Page 85 of Love Off Course

“Are you married?”

The smile falls away and she nods. “An odd question, but yes.” She wiggles her wedding ring at me. A simple gold band.

“Children?”

“Morgan and Evan,” she says slowly. “They come in sometimes to take me to lunch.”

I’m drawing blanks, which makes me feel horrible.

“Oh. Are they small?”

“Morgan is sixteen. Evan is almost eighteen. What’s with all the questions?”

“I’m a horrible person.”

“No, you’re not,” she assures me. “You’re just busy.”

“It’s no excuse.” I swallow hard and glance around my massive office. It’s stark white and decorated in splashes of rose gold. I love how bright and cheery it is even if I’m always the exact opposite. “When I went to Daddy’s wedding, things changed.”

“So I can tell.”

“I’m different and I don’t know how to get back to me.”

“Do you want to get back to the old you?”

“Not really. I don’t think I liked her much. It’s hard navigating this new path.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s you. You’re Sheridan Reid. A business powerhouse. Those two men down the hall can’t hold a candle to your fierceness.”

I smile thinking about Daddy and David. They’re great businessmen, but I’ve always strived to be even better.

“Morgan admires you.”

I wince. “How? I’ve never spoken to her.”

“No, but she’s an observant teenager. She sees what you’ve done for me all these years.”

“I’ve done stuff for you?”

She laughs again and I decide I really like her laugh. “Honey, yes. Maybe they don’t seem like much to you, but they mean everything to me. Like whenever you go out of town and let me work from home those days.”

People work remotely from home all the time. No big deal.

“Or when you gave me your old Lexus.”

“I didn’t need it anymore and the dealership would have tried to scam me on the trade.” I shrug. “It was old. And you’re my friend.”

She blinks in confusion. “I am?”

“You and Mark both,” I tell her.

“We’re your and your father’s assistants. Your employees.”

“We’re not friends?”

Her features soften and she smiles. “Of course we are. I can’t speak for Mark, but I know I’d like to be a better friend to you.”

“I made friends in Mexico.” A smile tugs at my lips. “They forced me.”

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