Page 51 of Charm

“I know.” He leans close enough that I can feel his breath skirt over my cheek. “Forgive me if it takes me a minute to get used to calling you that.”

The fact that he repeats almost verbatim what I said to him on the day we met hits me hard. I’m flooded with memories of being in his arms.

“Forgiven,” I whisper, pulling back just far enough that I can look into his eyes. “I’ll be in touch, Holden.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he rasps. “Goodbye for now.”

I don’t echo his words. Instead, I watch as he walks away, keeping my gaze on him until he rounds the corner and disappears from view.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Holden

I sprint into the hospital,sweat peppering my brow. Tugging on the knot in my tie, I’m able to loosen it just as I call out for the three people on the elevator to hold it.

One of them, a man dressed in scrubs, nods in acknowledgement.

As soon as I’ve boarded, I reach in front of him to press the button to head up to the sixth floor.

No one says a word to each other, as the elevator stops twice. More people stream on, buttons are pressed on the control panel, and when we finally make it to my floor, I’m out in a flash.

I was here the day Morgan was born, so I know my way around.

“Holden!” I hear my name coming at me from the right, so I glance in that direction.

Rook is there, dressed like he just rolled out of bed. There’s a strong possibility that’s the case because it’s nearing two in the morning. I was at the office, mulling over some potential acquisitions that Jameson put in front of me before he called it anight hours ago. I also needed to carve out some time to update our shipping procedures, so tonight was the ideal night to focus on that.

It’s been almost a week since Greer and I spoke inside her store. I anticipated hearing back from her by now regarding the new offer we presented, but her silence has been deafening.

James had suggested calling Krista on his own, but I told him to hold off. If this crawls into next week, I’ll let him make that call.

I know how badly he wants to buy out Sweet Indulgence. I’ve done more research on the company, and I’m on the same page as him. It would be a solid investment for us and take us into a new space if we decide to continue with the candy buffet aspect of Greer and Krista’s business model.

“Is he here yet?” I ask Rook. “Is Gilbert here?”

He slaps the center of my back while shoving a can of soda at me. “Not yet. Carrie is in with them now. Abby wanted a few minutes with her sister.”

Leave it to my two best friends to fall in love with sisters. Declan’s wife Abby and Rook’s fiancée, Carrie, are as close as can be. The foursome has never made me feel like an outsider when I’ve hung out with them. They all treat me like family. It makes sense since that’s how I view them.

“Did Declan wake you up?” I glance at Rook’s messy hair. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m a lawyer,” he reminds me the way he always does. “Being exhausted all the fucking time is part of the job description.”

“Who’s watching Kirby?” I ask, although I think I already know the answer to that question.

“She’s spending the night with Chesca and Brian,” he confirms my assumption.

Chesca is Kirby’s mom, and she’s found the love of her life in a guy named Brian. Chesca and Rook’s determination to put their daughter’s needs first has paid off for them. The four adults in the equation all get along and even go so far as to have one meal together each month for Kirby.

I’m proud of Rook. He’s always been a good man, but he’s proving to be the kind of father I hope to be one day.

“Why are you dressed like it’s two in the afternoon?” he questions as he pops the tab on his soda can. “You do realize no one gives a shit if you show up looking like a regular Joe.”

That sets my head back in laughter, but not for the reason he thinks.

I’m reminded of the fake name I used with Greer when we met. For those three days, I was indeed a regular Joe, and not a guy trying to buy her company.

“It wasn’t that funny.” He takes a sip of soda. “I thought I grabbed a sugar free one for myself.”