Page 71 of The Promise Of You

“Were you? In a potentially dangerous situation?”

Well—Samuel was in my face, but he didn’t touch me. The only dangerous thing was if I were to fall because of a panic attack. “I suppose it’s a matter of perception.”

“Could Justin have believed you to be in danger?”

“Justin could have, yes,” I answer carefully, noticing he switched from Mr. King to Justin. “Potentially.”

“And why would Justin believe you to be in danger, and not your staff, who were right there?”

Shit. I can’t tell him about Boston. About our history. That’s not for me to tell. Declan Campbell might be an officer of the law, with rules around confidentiality and such, but he’s bound to talk to a girlfriend, a mother, a sister. He’ll put it in his report, which might be typed or printed or filed by someone other than him. Someone with looser confidentiality strings.

That stuff’s going to be all over Echoes if I say anything. There’s also the matter of Samuel. If I provide Justin with a valid reason for hitting him, I will lose my chef. Best if I stay out of this. “You know... Did you ask him?”

Declan’s face closes down, but we’re interrupted by a knock on the door. An impressive bouquet moves into the small office and is deposited on my desk. A man emerges from behind it, his eyes dart to Officer Campbell, and he quickly leaves.

Corine is closing the door, her eyes on the bouquet as wide as saucers. “There’s a card,” she whisper-cries.

Any flowers delivered to me would be fabulous, since that’s never happened to me, but these are truly fabulous. I didn’t think I’d ever be that woman, but the pink peonies, the blue delphiniums, the white lilies, all tied together exquisitely with airy little white thingies, spectacular greens twirling around, and a myriad of other flowers I don’t know the names of, make me blush and ooooh and aaaaah.

Officer Campbell clears his throat, but I have to know.

Who sent these to me? Aunt Dawn as a thank you for running the restaurant (she has no idea what I’m going through)? Mom as a sorry for being a bitch (a daughter can hope)? Hopefully not Fiona as a thank you for the plane tickets, because I’ll ream into her if that’s where she spends her/my money.

I pluck the card off and tear it open.

As I’m reading, I feel the heat creeping from my center to my torso, my legs, my head.

I quickly slide the note back in the envelope and the envelope into my handbag and try to steady my breathing as I blink my eyes back to Officer Campbell.

He shuts his notepad and stands. “Mr. Samuel Reynolds pressed charges against Mr. Justin King. I’ll just let Mr. King and his lawyer decide how many billable hours they want to expend on this.”

I hesitate. Should I tell him that Justin is the only one who knows about my claustrophobia?

But Officer Campbell is already out the door, and I’m left alone with the spectacular bouquet.

I shut the door, pull the note back out, and read it over.

Chloe,

I am truly, profoundly sorry to have hurt you and ashamed of how I talked to you. Please know that these words were merely a reflection of my dark soul.

I understand that nothing I do can ever erase how poorly your first day in Emerald Creek went, but I hope these flowers bring you joy today.

Justin

I lick my lips and smell the flowers. I read the note again before sliding it back into my handbag.

Then I think back to what Officer Campbell said. That Justin believed me to be in danger, and I have to suppress images of him cradling me in an elevator.

I need to clear my head with work and coffee, so I call Corine into my office.

While she wraps up in the kitchen, I decide to send Justin a quick thank-you email. Email is safe. You’d have to put some effort into showing emotions over email, and I’ll put effort on being businesslike. I can’t have him thinking I’m seeing anything else in this gesture. Surely for him it was a formality, a way to get us back to normal, and I’m grateful for that. But it’s nothing more, and I don’t want to make it awkward for him. He doesn’t want more. Never did, never will.

I open the email icon and see I already have two messages from Justin. My pulse quickens.

They’re dated yesterday. I should add my work emails to my phone, I think as I click it open.

Chloe

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