Page 14 of Falling for my Single Dad Boss

She shakes her finger at me. "So true." She starts to speak again, then stops.

"What? Did you want to say something?" I ask.

"Never mind, I don't want to overstep."

I lean forward in my chair. "It's ok, go ahead."

"Well, I just wanted to ask about Sasha, about her mother. Now that I've gotten to know her a bit, I've been curious about what really happened, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Now I'm leaning back again. This is a tough topic, but I think I'm willing to share a little.

"It's ok, I honestly haven't talked to anybody about Kathy really. We found each other in the city, so nobody from around here has even met her except my parents, and they weren't big fans, especially my dad." I rest my elbows on the table.

"We talked about having a family, it's what she said she wanted. She was so happy when Sasha arrived. I thought her birth would bring us closer together. We were having some issues but a new baby is such a joyous time I thought it would help. But a newborn is also a lot of work and she just decided one day she was done."

Harper reaches out to touch my arm. It's gentle and warm and very distracting but I continue on the best I can.

"I woke up one morning to a note saying she couldn't do it anymore. That was it. She was gone. My parents asked for more of an explanation for a long time, but there just isn't one."

"Wow. I don't even know what to say, you must have been so overwhelmed." She's looking at me with empathetic eyes. But suddenly it's all too much, too soon.

"Yeah, uh, definitely," I rub my hands together and stand. I realize I'm not actually ready to be this vulnerable in front of her. And this is vulnerability at the highest level, talking about my daughter being abandoned by her mother.

"Sorry, I have a few things to do. I gotta go. I'll see you later," I say as I turn to leave.

"Deacon, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry," she says as she grabs my arm.

I can't stay here any longer, though. This is weakness and I don't want to look weak in front of her. It's high school all over again whether I like it or not. Feeling are feelings and I can't control them. I'd rather be arguing with her because then at least I'm in control. This… I don't know how to do this.

"It's fine, Harper. You did nothing wrong. The billboards look amazing. We'll talk soon."

I take a last look at her before I go. Her hand slides slowly off my arm and I immediately feel the loss of her touch, but the bottom line is I'm her boss. It's my job to remain strong and keep the boundaries, so that's what I need to do.

Chapter seven

HARPER

My phone rings early that evening. When I see Mrs. Reynolds' name on the screen, my blood runs cold. Are they calling to cancel? I'm supposed to go over there for a dinner party, but maybe Deacon thought better about it after I overstepped asking about Sasha's mother.

I thought it would actually be nice to get out of the office, it feels like I've been living there lately. I breathe deeply, preparing to hide my disappointment.

"Hi, Mrs. Reynolds. How are you this evening?"

"I'm well, dear. Listen, would you mind stopping to grab some ice on your way? We've run out, and the machine is down."

"Not at all. I'll make a quick stop and pick up a bag," I assure her, breathing a sigh of relief.

She thanks me and ends the call. I take one last look in the mirror and dab some perfume on my wrists and behind my ears. I've put in an extra effort with my appearance tonight. This gold dress is adorable, hugging all the right spots. And it's cut justhigh enough to be sexy without revealing too much. My hair falls in long waves around my shoulders and I feel good. I'm ready to spend a night without thinking about work.

I make the run and pick up the bag of ice. When I ring the doorbell, it's Deacon who answers, but he isn't in a suit. He's wearing some expensive-looking jeans and a black button-up shirt with a red tie. He looks delicious, and it takes me a second to find my words. He runs his eyes over me slowly, and I shift in place from foot to foot. It seems like I've made a good choice with my outfit.

"You look very... uh... nice. Very nice," he stammers. His eyes move over the lines and curves of my dress. I can practically feel his gaze ghosting over my skin.

"Well, thank you," I say, ducking my head slightly. I have to admit I was hoping he'd like my dress. Mission accomplished. Thankfully, he's not being awkward at all. I was worried after our last conversation.

He gestures for me to enter, and I hold the ice up for Mrs. Reynolds to see. She's leaning against the sofa, sipping a glass of wine.

"Wonderful," she breathes, walking toward me to take the bag. She sets it on the marble top of the coffee table and smiles brightly at me. "I can always count on you, Harper. I'm not sure what we'd ever do without you,” she says sweetly. “Come on in, dear. Dinner is almost ready."

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