Page 49 of Her Billionaire's Baby Secret

Chase walked out of the restaurant, carrying a bag of food and a couple of drinks. He knocked on the car window, and Kane opened the door. Chase handed him his Coke. “You okay? You don’t look so good.”

“Sariah and I just broke up.”

Chase leaned against his car. “Were you ever really together?”

“Get in. I’ll tell you what happened.”

Chase got in the passenger side, and Kane filled him in on his conversation with Sariah. When he’d gotten him up to date, he pulled out his sandwich. He unwrapped his straw and jabbed it into his cup. He took a long drink from his Coke.

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry,” Chase said. “So in the end, she just wasn’t ready to commit?”

“I think that was the problem from the start. She was just using the long-distance issue as an excuse.”

“I don’t know what to say to fix this for you,” Chase said.

Kane took a bite of his sandwich. The food helped him feel better. “I’m hoping this is just a momentary freak out, and that she’ll eventually come around.”

“That might be the case. Or it might not. You should prepare yourself for the fact that it might really be over between you two.”

“I think it hurts worse since we were high school sweethearts. We have all that history. It’s like I’m breaking up with her for the first time all over again.”

“And you just had to deal with your breakup with Orchid.”

“You would think that would hurt more than this, but it doesn’t. I guess it’s because I’m okay with losing Orchid. I’ve made peace with it. But I can’t make peace with this. It feels wrong.”

“But if she doesn’t want the relationship, there’s nothing you can do to change her mind.”

Kane took another bite of his sandwich. There had to be something he could do. He shook his head. No. He couldn’t force her to be with him. He had to respect her decision to break things off. Maybe he just needed to let Sariah go.

He could focus on spending his remaining days in town helping his grandma to get packed up. Maybe they could finalize her apartment search. That was why he’d decided to stay longer anyway. This trip was about being there for his grandma. The other stuff with Sariah had just caught him unaware.

“I think you’re right,” Kane said. “I think I need to respect her wishes.” He sipped his Coke, thankful for the caffeine.

“You may give her some space and later discover that she may change her mind. Girls don’t like to be smothered if they’re feeling flighty.”

“I can’t keep my hopes up, though. I have to move on with my life. I can’t sit around a pine for a girl who doesn’t want to be with me.”

Chase laughed. “Good luck with that. I have a feeling you won’t be able to escape the pining. Especially, if you feel as strongly about her as you say you do.”

“I know you’re right, but I don’t want to think about that right now.” If he did, the pain might be too much to bear. He’d have to immerse himself in his work to keep himself from falling apart. First with his grandma, and then he needed to get back to New York so he could help with the merger. Then he’d figure out what he was obligated to pay Orchid. He’d pay her what he owed, and then he’d be free from her harassment.

Over the next few days,he focused on his grandma. He kept himself from thinking too much about Sariah, and he didn’t see her once during that time.

He was packing a box in the spare bedroom one day when his grandmother came into the room. “Guess what? I just got a call from Pineridge Farms. They’ve accepted my application and have something available for me to move into this week.”

“That’s great news!” He opened the closet and scooted his box closer to his new workspace.

His sister had given birth to her baby the day before, so his parents would be available within the next week to come to Maple Creek to help his grandma move into her new place.

His grandma sat on the edge of the bed. “Why haven’t I seen Sariah around here lately?”

He sighed. He’d been avoiding this conversation with his grandma. He didn’t want her to be disappointed that things hadn’t worked out with Sariah.

“We decided to stop seeing each other.”

She scowled at him. “Why would you decide something ridiculous like that?”

“It was mostly her decision. I tried to fight for her, but she said she wasn’t ready to commit. We both knew eventually I’d have to go back to New York.” The sadness welled up in his chest again just talking about it.

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