Page 54 of The Drummer's Heart

“Come into the bedroom. Mimi can’t hear us.”

I explained everything to Atticus about Louise passing away on the cruise. She’d apparently had a heart attack after attending some dancing event on the ship. She was only in her early sixties. How could someone so young and energetic just drop dead without warning? Life was so unfair.

Rubbing my arms, I continued to pace. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to tell Mimi. She won’t be able to handle it.”

Atticus sat on the edge of the bed, scratching his chin. “I think we need to tell her. There’s no way around it. We could get away with some crazy story about why she’s not back yet for a little while, but forever?”

“Okay, you’re right.” I exhaled. “I think I need a few days, though. You and I were supposed to be gone in a couple of days. But I can’t leave now. I’m gonna have to let my clients know I’ll be gone longer than anticipated.”

He stood and squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out together. I’ve got you. I won’t leave Monksville until there’s a solution.”

His gentle touch calmed me for a moment. But then reality set in. “You have to get back to your life.”

“There’s nothing more important than you. Fuck the rest.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know how you can say that, Atticus. After everything…”

“I’m not just saying it. I mean it. I’ll drop everything for as long as you need me to stay.”

His eyes glistened as he looked deeply into mine. I could see my reflection in them. Those beautiful eyes had once held my entire future, the promise of children, and a life of laughter and love—eyes that were constantly begging me to reconsider that dream, even if he didn’t come out and ask me.

“How was your trip?” I asked, willing myself to focus.

My question seemed to break his trance. “It was good. Very good. Thank you for asking.”

I nodded, shooing away the pangs in my chest.

“Do you want me to tell you more?” He swallowed.

My heart raced as I shook my head.You’re a coward, Nicole.

“Okay,” he whispered.

It was too much to go there tonight. I needed to keep my focus on the problem at hand. What the hell was I going to do with Mimi now that she had no one to take care of her?

“Don’t hold the entire world on your shoulders, okay?” he said. “We’re not gonna come to a solution tonight or even tomorrow. But we’ll find a good person to watch over her. Might take a couple of weeks. But I’ll make sure she gets the absolute best care, even if we have to pay more.”

“I don’t want to take your money.”

“It wouldn’t be you taking it. It would be for Mimi, and I think we can both agree that we just need to do what’s best for her at this point.”

I’d been adamant since the divorce about not taking a single cent from Atticus. If I couldn’t handle his fame, I didn’t want his money. But he was right. If he was willing to help pay for someone we otherwise couldn’t afford, that would be in Mimi’s best interest, and I’d need to get over it. Atticus was a multimillionaire. If he wanted to give money to Mimi, who was I to interfere?

“It’s going to be very hard to replace Louise because it was a unique arrangement,” I explained. “Rather than being here eight hours a day, she’d come in and out since she lived nearby, keeping tabs on Mimi with the camera and the app. She took much less money than anyone else probably will.”

Since I’d been using Mimi’s savings to pay for her care, I really appreciated not having to pay double or triple what Louise charged. Mimi needed around-the-clock assistance, but the going rate for that was through the roof.

Atticus shook his head. “Please don’t worry about the money, okay? We’ll figure it out one step at a time.”

Letting out a long breath, I nodded. “I’ll try.”

He looked into my eyes again. “I’m not exactly upset about the prospect of staying here longer until we can find someone. I still have time before I’m needed in L.A.”

That brought me some comfort. “Kenzie came by today,” I told him.

His expression brightened. “Really?”

“Yeah, I think she was looking to say hello to you, but since you weren’t here, she and I had a nice talk.”

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