Page 75 of My Not So Wicked Boss (My Not So Wicked 3)

He laughed into his manuscript, still searching for my suggestion. “We wouldn’t want that.”

No, I wouldn’t. I headed for the door.

“Aspen,” Miles called.

I turned to find him looking even more troubled.

He held up the folder. “Thank you. As always, I’m honored. Your opinion means a great deal to me.”

“You’re welcome. I’m anxious to see Isabella and Dexter come together. And to figure out what Dexter’s hang ups are. I thought Isabella would be the only one keeping them apart. It’s almost as if it’s more Dexter than her.”

He lowered the folder, slow and steady. “He’s afraid he will never be good enough for her.”

“I got that vibe, but Isabella has felt thrown away and abandoned for most of her adult life. She can’t be with someone who is hesitant with her. It will only make her doubt herself more. She’s not asking for perfection; she only wants someone who will make her a priority and keep trying.” I realized how I was pouring my own heart out to him. “I mean, that’s how I see it, but you’re the author.” I pointed at the door. “I better go get Henry up.”

“Aspen, is that how you feel?”

I twisted a loose strand of hair that had escaped my messy bun. “I’m trying not to feel right now because it scares me.” I was too honest with him. He brought that out in me.

“Because you figured it out?”

I tilted my head. “Figured out what?”

“That you’re ready to scale walls again, as is Isabella, for the man who isn’t afraid to give her his all.”

I stood stunned. The conversation we had in this very room came back to me. The one about if Isabella and I would know not only who we would scale walls for but if we even remembered how or wanted to. I stared blankly at him for several moments trying to process what he said, more like trying to truthfully deny it, but he was right. I would scale walls for a man who would give me his all and climb side by side with me, reach for me when I faltered. Throw me over his back and carry me if need be. For that man, I would try.

“I suppose we are,” I answered for Isabella and myself.

“What if the man in question wants to, but he himself is afraid?”

“Then he should own up to it and be honest with me, I mean, Isabella. She, better than anyone, would understand.”

“Would she?”

“Yes.” With all my heart, yes.

~*~

I could only imagine how ridiculous my friends and I looked sitting in the children’s section of the library on the beanbags talking about my unexpected life and watching the two most adorable boys ever pretend to read books. Well, Henry pretended and we had to keep Elliott from shredding the pages. Henry did know several letters. We had been working on those and he loved to point out the ones he recognized. It was mainly the ones that made up his name.

“I can’t believe his wife called you,” Jenna commented. We were hashing out the Leland saga first.

I was surprised too. I pulled out my phone and showed them pictures of Ruby. Chloe was half in love with her already. She was begging for me to take her to Texas to meet her. On the other hand, she was crushed her dad left. I called Mike and confirmed it. At first, the douche bag, tried to cover for his friend and not give me a direct answer, but I was relentless until he caved. It wasn’t that Chloe was ready to see Leland, but she wanted him to choose her.

I offered to let her stay home from school today and we would eat ice cream for lunch, but she put on a brave front and soldiered on. It might have had something to do with her helping with the daddy-daughter dance decorations after school today with her BFF Brooke. I prayed she didn’t feel less because her dad wasn’t taking her. Her grandfather was so honored to have the privilege. He called this morning to see what color of corsage he should order. I loved that man.

Emma shifted in her beanbag chair, trying to get comfortable. “I did hear a rumor that Kylie left town with someone. No need to guess who with.”

“They deserve each other.” I handed Henry a pop-up book.

“You know he’ll eventually cheat on her too,” Shelby commented.

“Probably. I never understood why they didn’t end up together in the first place. Why bother with me, when she’s who he really wanted?”

Jenna and Emma gave me pointed looks.

“You never got it, did you?” Emma asked.

“What do you mean?”

Jenna saved yet another book from her son in the nick of time. “You were steak and Kylie was a hamburger.”

“You’re saying I was a piece of meat?” I joked, making everyone laugh.

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