Page 11 of When You Were Mine

She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Wholly focused on his girls, he didn’t seem concerned about being recognized. Which she appreciated. It meant he trusted this place. Given the level of luxury at her resort, she’d invested heavily in security. No one would be taking pictures of celebrities. Her highest priority was making her guests feel safe and at ease.

Watching him interact with his daughters, it was clear Trevor had raised a good son. A good man.

And dammit if her heart didn’t squeeze so hard it beckoned a second flood of tears.

Because she’d wanted to be the mother of his children. The boy she’d grown up with would’ve made a great dad.

She would’ve liked to have seen that.

Once, she’d imagined having a whole passel of kids. Turned out, she’d had none of her own.

My God. You have to stop this.

She didn’t usually wallow in the past. But being here in Calamity—where Trevor lived—dredged it all up. And now, seeing his son…

Enough.

Glancing around the room, she assured herself everything was going well. Her phone vibrated, and she blinked back tears to see Lulu had responded.

Lulu: I got you! Boxing it up right now.

Jessica: Oh, thank goodness! I appreciate you!

“Jess.” Her fiancé’s voice jerked her gaze up. Weaving around the tables, he made a beeline for her.

“What’re you doing here?” But she didn’t want to talk in the dining room, so she led him into the kitchen and over to an out-of-the-way spot. “Is everything okay?”

“Gabby’s husband left her.” He seemed frantic, and his salt-and-pepper hair looked like he’d raked his hands through it. But she understood.This is his daughter. “He just walked out the door.”

“Oh, no. That’s awful. What can we do?”

“I’m heading to the airport right now.”

Dammit. Why did I put off wrapping the presents until the last minute?

Well, no time to think about that now. She’d stuff them in her suitcase and finish in San Diego. “Okay, no problem. I’m already packed. Just give me fifteen minutes to grab my suitcase and tie up some loose ends.”

“No, no. I’m going by myself.” He looked distracted, like he wanted to be three steps ahead of this moment—checking his luggage and heading through security.

She’d been in tough situations with her sisters too many times to count. She got it. “I’m not leaving you alone right now. Let me handle all the details. I’ll call a car.”

“No.” He stopped her by covering her hand. “I’ve got one. It’s waiting outside. I just came to tell you I’m leaving.”

“Okay.” It was no big deal. “I’ll just meet you at the hotel. Let me know if I can do anything.”

“I’m not staying at a hotel. We’re all staying with my ex. My daughter, the grandkids. Me.”

What?She wasn’t so sure about that. “You want me to stay at your ex-wife’s house?”

“Jessica, no.” He pressed his lips together like he was trying to calm down. “Look, my daughter’s devastated. That bastard insisted she stay home with the kids. He kept her shut off from their finances. And now, he walks out on her, leaving her with nothing?”

“Well, he obviously forgot her dad’s an attorney because you’re not going to let him take advantage of her.” She rubbed his arm. “You’re not alone in this. I’m here. Remember, I have two sisters who’ve been through a lot.”

“Thank you for that.” He softened, brushing his hand across her cheek. “I got lucky with you.” He checked his watch. “Okay, I have to go. Your ticket’s flexible, so you can use it for another trip. Just call to let them know you won’t be on that flight.”

“What? You don’t want me to come at all?”

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