“She’s not ready to talk to you.”
“She needs to get ready because I’m moving back to Colorado.”
I almost dropped my phone. My heart certainly took a plunge. “When?” I breathed out, sick to my stomach.
“Soon. I’m tying up some loose ends here and then I’ll be back. I’m taking a job at Mike Pratt’s auto body shop in Edenvale, so I’ll be close by.”
Good old Mike Pratt. He and Leland were old cronies from our high school days and were both douche bags. At last count, Mike had three baby mamas and didn’t support one of them.
“Chloe and I moved back to Carrington Cove.”
“To live with your parents?” The thought obviously gave him pleasure.
“As a matter of fact, no. I took a position with Taron Taylor.” I used Miles’s pen name on the off-chance Leland recognized his name.
“Who’s that?”
Ifigured it was a long shot. Leland only read the back of cereal boxes and his own lame songs. “He’s a renowned author and international bestseller.”
“So why did he hireyou?”
“I’m going to forget you said that.” If not, I was going to rip into him, and he wasn’t worth the breath.
“You’re so touchy. He must pay well if you can afford to live in Carrington Cove.”
That was none of his business. “When will you and your family get here?”
He paused and paused some more. “It will only be me,” he obviously hated to admit.
That was quick. I wondered what happened to the love of his life, the woman who showed him what real love was. And what about his baby daughter? “Trouble in paradise?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re just taking a break.”
Right.
“I want to see Chloe when I get back.”
“I don’t know if she wants to see you.”
“Dammit, Aspen, you can’t keep her from me.”
“I never have. That’s been all you. You left. Not me. So don’t you dare blame me. And if you think you’re coming back just to leave her again, then think again. I will not let you flit in and out of her life, breaking her heart over and over again.”
“I want a relationship with her.”
“Then prove it.”
“I will. I’ll be in touch.” He hung up.
I dropped my phone and rubbed my arms only covered in a thin layer of fabric. Tears streamed down my cheeks.I hated that my daughter was paying for my mistakes. She deserved so much better. She deserved a dad like Sawyer, who cried during ultrasounds, or Ryder, who was already working on the nursery, or even Brad, who about threw up every time he changed a diaper, but he did it anyways because he loved Elliott and Jenna. I couldn’t even trust Leland to watch her while I took a shower when she was a baby.
While I tried to compose myself to go in and face my daughter, a light switched on in the main house. I looked up to find Miles standing at the window in the great room looking out, drinking what was probably tea. He had an entire cupboard dedicated to it. Before I could look away, he caught me glancing up and wiping the tears from my cheeks. He cocked his head before he raised his hand and waved.
I ran inside. I didn’t want him to notice me. I certainly didn’t want to notice him.
The men in my life, past and present, were doing a good job of proving to me why I had sworn them off. Leland started my day off with a text.I’ll be there in two weeks. I expect to see Chloe.
I expected a lot of things from him too, but not once had he delivered. And the thought of having to see him made me unable to eat breakfast. I wasn’t even sure how or if I should tell Chloe about the possibility. Not only did I think there was a high probability of him flaking out, but Chloe truly didn’t want to see him. She felt his abandonment acutely. Each and every broken promise of his shredded her tender heart. Ineeded to talk to my parents and get their advice. But first I had to get Henry up and then get Chloe to school.
