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She’d tried having faith in her mother.
Then the army.
Now all she had was Vanguard, regardless of whatever Gage was trying to do now. Clare knew what she could do. The strength she had to go after what she wanted. How she wouldn’t ever let her company fail, or let her people down.
All she had was herself.
It was why she hadn’t allowed herself to get into a relationship with anyone since Anthony. He’d been a doctor, a lot like Doctor Mares. A guy with more flash than substance. A genius at his work—and who left her to hers when he got absorbed in his career and building his name. It had worked for a while. She wouldn’t say their two-year marriage ever succeeded.
Eventually he’d come clean that he was in a relationship with a colleague.
The fact it had been a hassle to take off work for the day just to show up in court for the divorce told her all she needed to know.
She hadn’t had any heart in that relationship. For a long time, she hadn’t had heart about anything. Maybe it died with her baby. When that life slipped from her and she’d broken—both in her heart, and aloud. Alone in the bathroom. No one but her and the life she’d been responsible for.
Clare wondered if she’d felt anything since.
A woman with a stroller walked by the front of her car and headed down the walking path that circled the outside of the expanse of green that made up the center of Freemont Park. Three acres, surrounded by trees that almost disguised the fact they were practically in the middle of downtown Benson.
She’d always loved this city. Even when she’d lived for a year closer to Seattle, those months spent in her mother’s cabin. She’d finished high school there. But as soon as she got out of the army she knew where she wanted to go.
She just hadn’t expected Gage to be here.
Clare’s phone rang.Mom.She reached for where it was clipped up to the left of her steering wheel on the dash and slid her finger across the screen before she tapped the button for speakerphone. “Hi, Mom.”
“Honey.” Her mother let out a breath, as though that were a whole statement or question on its own. Maybe it was.
“You’re gonna have to be more specific if you want to talk about something.” Clare didn’t have time to decipher whatever her mother had to say.
“Gage Deluca. That has to be hard.”
Clare made a face because her mother couldn’t see her—and neither could anyone else.
The police wouldn’t be here until closer to the time the doc’s wife was supposed to be left. Traded back. She didn’t like it when a woman was a bargaining piece. Ever.
She sighed. “Mom, it is what it is. I didn’t expect him to show up in my life.” Now that he had, however…
“You knew I’d see him?” Her mother paused. “So you wanted things to come to a head? To force a confrontation.”
“That’s not what this is. Alex needed representation, and I’m guessing Selena could use counsel.”
“And I should invoice Vanguard for this, or you’ll be paying out of your own pocket?”
Clare would pay either way with those options—and she’d do it for Selena. Still. “Alex and Selena can both afford your bill. Whatever rate you put them on. They’re famous social media stars.”
“I know, Clare. I did my research.”
Therewassomething she could ask her mother. “What really happened with Gage when he broke up with me? I mean, he freaked out and left after I told him about the baby.” She’d convinced herself, in her teenage naïveté, that he’d just been overwhelmed. “I saw when he came back. I looked out the window, so I know you talked to him even though you said he left.”
“And?”
Clare gripped the door handle, just to ground herself. She stared at trees, swaying in the breeze. “He turned away after whatever you said. He saw me in the window. Shook his head and said, ‘No way.’ What was that, Mom?”
Her mother had ordered her to pack her bags. They’d headed to their family cabin, where they had no cell signal. Not that phones were even that functional back then. Calls and barely text messages. Certainly no camera or internet. Her mother had told her the cabin landline was out of service.
They’d been completely cut off.
“He wasn’t worthy of you. Of the child you would bring into the world.” Her mother sighed. “I’m sorry for how that turned out, but it really was for the best. Your life didn’t need to be derailed by a mistake.”
