Page 19 of Bleeding Hearts

Bethany grabs the paper and looks at it again. While she’s doing that, both men excuse themselves and walk into the other room to chat. Watching them, I have to wonder how many times they’ve done this.

Softly, Bethany whispers, “Thank you. Lately, it seems like you always know exactly what I need, right when I need it. One of these days, I’m going to pay you back.”

“I look forward to that day,” I tell her as I lean in and kiss her cheek. “I mean, you are my woman, and that’s what we men do for our women.”

The sight of her blushing makes me chuckle. “I don’t know why he assumed that. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It may not be true now, but maybe one day it will be.”

I don’t know why I said it, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it. Instead, she nods and smiles sweetly at me, and damn if my heart doesn’t skip a beat.

Chapter 9

Bethany

Stacy is a godsend.

I trust her immediately. She walks in and takes charge. Makes the men provide her with a thorough explanation of the documents they want me to sign. Once they’ve done that, she asks things I never would have thought to. Leaving no room for error later, she writes and records everything, making sure I’m protected while she and Mr. Polkowski sort it out. He becomes irritated with her a few times, but she doesn’t back down.

In the middle of this chaos, Alicia calls with a wild story of her own. I don’t have the time or the mindset to catch all the details. Basically, there was some drama involving her dick of an ex-husband and the twat face neighbor obsessed with Dillon. We made a deal: she’ll spill the tea later, and I’ll fill her in on the crazy shit happening in my kitchen.

By the time I return, things are wrapping up. In the next couple of days, Mr. Polkowski will send the final draft to Stacy for review. Once she’s satisfied the contract is as we discussed, she’ll reach out and arrange a time for me to go over it with her. At that point, I have to decide whether or not to sign it.

Now that that’s all done, Nolan escorts the two men out while Stacy and I finish up.

Something about the whole situation has me on edge. Which is why when Nolan suggested I needed a lawyer, I didn’t argue with him. Why would Mr. Stewart want to help me? What was his angle? Something didn’t feel right, but I couldn’t put my finger on what that was yet.

What I need now is a hot bubble bath to de-stress, followed by a long, uninterrupted nap. But that can’t happen, because until I’m out of this damn wheelchair, I need help getting my fat ass in or out of the tub. My home nurse, who assists me with bathing, is a blessing on most days, but it’s awkward. And while I know Alicia would do whatever I need, it feels too personal.

Instead of a steamy hot bath, I’ll ask Nolan to help me settle into the recliner before he leaves. It won’t be as cozy as the bed, but there’s no chance in hell I’m asking him to tuck me in.

Nope. Not happening.

Not yet, at least. Not until I can reap the benefits that could come from such a request.

After making a few phone calls, Stacy walks back into the kitchen where Nolan is hard at work and asks him, “You sure you’re okay with us taking the girls for the weekend?”

Despite being told not to do it multiple times, the stubborn, sexy man ignored me and did it anyway. While Stacy and I were dealing with shit, he cleaned the kitchen. Food has been put away, dishes loaded into the dishwasher, and everything else was washed and placed in the drying rack to drip dry. It was distracting and got me thinking about stuff I shouldn’t.

“Yep. When they saw you, their faces lit up. If you think I’m about to take that away from them, you’re crazy.” He folds the towel he was using to dry his hands and lays it on the counter. “Cora is still a mess. I feel bad she’s been forced to handle the girls while also sorting through all the shit her ex-fiancé didn’t bother sticking around to help her with. I swear if I ever run into that prick for breaking her heart, it won’t be pretty. Probablybest he fled the country, otherwise I might have required your services and forced you to flip sides.”

Stacy shakes her head, her long red hair swaying with the movement. “I never liked him. He was never good enough for her. I think it’s for the best. It’s rough for her now, but she’ll understand it was the right move in a year. Is she really going on that trip? Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“She is. A change of scenery will do her good, allow her to clear her mind and reset. It’s a secluded island. Her hut will provide the privacy she needs to heal.” On a grunt, he leans forward and presses his palms against the counter facing us. “Plus, once she learned it was nonrefundable, that I’d purchased it with the money Dad left her for that special day, through an agency that sold them at a discount, she was adamant not to let it go to waste. I knew it was a risk, but fuck, I never thought he’d do this.”

“She’s a strong woman,” I say, then yawn. “Sorry.”

I hear the front door open, and Jodi walks in, immediately followed by the usual chaotic sounds that come with the kids. She volunteered to take them for ice cream after Nolan’s truck was unloaded to get them out of our hair.

The boys head straight to the basement while the girls rush to the kitchen when they spot their aunt standing there.

Tossing her purse on the table, Jodi drops into a chair. “I see the SUV is still parked out front.”

“I’ll explain later,” I say, not wanting to get into it all again right now.

“We’re gonna head out,” Stacy says while embracing the girls. “Go give your dad a hug. Your bags are in my car. We’ll stop by the grocery store on the way to my house. What sounds good for dinner?”

The two girls shrug before wrapping their arms around their dad. He doesn’t allow them to stop there. Scooping themup in his arms, Nolan easily lifts both girls off the ground and squeezes them until they squeal in delight.

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