Page 72 of Need Me
Robert lowered his hands and skewered Kate with a hard look. They’d been sniping at each other ever since he’d arrived at work, which was completely unlike them. “You want to know what my problemis?”
“Yeah.”
“Close the door and pull up aseat.”
She complied and waited for him tospeak.
Robert pulled out his phone and brought up Liam’s pictures. “Here. Look atthis.”
Kate gave him a dubious glance and took his phone. A smile tugged at her lips as she looked at the little boy with him. Her brows drew together and she looked at him over thephone.
Robert reasoned that she must have read the description under the picture. She flipped through a couple more pictures and then lowered thephone.
“Robert, you had ason?”
“Yeah.”
“And hedied?”
“His name was Liam, and I loved him more than anything,Kate.”
Kate’s face went white, alarming Robert. Feeling like an ass for upsetting her in her condition, Robert grabbed a bottle of water from his mini-fridge and gave it to her. He pulled his office chair around so he could sit close toher.
“I’m sorry that I yelled at you, Kate. I know that you were just worried about me,” he said. “I’m also sorry for springing this on you at work.” He shook his head. “My emotions are sort of all over the map right now and I’m not making the bestdecisions.”
Kate gazed at him and then back down at the phone as she took a couple of sips of water. “What happened? How did hedie?”
Robert took the phone from her and recounted the story while looking at his sweet little boy. Although tears pricked the backs of his eyes, he made it through without crying. Maybe he’d shed so many tears last night that he didn’t have any left rightthen.
“I told all of this to Brooke last night, Kate. I also told her that I don’t want more kids,” hesaid.
“Grief makes us think and say things we really don’tmean.”
Robert shook his head. “I don’t want kids, Kate. Don’t judge me. You don’t know what it’s like to go through something like that. I almost didn’t survive and I can’t risk losing anotherchild.”
Kate placed a hand on his arm. “Robert, I wish you’d have told me. I want to be here for you. My heart is broken for you, but Robert, you have so much love to give a child. Don’t shut that part of youoff.”
Robert clenched his teeth and shook his head. “I just can’t take that risk. I won’t open myself up for that kind of heartache again. I still hurt for Liam and it’s hard to be aroundkids.”
Kate’s chin rose and she put a hand on her baby bump. “What about my baby? Ric and I want you to be his or hergodfather.”
Robert’s breathing picked up. “No, Kate. I’m honored, I really am, but I can’t be responsible for another child. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to it while it was in mycare.”
His heart sank as her eyes filled with tears. “I know you’ve been through hell, but you’re a fool for locking up your heart this way. You were a great father and you could be again, but you’re too scared to allow yourself to behappy.”
Stung, Robert had to get away. He got up and snatched his keys off his desk. “I’m going home, but I’ll make up the timetomorrow.”
“Robert, don’t go. I’msorry.”
He forced a smile. “Don’t be. You’re right, but I just can’t do it. I need to get my head on straight again and I can’t do that here. I’ll see youtomorrow.”
Leaving her in his office, he strode swiftly out the back door, avoiding the other employees. He got in his car, cranked it to life, and sped out of the parking lot. Liam’s face rose in his mind and his laugh echoed in Robert’smind.
Miserable, Robert mentally kicked his ass for getting involved with the one woman he’d instinctively known would capture his heart. Just like his other relationships, it had been doomed from the start. Although another part of his heart would die, he had to let Brookego.
