Page 26 of Mister Daddy

“Sorry,” I say. “I told you I’d be with Carter. We went scuba diving.”

“All day?”

“No. We went to dinner afterwards.”

Caitlyn rolls her eyes. “You know, you came on this trip with us, not Carter.”

Guilt settles in my stomach. She’s right. The point of this trip is for us to bond, not for me to get lured in by some hot guy. “I’m sorry, guys. Carter’s really nice, and I like him a lot.”

“Whatever.”

“Come on, don’t be mad. At least not about that. There’s something else you might be mad about.”

They watch me patiently and curiously. “About what?”

I bite my lip. I hadn’t planned on sharing my thoughts with them just yet, but it might be the only way to stop them from being mad at me.

“I think I’m going to quit my job at the firm,” I voice quickly. “And open my own scuba training business.”

The girls stare at me.

“Seriously?” Caitlyn asks, but she doesn’t sound angry or ridiculing. “I know you love the water, but I didn’t know you wanted to work in a marine-related job. I mean, there’s a big difference between a hobby and a job.”

I gulp.

“I know, I really do. It’s been a dream for a long time. Going on the dive today reminded me just how much I want to follow this passion.”

Jessica pulls me in for a hug. “Then you should do it, Abby!”

“You think so?”

“Of course. We’ll miss you around the office, but we don’t want you stuck in a job you hate when there’s something else you could be doing that you love.”

“Thank you,” I say, hugging her back. Caitlyn joins in, and we squeeze each other tight. “It won’t be for a while. I need to figure out a bunch of things like incorporation and taxes before I can even think of opening a business. But it’s going to happen. I just wanted you to know.”

Jessica squeezes me again.

“Thank you for telling us this secret,” she says. “It means a lot.”

“Of course. You’re my best friends.”

The earlier guilt returns. I should tell them that they’re not the only ones who know about my dream or my plans because I told Carter first, and I wouldn’t have told them at all if it weren’t for him. Somehow, that doesn’t seem like the right thing to say now, so I bite my tongue.

The girls and I need this moment, even if I’m not being totally honest with them. Otherwise, they’ll be extra angry when I sneak out to spend another night with Carter.

It’s not lying,I rationalize to myself.I’m just choosing my battles wisely.

However, the thought doesn’t calm my nerves because somehow, in a short amount of time, Carter Jones has become incredibly important to me. More so, even than my friends Jess and Cait, whom I’ve known forever.

Is this what’s supposed to happen? Am I suddenly supposed to trust a billionaire with a charming smile who urges me towards my dreams? But the truth is that I don’t have a choice because Carter touches something in me that no one has ever touched, and I value him and his opinion more than anything.

11

Carter

“Are you even listening to me?” my secretary, Miss Havisham, questions.

I sigh. “I’m sorry, Flora. I’m a bit distracted.”