, and he was loath to intrude. Except there was no way his wife would be home at four o’clock on a Thursday unless something was horribly wrong.

He knocked. Waited.

And knocked again.

Assailed by unstoppable memories of the times he hadn’t been able to rouse his ex-wife, panic encroached. Or the time Remy passed out drunk. He hadn’t thought to check the kitchen for alcohol. Maybe she was drunk. Maybe she was hurt.

He had raised his hand to knock again when the faintest of voices invited him in.

Without hesitation, he opened the door. “I just wanted to check on you…”

She lay on the bed, fully clothed, curled in a ball. No tears now, but the streaks down her cheeks betrayed past distress. Fragile—like she’d been on their wedding night. So different from the woman he lived with day-to-day. She was broken.

He knelt beside the bed, meeting her eyes. “What happened, sweetheart?”

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