Page 25 of How to Prevent a Fumble

“I know.”

“Mom! Look what Heidi did!” Elara calls when we emerge from the bathroom, finding our way back to my table. We emerged to a small line of women, scowls on their faces from having to wait for the bathroom, but the second they see my face their eyes soften with sympathy.

And somehow that feels worse than them being angry with me.

“Oh that’s beautiful!” I tell her, taking the coloring book into my hands and flipping between pages. The difference between Heidi’s beautifully shaded koi fish and Elara’s scribbled monkey puts a smile on my face, and I instantly feel just a touch better.

I place a kiss on top of her little blonde head beforemeeting Heidi’s stare. “Thank you,” I mouth, setting the coloring book back down.

“No worries at all. We had a lot of fun actually, right Elara?”

She nods aggressively, her eyes wide as she looks up at me. “Can Heidi and I hang out again?”

I didn’t think we were in the bathroom forthatlong, but I’m glad that she had someone I trust out here to watch her, and I’ve never seen her so enamored with another person before. Sure, she likes Leo a little more than I would prefer she did, but the smile she has on her face watching Heidi pick up another crayon is a whole other thing.

“Actually Heidi, are you still looking for a job?”

9

LEO

“Are you sure that one’s good enough?” I ask, examining the object in front of me as the sales associate turns it, his white gloves holding the handle carefully.

“It’s one of the best we have in the store, sir. There’s only about two in the world.”

I nod, feeling the flowery scent of whatever perfume they pumped into the vents start to tickle my nose, pain starting to form in the center of my forehead.

“I’ll take it,” I tell him with a small smile. I just want to get out of here.

It’s been three days since I was an asshole to Briar, and there hasn’t been a single moment that I haven’t felt guilty about it. She was just trying to help. I should never have snapped at her like I did, and the look on her face after has been burned in my brain ever since.

It’s eaten at me every minute of the day, creeping into my professional life. My training has been shit, my head just not in it.

I want to make it up to her.

The man places the designer purse back in the box,making sure it looks absolutely perfect in whatever little fabric bag he slipped it into—for what reason I have absolutely no idea. Handing it to me, I thank him, hand him my card, and head out the door.

A designer purse has to do the trick, right?

I’ve been waiting for her to reach out to me. To text me something snarky. To even yell at me again. But there’s been nothing. No contact at all.

I heard her downstairs the other night in the kitchen with Elara, but the moment she heard me move around, heading the stairs, she was back in her room, the door closed gently as if trying to avoid my attention in any way.

But I want her attention. And I’m not really sure why.

Briar is an ice queen, and while I hate being told what to do, there’s something about a woman like that caring enough to put you in your place that feels good.

And I was an asshole to her. A complete dick.

The second I get home, I set the box on the counter and start twiddling my thumbs on the couch, counting down the minutes until she’s home. I should be doing something. Going over what my trainer and I have been working on, going through emails, responding to a voicemail my publicist left me. But I can’t think until she gets home.

An hour goes by, and I almost call her. Almost. But the second I pick up my phone, the lock to my door turns, and I hear the faint chatter of Elara.

“Okay Bub, go take a quick shower for me alright? I’m going to pack up some of your things.”

“Okay mom,” Elara responds, her hair bouncing as she runs by me down the hall. “Hi Leo!” she calls as she goes.

Briar freezes, her eyes first landing on me before drifting to the box on the counter.

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