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Chapter Twenty-Three
It had only takenHarrison two blocks for his anger to dissipate and another two blocks to drive back to the parking lot. But Sera was already gone. The white Jeep was no longer in the parking spot. This was the third different Jeep she had driven since he’d met her, but when he had pulled into the parking lot today and saw the vehicle, he had known it was what she had driven today.
With only the knowledge that she lived near the dive bar he had seen her at so many weeks before, he headed in that direction to see if she was there. Maybe she needed a drink after all the emotions of the day. Maybe her friends, or kids, would take her out.
It seemed right that the women who’d catered the party were her stepdaughters. The way she had went out and yelled at Brad and the redhead? That was a mom move. The fact that they were close to the same age would take some getting used to.
The question of who took care of the two little girls when they were together came into focus, and he realized it must be her other kids. Since they all lived together, it wasn’t a big deal when she stayed with him all night.
While still at his mom’s house, Harrison had hovered in the hallway as Sera and his mom discussed her marriage and why she had stayed with her first husband. It had surprised him to hear that Sera had started dating while Emma was still a baby. But if neither kid was her husband’s, then she clearly still felt no loyalty toward him, especially as he had left her anyway.
After driving for half an hour, he slammed on his breaks when he saw six Jeeps of the same vintage as Sera’s crowding the driveway and curb of a massive Victorian house. The blue one Sera typically drove was there, as were the red and gray ones he had seen on occasion, along with another red and two white ones. He wasn’t three blocks from the bar that he had seen her at so many weeks before.
The front door slammed open as he took in the fleet, and Buzz and a brunette bounded out of the house. Together they climbed into one of the Jeeps on the street and took off, yelling about alcohol and laughing as they went.
He knew he had found Sera’s place, but no way was he going into that house if it was still full of women who would probably kill him for hurting their mom. Driving away, he was happy he knew where she was finally but was still heartbroken that it wasn’t with him. Tomorrow was soon enough to talk to her and tell her he wanted to try again with a relationship after the investigation was finished.
By morning, Harrison was ready to lay his cards on the table. He wanted her and was willing to wait for her as long as the investigation lasted, as long as she was still willing to let him into her life.
He headed down to her office first thing in the morning but was confronted by a closed door. Was she inside in a meeting, or was she gone? Had she drunk too much the night before and decided not to come into the office?
At noon, the door was still closed, but one of the men in HR told him she had called in sick that morning, which was a lie. She was avoiding him again, but she couldn’t stay away forever. She had to come back to work.
