Page 21 of When You Were Mine

“Hello,” Jasper said. “Nice to meet you.” Then, he turned to his boss. “You literally texted me, ‘Where are you? Need you in my office ASAP.’ I thought you were in crisis.”

“I am. Jess is only in town for four days, so you’ll need to get her whatever she needs to get her job done.”

“Will do.” Jasper smiled at her. “Whatever work you have is going to be a thousand times more interesting than picking up his dry cleaning and buying Christmas gifts for his family.”

“Chris?” a woman called. “Where are you?”

“I’m here. Hang on.” Chris touched her arm. “Come on. Meet my sister.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll meet them later,” she said. “I need to make as many contacts as possible during work hours.”

“Got it. Okay, I’ll see you both at dinner.” He headed off but called over his shoulder, “Jasper and I are the only two cooks around, so you’d better hurry up and hire that chef.” And then, he was gone.

“This place has a nice atrium. Let’s work there.” Jasper led the way.

As she started to follow, a whisper of tension fluttered at the back of her neck. She glanced over her shoulder, certain she’d see someone watching her.

Weirdly, an image of Trevor’s expression right before he’d closed the door of that motel room dropped into her mind.

Now, why would she think about that?

She checked, but the hallway was empty.

Chapter Three

On the phonewith his son, Trevor took in the view outside the window of his hotel room. In December, Iceland got about four hours of daylight, and since there were no city lights this far from Reykjavik, the sky was ablaze with stars. Moonlight hit the ocean and shattered.

It was wondrous and beautiful, and yet, somehow, it was hauntingly lonely.

Or maybe that’s just me.

“Girls okay?” he asked.

“Put it this way, we’ve got trash bins stationed by each bed,” Cole said. “And we’ve been giving them cool baths to get their fevers down.”

“Damn. How badly do you wish you hadn’t retired from hockey?” Trevor was only joking, but it landed wrong. Because what a shitty thing to say when he hadn’t been there to soothe his own child’s fevers. He hadn’t taken him to the ER when his head hit the ice during practice.

No, he’d paid nannies to do that.

That familiar cold, hollow feeling came over him. But he reminded himself he had a new direction. A new purpose.

“I know it sounds weird, considering I’m ankle-deep in puke,” Cole said. “But when my girls are hurting, Iwantto comfort them. Never thought I’d say it, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

They’d discussed it at length, so there was no reason to bring up his absence again, but still, Trevor couldn’t help himself. “You’re giving them the love you wished you’d had as a child.”

His son’s silence went on a little too long. Wind battered the window, and Trevor’s breath fogged the glass.

Say something, Cole.

“Okay, darling.” Behind him, Darby’s heels clicked on the bathroom floor. “Your fabulous fiancée is ready. Turn around and tell me how gorgeous I look.”

But he was suspended in time, waiting for his son’s response. Not once had Cole pitched a fit or rebelled. He’d never railed at his dad for not giving him care and attention. He’d just…accepted it.

“I think you’re right,” Cole said in a low, quiet tone.

Relief shuddered through him. Just the acknowledgment, getting it out in the open, eased the massive weight of guilt.

“But, Dad, you know, the past is gone. You can’t go back and make different choices. What matters is, since you retired, you’ve been there for me. I like what we have today. I chose you as the best man in my wedding for a reason. Outside of my wife and kids, you’re the most important person in my life.”

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