Page 147 of Worth the Risk

ChapterForty-Five

Kylie

Leo enters our bedroom tired and emotionally exhausted. When we came home, I offered to handle Riley’s bedtime routine on my own, and he went into his office.

That was two hours ago.

I did attempt to talk to him, but he was in his office chair with it turned toward the windows. He was on the phone, and I heard him say he saw her outside the restaurant.

He was either on the phone with Sophie or his dad. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and left. He needed time to talk to them about what happened tonight.

After Leo changes out of his clothes, he crawls under the covers, and I instantly snuggle into his body, giving him comfort.

I lie with my head on his chest, and he strokes my hair, deep in thought while I rub his abs.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.

He sucks in a deep inhale of air, then exhales it. “I can’t believe all that’s happened these past few months. I get my girl and my daughter back, and now my mother is back, and I don’t understand why after all this time.” He pauses. “Although she seems to have already met you.” He moves us so we are lying face to face. “Why did you call her Grace?”

Because that’s her nameis the first thing I want to say but seal my lips because obviously that isn’t true.

“One day when I was at the lake, she sat near us. We struck up a conversation, and she told me her name was Grace. After that, we saw each other there often, and she would sit with us. Riley really took to her, and she doted on her. She would take her to the food stand and buy her ice cream and even help her build castles. With the revelation tonight, I realize now she must have known who we were all along.”It also explains why she left the restaurant so quickly when I brought up meeting Leo.

Leo nods. “You might be right. It’s too coincidental.”

I try to think back to anything she may said to me about her family.

“She told me she lost her husband. I assumed she meant by death, although she never said that word. She didn’t talk about children, so I figured she didn’t have any. She told Riley about the carousel in the park. She knew Riley loved horses.”

Leo crinkles his eyebrows for a moment, deep in thought. He shakes his head. “She took us there as children.” His face tells me he is lost in the memory of it.

When she brought it up, was she sharing the same memories as Leo is now?

“I think she became friendly with us to… I don’t know… maybe in some weird way of having Riley in her life,” I say.

That breaks him out of his thoughts. “Why would she choose to leave us but find a way into Riley’s life?”

I don’t think he’s asking me, though. He’s trying to figure out her motives.

Linking our fingers together, I lay them between our heads. “She’s the only one with those answers. Are you going to speak with her? There has to be a reason she said it was safe to come back and wants to talk about it now.”

“I don’t know if I want to hear it. I want to yell at her and hurt her the way she hurt us. I don’t what to hear excuses she hopes will have us being one big happy family again.”

I understand what he means, but I know what I must say next. I only hope he doesn’t get upset by it. I kiss him gently on the lips to soften my next words.

“Leo, I want you to hear me out.”

“Okay,” he answers, his voice hesitant.

“Five years ago, you left me for reasons that neither one of us were truly at fault for. Maybe you should at least talk to her. You don’t have to like her reasons or even accept them, but you understand that never having closure will eat away at you. I just want you to consider it. If I had talked to you instead of throwing a fit and screaming at you, or if you had stayed and listened to me, so many years would have been different for us. We learned a hard lesson by not taking the time to talk.” I lay my hand on his cheek, hoping he understands the sincerity of what I am saying.

He’s still for a long moment before he leans forward and kisses me. “You’re right. I’ll talk to her. But I’m not making any promises to be a part of her life.”

“I understand, but at least you’ll have the answers to best make that decision.”

His father and Sophie deserve answers too. I remember him being on the phone and ask, “Did you talk to Sophie and your dad?”

He frowns. “Sophie didn’t answer. I’ll try her again tomorrow. Dad took it hard, obviously. He probably never expected for me to tell him my mom approached me tonight, right after he left. He’s had to deal with so much lately. I hated putting this on him. Hell, even if I didn’t want the answers, he deserves them.”

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