Page 52 of Single Dad's Second Chance

I raised my brows.

“He’s worried about your quitting.”

“Henry didn’t tell him why—or when—I did?”

He shrugged. “I think Laura filled him in on what happened that day.”

“Eddie was the only one who knew about my past. He overlooked it. But it seems his son couldn’t.”

“Trust me. Eddie’s had plenty of harsh words to tell Henry, but everyone is focused on Jason. He’s really upset.”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

He nodded. “I know. You’d never do anything to hurt Jason.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you implying thatIhurt Henry?”

“No. He was a complete asshole to lash out like that and say what he said. Jen filled me in. I wish I hadn’t been out of town that day so I could intervene at the office.”

I didn’t reply.

“Eddie’s been worried about why you’re not at home, either. He’s half convinced you’re missing and is two seconds away from putting a missing persons notice out for you. Laura has talked him out of it.”

I would have to make plans to thank her. “I haven’t been home. I’m staying with a friend.” I didn’t owe him that explanation. He’d deliver it to Eddie, or Henry, and I didn’t want to arm them with any more details about how I lived my life. Ifelt terrible about abandoning Jason. Eddie, too. But there was no way I could remain there and see them while avoiding Henry. Still, telling Owen that I was simply staying with someone else could put out the fire of them searching for me.

While I considered how all of them had to be thrown off with how I’d left, I got curious whether anyone else knew I was a dancer. “Laura has always known I worked here. She happened upon me working here when she was out at a bachelorette party, and I wasn’t dancing with a mask.” I shrugged. “Then we got to talking, and I shared a bit about my past.”

“Fair enough.”

“Does…” I licked my lips. “Did she tell everyone about me? Eddie knew about my record, but not that I danced.”

“No.” He shook his head. “It sure was news to me that you dance here.”

I was desperate to ask about Henry. How he was doing. What he was doing. Owen had already shared that he was busy comforting a distraught Jason, but I wanted to know how he was taking my departure.

I kept my mouth shut. I couldn’t stoop so low to ask. It would signal my interest, and while I missed that man with all my broken heart, I couldn’t bring myself to be in such a vulnerable situation again, beholden and hungry for clues and news.

“Aren’t you curious about Henry?” Owen shoved his hands in his pockets. “How he’s doing and all?”

It was almost as if he could read my mind or guess what I was so quiet about. “No,” I lied instead. “I’ve been too busy working to think about him.”

“But not working for him again, not even at Fifty, right?”

I deadpanned, staring at him.

“You’ve turned down all the offers passed on through Gina,” he clarified.

“No. I’ll never work for Henry again.” I sat up. “But the idea of moving and starting over somewhere new appeals. I could make more. A fresh start away from Henry could do me well.”

“You can’t mean that.”

I huffed. “He’s shown me his true colors. He’s told me what he thinks of me.”

“He didn’t tellyouanything. He was trying to get Ann out of there and couldn’t believe what she said.”

I shook my head. “I’m not listening to excuses.”

“Mia, he’s miserable.” He ducked his head, passively trying to come more to my eye level. “He’s convinced that he’s screwed up beyond hope. That he’ll never have a right to ask you to come back to the office, or to even be his friend again. Anything.”

---