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“You’re out of your mind,” I growled. Surely, I wasn’t that obvious.
“Has Lucas met her?”
I took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing anymore. “She’s helping me bond with Lucas,” I said.
Helen barked out a laugh. “She’s one of your nannies?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I hope you haven’t been out in public with her. It isn’t good for your image or for Lucas to know you’re sleeping with the help.”
I froze at Helen’s vile words. “Don’t fucking talk about her that way,” I snarled, and Helen’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m crazy about Chloe, and, no, she isn’t just a nanny. She’s my employee at Tassater—and a very valuable one.”
Helen shook her head, biting back a response. Finally, she said, “I hope you know you’ve crossed a line with dating an employee. She might be good in your bed, but that doesn’t mean you need to lose your head over her.”
“I haven’t lost my head over her,” I gritted out and hated the look of relief on her face.
Why shouldn’t I lose my head over Chloe, damn it?
Matt was on his way back, and I’d already paid the check, so I stood up before I slammed my fist into something from frustration.
“I’m leaving,” I said shortly to Helen, who didn’t look surprised.
Bidding a curt goodbye to Matt and giving Lucas a quick hug, I stepped away. I turned around when I heard Lucas call after me.
“Dad,” he said, his gaze meeting mine with a vulnerability I’d never seen before. “You promised me we’d make pizzas sometime.”
I had. As I took a more puzzled look at him, I finally understood where he was going with this. My heart swelled.
“Well then, buddy, looks like you’re coming home next weekend to make pizza with me.”
He gave me a broad smile, and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I ruffled his hair, and then with a curt nod at Helen, I walked away. The last thing I saw before I left was the happiness on Lucas’s face as he smiled back at me before it was replaced by a look of pure devotion as he turned to his mother.
It reminded me of the bond between Chloe and Henry. Chloe couldn’t get used to leaving Henry alone any more than Lucas could handle his mom being away.
It stung that Chloe couldn’t be honest about who I was in her life, but could I really blame her? She’d said it herself that she preferred to keep it quiet. Which included keeping it from Henry. It would take time, but it would get better, and then Chloe would soon trust me that I wasn’t here to take her brother away from her. She needed to come around because I was going to fight for her. I wasn’t giving up on us.
I reached for my keys and drove to Chloe’s. Lucas and Helen were spending the night at Matt’s place, and I had my home to myself at last.
When I reached Chloe’s street, my heart all but sang out loud.
Parking the car, I reached for my phone and called her as I walked over.
She didn’t answer.
I called her again and again.
When she finally answered the call, it was with a frustrated, “What?”
I froze at her tone. “How’s Henry?” I asked.
She didn’t answer right away, probably caught off guard.
“He’s fine,” she said at last.
“Was he awake when you reached home at one a.m. after running out on our date?” I asked. I was staring at her apartment door, wishing I could break it down.
“No,” she said, after a moment’s hesitation.
Great, so she’d run out on me, only to go home to her brother, who had been safe and asleep.
When she didn’t speak, I knocked on her door. “Open up,” I said.