Page 78 of Falling for his Fake Wife

“Lovely Catering is ours, and I want you back. I want what we had except I want us to be partners. I swear I will talk to you about everything, more than everything,” Harper promised.

“I can’t, Harper,” Lucy argued.

“Leo admits that it was a mistake, one that will never happen again. How do I know? Because from here on out, there will be no almonds, nuts, or even milk in anything from Lovely Catering or in any house where a Lovely lives,” Harper stated with her hand over her heart, then pulled out her phone. “I am sending a text to everyone.”

“Harper …” she started, but Harper put up her hand to stop her.

“Kevin and I talked. He said some things that were true about how I treated you. I’m going to change,” Harper confessed and hugged Lucy to her.

“Kevin? When?” Lucy was not following the conversation at all.

Harper sighed. “A few minutes ago. He won’t be an issue anymore. I think it will finally stick that he has to leave you alone.”

“Is he alive?” Lucy hesitantly asked. Harper could go overboard.

“Of course, but with any luck, Pam might be having his last kid.” She smiled, then tried to hide it with her hand.

“Poor Pam.” Lucy felt sorry for the woman who was stuck with Kevin forever through a child. There was no way she would ever tell her own kids about him.

“Oh, come on. Remember her stealing that weird guy from Buzz like three years ago? And she’s been trying to steal Kevin since high school. See what happens when dreams come true?” Harper said, touching Lucy’s cheek.

“I forgot about her taking Brandon from Buzz.” Lucy smiled. “Buzz has no luck in love.”

“Until Jonas. Pretty lucky there.” Harper kissed her forehead and whispered, “Like you.”

“Harps …” Lucy wasn’t up for telling another sister that Leo didn’t love her, especially with him in the room.

“I’m going to call everyone and tell them you’re okay. I’ll leave Sera for last since she’ll be here in a heartbeat after I tell her. Be ready.” Harped playfully ran her shoulder into Leo’s on the way past.

His eyes were on the blonde as she did it, then went back to Lucy as Harper shut the door behind her, leaving them alone.

“Leo.”

Leo silently walked to the bed and sat down on the edge, took her hand in his, and squeezed it. “I’m just going to try what Harper did.” He took a breath. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I overreacted and treated you like my personal assistant instead of my future wife. I should have talked to you, involved you when I was taking Amelia to the doctor. I let you believe that you were a danger to my family because of one mistake.”

“I understand, Leo. I am dangerous. I see that now,” Lucy admitted.

“You’re anything but dangerous, Lucy. You made a mistake. But now that we all know about your reading, we can help you,” he said.

She turned away from him, hating that he knew. Had Harper told him while they’d waited? Had it been someone else? But now he knew how stupid she was. “It shouldn’t take everyone helping me to not be a danger to your kids.”

Leo took her chin in his hand and gently turned her to face him. Their eyes met and held for a moment.

“Lucy, when Aubrey and Alexis were five and two, they nearly died. Kelly and I were separated, and I had the girls for the weekend. I was upset with Kelly for something, I can’t even remember anymore, but it made me miss a red light. We were hit by not one, but two cars. Both girls were in the hospital for a few days. For months I blamed myself. I was at fault,” he said.

Lucy took his hand from her chin and held it tight. “Car accidents happen all the time. The girls were okay in the end, that is what is important. They probably don’t even remember it.”

“Just like what happened with Amelia, Lucy. We will learn from it and get over it,” he promised.

“I won’t,” she whispered. She still thought about it every day.

He sat down on the edge of her bed, still holding her hand. “And maybe that’s okay because it will always be in the back of your mind, making it twice as hard for it to happen again.”

“What if it does?”

“We will be okay then also. Once you know how to deal with a reaction, we’ll all know how to. Do you want to learn?” he asked.

“Yes, very much so.” She nodded, even if she couldn’t be a part of Amelia’s life anymore.

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