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"I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing it, then."
He checked his watch. "They're both at work, but if you wanted, I could call them and make an appointment for us to go over this evening."
That fast? Suddenly, life was moving at the speed of light. On the other hand, if it turned out to be a good deal, it would be easier to move now than later in my pregnancy.
"Yeah, okay."
"Excellent. Maybe my sister will pay me a finder’s fee."
I was worried about the photograph that slimy man had taken, but I was happy to have run into Pete and have the opportunity to apologize to him and settle my nerves.
When we left the cafe, I went back to my car and pulled out my phone. I dialed Todd's number, but he didn't pick up. When his voicemail answered, I sat for a moment wondering what to say.
Hey, Todd, I'm pregnant.
Hey, Todd, I need to talk to you about something.
Unsure of what to say, I hung up, deciding I'd call him back later.
I started the car to head home when my phone pinged with a text. Looking at it, I saw it was from Todd.
Sorry,can't pick up. In a meeting. Have a dinner engagement later but will call you after.
My stomach fluttered with nerves.Tonight, I would tell Todd about the baby, and then I would know for sure whether I was going to do this alone or not.
31
Todd
When my phone rang and Betts's ID popped up on the screen, I was excited and frustrated all at once. She was finally calling, but I was on a videoconference with the head of one of my subsidiaries in Asia and couldn't take her call. I started to text her back to let her know that I saw she had called, and I would contact her after the meeting, but then I wondered about the wisdom of looking too eager. Sure, I'd been on the edge of my seat since we'd last been together waiting for her to let me know what she thought of my proposal that we give this thing between us a go. I was giving her the time she needed to think about it, but did she need to know I'd been sitting by my phone waiting for her answer?
I put myself out there time and time again, and each time, she was hesitant. I was willing to gamble in business, but there was a limit to the risks I wanted to take with my heart. After my divorce, I felt certain I would never love again. Betts was seriously testing that theory, and while a part of me wanted to jump in the deep end with her, the memories of how everything went so wrong with Taylor had me wondering if I should rein in my enthusiasm. I learned from Taylor that my heart wasn't a very good judge of women. I needed to use my head a little bit more.
So instead of saying I'd call her right back, I let her know that I would be out for a little bit this evening and would call her later tonight. That wasn't a lie. I had arranged to have an early dinner with Levi, who was back in town and interested in meeting Dean. But after I sent the text, the only thing I could think about was why she was calling. What was she going to tell me? Was she going to agree to give in to this attraction we had, or was she going to tell me that because I was her boss, we couldn't? I was afraid of the latter, which made me concerned about talking to her. The idea that she had my emotions—hell, my life—tied up in knots was unsettling.
After my videoconference, I headed out, having my driver bring me home. I found Dean in his room doing his homework. We had seemed to have turned the corner in our relationship. Sure, he still rolled his eyes a lot, but didn’t all teenagers?
In giving Betts the time that she needed, I was able to focus on Dean and make sure he knew I was here for him. Not that I hadn't been focused on him before, but now that he wasn't so adamant about staying away from me, we were spending more time together. We began working together on the charity junior league hockey game project. I reached out to Reed Hampton and Pierce Jackson, co-owners of the Buckaroos, to see if they would be open to such an event. They indicated they would enjoy hearing a proposal, so Dean and I were working on one, and I planned to have Dean be a part of the presentation to them.
I leaned against the door jamb of his room. “How was school?”
He shrugged. “Fine.”
I was pretty sure that was a normal response. "We have to leave in ten minutes to make it to dinner on time.”
He looked up from his laptop. "Is Betts going to be there?"
I cocked my head to the side, a little surprised by the question. "No. I think I told you that we’re meeting a friend of mine from college. He’s still one of my best friends. You've met him before, but you were just a little kid. You probably don't remember him." Taylor didn't much like Levi, so I didn't see him as often during our marriage.
"Are you going to be seeing Betts again?" Dean asked as he closed his laptop and stood to get his jacket.
I wasn't sure what to tell him. I hoped so, but at the same time, I hadn't talked to him about my relationship with Betts. It wasn't that I didn't want him to know about us. My hesitation was because I wasn't sure how to define my relationship with Betts. "I imagine sometime, we will."
He shrugged his coat on. "Are you two fighting?"
I shook my head. "No, why?"
He stared at me, and I got the feeling that he knew I was bullshitting him about something.
