Page 45 of The Perfect Secret

“Sounds like you’ve got a plan.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

Frowning, he adjusted her on his lap so they could see each other better. “I don’t see how I helped much.”

“Look, at the time we talked, I wanted to vent and to have a supportive listener.” At his crestfallen expression, she stroked his cheek. “You kept suggesting ideas for things I should do. Although I didn’t want to hear it at the time, once I’d gotten over the emotion, I remembered what you said and was able to use those ideas to formulate a plan.”

He rubbed a lock of her hair between his thumb and forefinger. “So…you’re no longer looking for a break from me.”His tone was matter-of-fact, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. Her chest tightened as she witnessed his pain.

She caressed his shoulder, studying his face and wishing he’d look at her. All she could see was a frown line between his brows and his mouth set in a straight line. “No, I reacted in anger. I wanted to push everyone away, even you, but with time to calm down and think things through, I realized pushing you away was the last thing I wanted.”

He rubbed her back. “I need you to be more careful. With me. Because I don’t want to have to wonder every time we get into an argument if you’ll break up with me because you’re angry.”

“I will. I promise. It was childish and unfair to you.”

He leaned in and kissed her, his lips gentle. His hands threaded through her hair, grasped the nape of her neck, drawing her closer, before letting her go.

She exhaled for the first time in four days.

Chapter Thirteen

He’d forgotten about Tess. Twice. Dan stood at the window and watched Hannah turn the corner toward her apartment. First he’d been so focused on avoiding Hannah’s calls, he’d made it difficult for his own daughter to reach him. What if there had been an emergency and he hadn’t found out about it? Tess was his primary responsibility. She should always be able to reach him, no matter what.

Then, he hadn’t remembered Tess was leaving. If Tess hadn’t come in to remind him, he would never have known she’d left. What the hell kind of father did that? Memories from seven years ago flooded through him. He trembled. He couldn’t go through it again. More importantly, Tess couldn’t.

He and Hannah had had their first fight, had set new ground rules, and he was thrilled. But also, terrified. How could he balance a relationship and fatherhood?

He turned on the TV and settled in to watch a crime show, needing a break from his thoughts for a moment. At the first commercial, he reached for his phone. He should call her. Frowning, he put it down. She’d left not ten minutes ago. She wasn’t home yet, and he didn’t want to be clingy.

He tried to focus on the TV show. Ten minutes later, he still couldn’t follow the plot. He turned it off and went into his office. His puzzle was there, almost finished, and he sat to work on it.

Except sitting here reminded him of when Hannah had sat on his lap, her bottom pressed against him, the side of her breast against his arm. He’d rested his hand on her back, felt her spine and her bra strap through her shirt. Her vanilla scent had filled his senses and even now he could smell it. He couldn’t afford tolet his desire for Hannah overtake everything else. And he had no idea how to balance things. He groaned. Concentrating on the puzzle would be futile as well.

Glancing out the window, he noticed the dark sky. She’d walked home right before the sun set, but she’d gone alone. It made sense to call and check on her safety. It was the right thing to do. Armed with this new excuse, he dialed her number.

“Hi.” She sounded like she was happy to hear from him.

“I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”

“You’re sweet. Yes, I’m home safe.”

Sweet? He shook his head. “I’m glad. What are you doing now?”

“Working on my résumé.”

“If you want a second pair of eyes, I’m happy to look at it.”

“How about I email it to you when I’ve done a draft?”

“Sounds good.” He should hang up before he got too accustomed to her voice again, before he made a fool of himself, before…

“I’ve missed you,” she said. “Can I see you this weekend?”

His mouth dropped. She wanted to see him. It wasn’t just him. Maybe this pull was normal. He nodded, and remembering she couldn’t see through the phone, croaked, “Yeah.” It was the best he could do.

“Do you want to include Tess? There’s a great pumpkin farm not too far away where my grandmother and I go to sometimes.”

This was why he loved her. She provided balance when he couldn’t. “She might be going out with her friends, but I’ll check with her and let you know.”