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Since Whitney’s accident, Trent and everyone else had been encouraging Whitney to slow down, take a breather, work less, and try to reduce her stress.
But the constant nagging was only causing his fiancée even more stress. She already felt the pressures of her job, and instead of being there as a source of support the way she needed him to be, he’d tried to get her to change part of who she was. That hadn’t been fair.
Her seeking silent comfort in him the night before had spoken volumes about what she actually needed. She didn’t often ask for help, but she shouldn’t need to. Maybe he needed to anticipate the help she might need but not be asking for, and then provide it.
Whitney may not even realize what she needed or how he could help, but the basics were obvious. She needed to eat, he knew that much, and instead of trying to “help” by suggesting dinner out or being home before nightfall to enjoy a hot meal with him, he’d bring food to her at the office so she could continue to work. He’d fork the food into her mouth while she typed if necessary.
Feeling more empowered and a lot more hopeful than he had in months, Trent packed up her favorite rotini noodle pasta, grilled chicken breasts, and two pieces of her favorite pumpkin pie and left the house.
In the Jeep, he cranked the music up and rolled the window down. The October breeze felt great, and the sights of the changing leaves on the trees and the ones covering the ground made him smile. He loved this time of year. The changing of the seasons, the cooler temperatures.
A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the mayor’s office, seeing Whitney’s vehicle and Scott’s Escalade in the lot. They were working on the pitch for theRace Across Americashow together, and he was happy that Whitney had finally started to accept assistance from the guy who was supposed to be her assistant. Maybe if they worked successfully on this project, she’d feel more confident letting Scott take lead on other projects. He knew she was worried that Scott might steal her job, being the mayor’s son and having a degree from a reputable university, but Trent hoped the mayor saw Whitney’s dedication and experience.
Getting out, he carried the food inside and entered the quiet office. The reception area was empty. Kim was gone for the day, and the office lights were all off, except for the one in Whitney’s office down the hall.
He headed that way, following the sound of voices, and nearly stopped, hearing laughter. Whitney’s laugh. Relief mixed with something else he couldn’t quite pinpoint. When was the last time he’d heard her laugh like that? When was the last time she’d laughed with him?
Weeks ago, at the pumpkin patch…
Didn’t matter who she was laughing with or why. The main thing was that she had found some joy in her working day, which he knew was often not the case. And it was a good thing that she and Scott were finally getting along. Maybe she wasn’t feeling as threatened by the mayor’s son anymore.
He felt better as he continued on and stopped outside the open office door. “Hey,” he said, seeing her and Scott sitting at her desk. Papers and photos were spread across the desk, and on the computer screen, video footage of Blue Moon Bay, gathered by a drone, played.
And in their hands were takeout Chinese containers. A noodle dangled from his fiancée’s mouth as she stared in surprise at him.
“Sorry to interrupt.” In hindsight, he should have texted or called first to see if she’d eaten. Not that she would have responded to a text…
“Hey, Trent,” Scott said with a nod. “Just took a break for a quick bite.”
Yep, he could see that. It wasn’t the sight of the food that surprised him, it was the fact that this guy had obviously talked his fiancée into stopping long enough to actually eat.
And laugh.
Whitney sucked the noodle into her mouth and set her food container aside as she stood. “What are you doing here?” she asked slowly as she walked toward him.
He held up the food. “I thought I’d bring you dinner, since you were working late, but it looks like I should have confirmed that you hadn’t already eaten first.”
“Sorry, I meant to text you, but I lost track of time,” she said, glancing at her watch. “We still have so much to do before this pitch material is ready—”
“We can pick this up tomorrow morning,” Scott said.
Whitney hesitated as she glanced at Trent. Obviously, she wanted to keep working.
“I brought the food to you. Eat it later if you get hungry. Stay and finish up,” he said, handing her the food.
She hesitated as she took it. “You sure?”
“Absolutely. There’s more than enough for two,” he said to Scott.
“Thanks, man,” Scott said.
“I’ll see you at home,” Trent said to Whitney.
He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left the office. He heard her tell Scott, “Give me a sec,” before chasing after him down the hall. “Hey, wait up…”
He stopped and turned.
“I’m sorry…”
