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“You’re so predictable,” Jackson sighed. “I wasn’t kidding. Get out. And if you so much as think of touching another penny of this company’s money, I will have the IRS on you so fast, your head will spin. Now go while you still can.”

Though she kept her head high, avoiding my gaze on the way out, she stumbled a little on her way to the door. I watched, waiting for her to launch another attack, but all she did was leave. She couldn’t even slam the door since it had one of those hydraulic arms that prevented that from happening.

Only when she was gone could I release the breath I was holding, closing my eyes and leaning my back against the wall behind me. “Oh my God.” I sighed, covering my face with both hands.

“Now that’s taken care of.” He made it sound so simple, his voice getting louder as he approached from behind the desk. “You couldn’t have known she doesn’t have a leg to stand on now. I didn’t want anyone to know about it. I would’ve told you the night I found you dancing alone, but you left. I wanted to tell you Isobel was nothing to me. I was being strong-armed into marrying her.”

His touch was gentle but firm as he lowered my hands from in front of my face and touched his lips to my knuckles. “All of that is over. I’m going to find a way out of this.”

“Did she really steal money from the company?”

“Her boyfriend did, to be specific, but she gave it to him.”

“So she can’t afford to sue?”

“She absolutely can’t.” The tenderness in his voice was exactly what I needed to hear. “She can’t hurt you anymore, Winter. I’ve seen to it.”

“This doesn’t feel real. All these years…” A sob tore its way from me, and before I knew it, I was in his arms, holding me, and it felt right. Like my soul could finally be at peace. My tears dripped onto his shoulder as I sobbed. “I wanted to tell you. I wanted to so much. Being all alone… but Mom needed the money. I couldn’t turn it down, especially…” I had said too much, so I stopped myself from finishing my thought.

It was too late, anyway. “Especially when you didn’t know how I felt,” he concluded for me while stroking my hair. “I understand now. I’ve done a lot of thinking while you were out taking care of Liam. And I want to make this right. I don’t know what the future looks like for us, but I don’t want you to have to worry about anything again. We can’t make up for the time we lost, but I can at least help you now.”

This couldn’t be real, but he felt real. He smelled and sounded real, and was really holding me tight. I sagged against him, almost like the freedom of being able to let go of the lies took away the last of my strength. It was all that kept me going, knowing I needed to protect my family from that woman. “Is it really true? I don’t have to be afraid?”

“You absolutely do not have to be afraid, and I’m sorry you ever felt like you did.” His lips brushed the top of my head. “We can talk about it later, along with so many other things… like when I get to meet my son. But not right now. You’re obviously exhausted.”

Exhausted? I was elated, overjoyed, overwhelmed. “I’ll be fine.” So what if I was so tired I couldn’t bring myself to stop leaning against him?

Chuckling, he replied, “Sure you will.”

With an arm around my waist, he led me away from the desk and toward the door leading into the bedroom. “Don’t worry,” he murmured when I hesitated. “I want you to get some sleep. It doesn’t look like you’ve gotten much lately, not that I have,” he added while sitting me on the bed. “You think you were stressed looking after Liam? Try being worried sick about our son and having no right to be around. If anything, getting to the bottom of all of this treachery and bullshit gave me something to focus my thoughts on.”

Now that the worst of my shock had worn off, other thoughts were free to flood in. I took hold of his hands, his eyes wide when I looked up at him. “But if there’s no money, what are you going to do? Is the show safe?”

He nodded firmly, squeezing my hands. “The show is absolutely safe, yes. And if we need extra money to get us through before we’re pulling a profit on this, I’ll use my own money. I’ve sublet my penthouse with that in mind.”

“You did what?” I asked, aghast.

“Don’t worry about it. Remember, I have this suite for as long as I need it during the run of the show. I’ll stay here. Everything is going to work out. I have faith in you. And I’m never wrong about these things,” he added, winking before turning toward the windows.

He pulled the heavy blackout drapes closed, casting the room in darkness, and I couldn’t help but remember how comfortable the bed was when I was here several nights ago. It was practically calling to me, beckoning, until I had no choice but to slip out of my shoes and slide between the sheets.

“All you have to do now is rest, Frosty,” he murmured, pulling the blankets up around me. “I’ll cover for you down there, don’t worry about that. Take care of you. You’ve been on your own for long enough.”

I couldn’t argue.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, my body sank deeper against the mattress. My eyes closed, and the tension in my shoulders and neck instantly disappeared. I didn’t have anything to be afraid of now.

I didn’t have to lie, either.

A single tear of sheer relief leaked out from under my lashes before I fell into a deep sleep after days spent watching over my baby.

13

JACKSON

“Don’t worry about it. She’ll be just fine. She needed a little rest, but will be back tomorrow.”

I had repeated those words countless times throughout the day to concerned dancers and technicians alike—Winter had shown up, then disappeared, so naturally, they were concerned. It spoke highly of her relationship with everyone around here, that they’d worry so much.