“Because I’d given you every reason not to trust me.” Sam’s voice was steady. He reached for my hand. “Never again. Complete honesty, even when it’s complicated.”
“Even when it’s complicated,” I agreed.
“When can we see Leo?” I asked again. “I want to start figuring out how to be a family.”
Sam’s expression shifted to something softer, more hopeful. “Are you sure? Jenna’s not going to be easy to deal with. There will be custody arrangements, legal complications–”
“We’ll figure it out together,” I said firmly.
Sam’s hand closed around mine. “I can work with that.”
We sat there for a moment, holding hands across the kitchen table, the engagement ring still sparkling between us.
My internal cheerleader finally stood up, dusted herself off, and smiled.
Chapter 16
Sam - Twelve Days After Chloe’s Birthday
The days after Chloe came home had been a careful rebuilding.
Not back to where we were before – we both knew that was impossible. But something different. Something stronger, built on honesty instead of assumptions, on questions instead of silence.
We’d taken three days off from our normal routines. I’d handed The Copper Fox over to Kate, trusting her to manage the bar while I focused on what actually mattered. Dr. Castle had continued to provide locum cover for Chloe at the clinic.
Arthur had sent Jenna a formal letter the day after Chloe returned: all contact regarding Leo was to go through him. No more showing up at the bar, no more surprise visits to Chloe’s clinic, no more manipulation disguised as co-parenting discussions. If Jenna wanted to discuss Leo, she could go through proper legal channels.
She hadn’t responded. Hadn’t called, hadn’t texted at all.
At first, I’d been relieved. The silence gave Chloe and me space to talk through everything without interruption. We spenthours on the couch, coffee going cold as we worked through the damage the lies had caused. Chloe told me about both encounters with Jenna – the parking lot confrontation where Jenna had deliberately made her feel territorial and threatened, and the clinic visit where she’d systematically dismantled Chloe’s confidence and planted lies about my intentions.
Hearing it all laid out like that, understanding how Jenna had targeted every one of Chloe’s insecurities, made me sick. Each story was another reminder of how badly I’d failed to protect the woman I loved by keeping her in the dark.
But Chloe was doing the work to heal. She’d reached out to her therapist – the same one who’d helped her process everything after Sean’s betrayal came to light – and they’d been having daily video sessions. I’d hear Chloe’s voice from the bedroom, talking through her fears about not being enough, about falling into old patterns of accepting lies, about learning to trust her own instincts again.
After each session, she’d emerge looking exhausted but clearer, more centered. Like she was finding her way back to herself.
We talked about Leo, too. About what it would mean to be part of his life, how to navigate co-parenting with someone as manipulative as Jenna, and what our boundaries needed to be. Chloe had been clear from the start: she wanted to be involved, wanted to build a relationship with my son, but she needed to feel secure in our relationship first. No more secrets, no more letting Jenna drive wedges between us.
I’d agreed to all of it. Whatever Chloe needed to feel safe, I’d give her.
This morning, we were both back at work. Normal routines, normal life. We weren’t healed – trauma doesn’t work that way – but we were solid. We knew where we stood with each other. We had a plan for moving forward.
I was trying to focus on inventory when Chloe called.
“Sam.” Her voice was tight with tension. “You need to get to the clinic. Now.”
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Just… get here. Please.”
I abandoned the inventory sheets and drove to the clinic as fast as I could, my mind racing through possibilities. When I burst through the front door, Sarah pointed me toward Chloe’s office without a word.
I found Chloe on the floor of her office, sitting cross-legged with Leo between her knees. They were both on the ground next to a basket of golden retriever puppies – the same ones Chloe told me Leo had been fascinated with during his visit here with Jenna. Leo was gently petting one of the sleeping puppies while Chloe kept a protective hand on his back.
“Sam-Sam!” Leo looked up when he saw me, but he didn’t move from his spot next to the puppies. “Shhhh, the puppies are sleeping!”
“I can see that, buddy.” I crouched down next to them, completely confused. “Chloe, what’s going on?”
