Page 18 of Second Chance Christmas

When he sat down, he was careful not to touch her, but his body was angled inwards, so he could at least look at her.

She sliced into the steak, her hands trembling a little.

“Cassidy?”

Her eyes flicked to his. She lifted some steak to her mouth, chewed it. “Delicious.”

He nodded once. “What happened today?”

Her fingers turned white as she gripped the cutlery tighter. “Why do you think something’s happened?”

“Because I know—,” at her startled look, he shifted direction. “I can just tell.”

She bit down onto her lip, nodding slowly. “I got an email from Grant.”

Leonardo’s gut twisted. “Your ex-husband?”

She nodded once.

“Is that unusual?”

She cut into her steak a little more aggressively and a snow pea slipped over the edge. She glanced at him. “Sorry.”

He frowned. “Why?”

She shook her head, cheeks flushed. “Never mind.”

“I take it he doesn’t email you often?”

“We don’t speak.”

“What about Audrey?”

She shook her head. “I have sole custody.”

Leonardo contemplated that. He’d never thought about having kids, except when he’d been with Cassidy, but he knew that if he ever did, he’d want them in his life, no matter what. “That’s a bit strange, isn’t it?”

“Not really.”

“Isn’t shared custody more the done thing?”

“He’s a very busy man. He barely had time for Audrey before the divorce, I can’t imagine him making time for her now.”

Anger fired in Leonardo’s gut. Anger with the unknown Grant, and even with Cassidy, for buying into such a bullshit excuse. “No one is too busy to spend time with their kid, and you know it.”

Her eyes dropped to the plate, her fingers trembling more visibly. She was like a little bird, terrified and needing rescuing. Leonardo’s chest hurt with feelings he couldn’t comprehend, but at their core was a need to protect Cassidy, no matter what. Even if she didn’t want that protection?

“What happened with the two of you?” Leonardo asked.

She shrugged. “We grew apart.” It was a simple explanation but it didn’t make sense. Or rather, Leonardo didn’t believe it. There was too much beneath the surface, too much Cassidy was trying desperately not to reveal.

And he wanted to understand.

“What did the email say?” He asked, casually, sipping his wine before replacing the glass on the counter.

She toyed with the ends of her hair and stared into space for so long he thought she was just going to take a course of ignoring him.

“Cassidy?”

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