Page 36 of Anchor Point

Her low laugh came through the phone as sultry, though I knew she didn’t intend for it to be so sexy. “She’s obsessed with driving, period, right now.”

“Well, I gave her some homework and told her if she’d study and get her license, I’d teach her to drive the boat. I hope that’s okay.”

Silence filled the line for a moment, and I had the sinking feeling I’d already fucked up this co-parenting thing.

“I suppose it is. It’s just hard letting her grow up, is all. In my head, she’s still six years old and barely learning how to ride a bike. And now she’s ready to spread her wings and test her independence.” A sadness tinged her words, and that ache in my chest grew. What would it have been like to know Rosie when she was six?

The storm slacked off a little, and I stepped to the doorway to find the lights on inside the house. Through the window, I could see Rosie in the kitchen. Realizing we’d left the pizza in the boat, I walked down to grab it so she could have it later.

“I’m sorry, Mac. That was terribly insensitive of me.” Regret tinged Olivia’s voice.

“It is what it is, Liv. Do I regret not having that time with her? Some. But then again, I’d never planned on having kids, so the loss doesn’t feel as great.” It was a half-truth. I could be mad and linger over what might’ve been. I could hold a grudge and make life hard on all of us. Or I could forgive Olivia and embrace Rosie and let the past live in the past.

I’d done enough living in the past. Spent over a decade wondering what might’ve been if Diedre had stuck around, if we would’ve had kids. Started a family. If my parents hadn’t died so soon after she left. If they’d been able to have more kids so I wouldn’t have been left alone in the world after their accident. But living in the past had gotten me nowhere.

“Moving forward, Liv.”

We needed to get off this dark stuff and get back to easy, so I steered the conversation to get her to tell me about her presentation.

She’d done well, like I knew she would. In the end, the conversation turned again, and we talked until I noticed that the clouds had dissipated and the sun was beginning to set. We’d talked for over an hour, and it’d felt like just a few moments.

“Well, I better get in here and make sure she’s not cooking something up in the kitchen. I learned the hard way that Rosie is no cook.”

Olivia laughed. “At least she gets something from me.”

“I’ll check in tomorrow. Have fun at your conference.”

“Tomorrow will be another long one, but Sunday should be a short day. I’m hoping to be done by noon.”

“You should come to the lake. And have some time with Rosie.” And me. The thought came unbidden but not wholly unwanted. There’d probably never be a time that I didn’t want Livvie.

“Thanks for everything, Mac.” Her voice held a smile as we hung up, and I pictured what that smile would look like aimed at me. And that tightness in my chest grew a little more.

Chapter Ten

Olivia

By the end of the second day of the conference, I was tired of dealing with multiple levels of misogynistic bullshit. Of the entire attendees, I was one of only a handful of women, and by the time the cocktail hour had ended the first night, I had been propositioned no less than five times.

Not wanting to be subjected to that again, I decided to skip the second-night cocktail hour. I made my exit from the last seminar session and headed toward my room, glancing back over my shoulder at every turn to make certain no one followed me to the elevator.

The door pinged, and I stepped inside, breathing a sigh of relief, only for a hand to appear between the doors at the last minute and halt their closure.

A large man joined me, his too-wide smile and lingering gaze I attributed to the alcohol I could smell on his breath. I stood with my back ramrod stiff and kept him in my peripheral view.

“Chief Hawkins,” he started like he hadn’t been leering at me. “Paul told me you’d be giving a speech. Good presentation considering it was such a last-minute addition. Shame they canceled the other talk, though, to have you present, but Paul can be a persuasive guy when he wants to be.”

And just like that, I had my confirmation that Mayor Smith had set me up for failure. They’d already had the schedule set without me having to do all that work. And he’d… lied about the whole thing. But why? Why was he sabotaging me?

I felt no need to respond to this revelation and stood watching the digital readout of the passing floors. He took my non-reply as encouragement, though, and stepped closer, boxing me in.

“You know, there’s a whole lot I can help you attain if the fire service ever becomes a bore for you. I know plenty of higher-ups at the state level. I’m sure I could get you an interview.” His fingertip traced the skin of my forearm, damp and unwelcome.

I jerked away and just barely stopped myself from throwing a punch. “Excuse me, sir. You do not have permission to touch me. I don’t want your damn interview. Matter of fact, I don’t want anything from you. Not your interest or your favors. Nothing.”

The elevator pinged on my floor, and I stepped off, head held high against his stunned reaction. The door closed on his outraged declaration, something about Mayor Smith and my regrets, but I didn’t care. No job was worth the type of harassment and favors this crowd offered.

I swiped my keycard and entered my room, wanting nothing more than a shower. It was these types of men, the ones who thought every female was beneath them and served only to warm their beds and man their kitchens, that made my blood boil.

---