Page 166 of The Grumpy Boss Agreement

I nod emphatically and murmur comforting things in Cole’s ear. Inside, I’m quietly happy that I don’t have to deal with seeing her in person again.

I’m not perfect, okay?

We pull into the driveway and head inside. Meg greets us at the doorway, putting her shoes on. “Charlie was great! I’m super late to my study group, though.”

Cole pulls cash from his wallet and gives it to Meg as she flees. He raises his eyebrows at me.

“Think Charlie is still alive?” he asks me, his eyes sparkling.

“Let’s see.” I cup my hands around my mouth and shout up the stairs. “Charlie! We’re back!”

Charlie comes bounding down the stairs, happy to see us. But his grin fades when he sees the look on his dad's face.

“What? Is it Mom?” he asks.

That slays me. I press a hand over my heart.

Cole sits Charlie down to break the news. The poor kid's lip quivers and his eyes fill with tears.

"Mommy isn’t coming?"

My heart shatters. If I could take back my envious thoughts and trade them for Charlie’s happiness, I would. Charlie is the most lovable kid I’ve ever met, for god’s sake.

My heart breaks seeing Charlie so distraught. I kneel down next to him.

"Of course your mom loves you, Charlie. She wanted to see you so much. But sometimes grownup stuff gets in the way, even when we don't want it to."

Charlie's cries grow louder. He looks completely crushed. "But we were gonna see the dinosaurs and sharks at the museum! Now I can't go!"

"I tell you what," I say gently. "How about if your dad and I take you to the museum this weekend instead? I'd love to check out those dinosaurs with you."

Charlie looks up hopefully. "You would?"

"Absolutely," I say, ruffling his hair. "We'll have a great time, just the three of us."

Charlie manages a small smile, though his sadness still lingers. Cole mouths "thank you" over his dark head. I nod, heart aching for this sweet boy and his complicated family. For now, all we can do is be there for him.

Charlie's sadness lingers for an hour. I suggest that we all take a walk along the beach to keep our spirits up. The afternoon sun is bright as we walk, but it is doing little to cheer Charlie up. He kicks half-heartedly at the sand, hands shoved in his pockets.

Cole and I exchange a worried glance. We both hate seeing Charlie so down.

"Hey, look!" I say, pointing. "I think I see a sand dollar over there."

Charlie glances over without much interest. But as we get closer, his eyes widen. Nestled in the wet sand is a large, perfect sand dollar, pearly white and smooth.

"Whoa, cool!" Charlie kneels down to pick it up, turning it over in his hands. For the first time since we left the house, I see a real smile spread across his face.

"Good find, kiddo," Cole says, ruffling his hair.

We continue down the beach, Charlie eagerly scanning for more treasures. After a few minutes, he lets out an excited yell.

"Dad, Savannah, look! A shark tooth!" Charlie holds up a small, triangular fossil, his grin huge.

"Awesome!" I say. "That must be from a really old shark that lived here millions of years ago."

Charlie's eyes shine with wonder. For now, thoughts of his mom are forgotten as childlike curiosity takes over. Cole playfully nudges my shoulder, relief washing over his face.

As long as we're here for him, Charlie will be okay. At least that’s what I tell myself.

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