Page 31 of Hold My Heart

“I can’t believe Olympia has been keeping you to herself,” Ashleigh replied. Scooting across the room. Gaze and attention focused on Harlan with laser beam accuracy.

“She keeps me pretty busy,” Harlan muttered. “Really no time to get out.”

“You’ll simply have to come to the gallery fundraiser. Hopefully, she’ll give you the night off.” Ashleigh blinked expertly made-up eyes at Olympia. It was another show. Another chance to be in the spotlight, center stage.

“I’m not sure. We haven’t spoken about it yet.”

Olympia couldn’t tolerate the flirtation any longer and felt a swell of anger surge in her gut. She wanted nothing more than to crush Ashleigh into tiny bits. “You know, it’s been lovely chatting, and lovely cleaning up your mess on my day off, but we really need to get going. The baby isn’t feeling well and I shouldn’t have taken her out in the first place.”

“As I said,” Harlan replied, leaning closer and speaking to Olympia alone, “I had lunch ready for us. Now I’ll have to put it on the stove and let it heat up.” Despite the undercurrent of warning in his voice, a reprimand for going out when she shouldn’t have, there was also innuendo. She watched his gaze heat, flash once before he turned away.

Olympia shook her head, following him out with purposeful strides. “Ashleigh, I’m locking the door behind me. If there are any other messes then please don’t call me. I’m going to be busy this evening.” Doing what, she wasn’t sure. She exited the office, locked the door, then pushed down the hallway without another word or look at the other woman.

“Do you always have that much fun at work?” Harlan asked as they walked to her car.

“Oh, tons. So much so I’m rethinking this whole working bit.”

“Yeah? I don’t believe it!”

He flashed her a quick smile over his shoulder, his hand again rubbing Renee’s back against another spell of coughing.

Olympia was instantly contrite. She shouldn’t have come out at all. She should have let someone else handle things. Because really, she wasn’t the only one who could. And she didn’t have to.

She spared a glance in the back seat at Renee during the drive home. The same little girl she’d once given serious thought to turning away. There had been such doubt. No trust in her ability to do the whole mothering thing. No way to juggle work and home life without help.

Now she felt confident. She felt strong and maybe a little stubborn, but this time, it was in a good way. A way where she wanted to be stubborn for herself and her happiness rather than someone else’s happiness.

It came down, she knew, to a choice between her job or her kid. Or ratherthisjob and her kid, because without work she’d go crazy. Why couldn’t she focus on what she wanted to do? Which was open her own gallery.

“You know what, Harlan?” she said, leaning against the side of the car once they’d pulled into her driveway in tandem. A brisk breeze blew, a little on the cool side, but it didn’t bother her. It reminded her that she was alive. That she had a choice. “I’m going to do it.”

“Do what?”

She breathed in deep, held the cool air in her lungs. Then nodded. “I’m going to quit my job.”

Chapter 8

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