“Not at all. He wants me to drag her into court.” I look at her, letting the anger I’ve been feeling go. “This is about me. I want peace. With myself.”
Katya gives me a measured look and then nods slowly. “Fine. I’ll call the DA tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
Katya narrows her eyes and chuckles. “I hate to say this, but I agree that it’s what you need. Court cases are a lot of emotional baggage…and in the end, Edith will probably get a slap on the wrist. Or we can take her to civil court and make her give you a shit ton of money.”
I tilt my head. “Dahling,” I say in a terrible posh British accent, “I got a shit ton of money,already, thanks to a generous ex-husband.”
Katya bursts out laughing.
I join her.
CHAPTER 28
Aiden
For our third date, I took Mia to the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts to see Rodgers and Hammerstein’sOklahoma.
She was radiant in a deep green wrap dress, her hair loose and soft around her shoulders. We sat in the velvet seats, our arms brushing every time we moved.
I didn’t watch the performance, I watchedherwatching it.
She mouthed the lyrics to “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.”
She laughed at the lines.
At intermission, we drank champagne and talked about the staging, her eyes bright and alive in a way that made me ache.
On the walk to the car, I kissed her—just a brush of my mouth against hers. She let me linger.
I could’ve lived in that moment.
Our fourth date was a hike up Mount Philo.
I packed the sandwiches—turkey and apple slices on whole grain—and brought a thermos of her favorite iced lemon-ginger tea.
The climb was warm but not unbearable. We took our time.
At the summit, we spread a blanket and enjoyed our picnic.
The valley below us was lush and green.
I kissed her again, her fingers sticky from the apple slices.
She laughed into my mouth like she couldn’t believe this was real.
Neither could I.
For our fifth date, we went out for dinner and dancing.
We both felt we were too old for a nightclub, but after a couple of cocktails, we got into it, ending the night laughing so hard our sides hurt, our bodies pressed close on a too-crowded dance floor.
By the time we stumbled out into the cool night air, cheeks flushed and hands clasped tight, it felt like we’d shaken off years of heaviness. We weren’t ex-husband and ex-wife with baggage, or trying to find common ground—we were just two people who still knew how to have fun together, rediscovering that spark one song at a time.
Each of those dates gave me back something I’d lost since stepping into the CEO role and letting Winter Financial consume me. I’d been so focused on driving the company forward that I never considered the cost—howthe late nights and endless pressure carved out a gulf between Mia and me. And in that space, I let Diana slip in.
Never again, I promise myself every time I get to hold her hand. As I get to feel her fingers curl around mine, like we were made to fit together. As I kiss her in quiet corners, in moments between words, and each time, it feels like a privilege I haven’t quite earned but am desperate to keep.
