Page 117 of The House Guest

“Are you hungry?”

“Only if you’re not cooking.” I winked.

“Wiseass.” He chuckled. “I was thinking we could go down to the boardwalk.”

“That sounds good.” Maybe a change of scenery would lighten things up a little.

That evening, Dorian took me to one of my favorite restaurants in Orion Coast: Judy’s Oceanside. During dinner, the mood gradually softened as we reminisced about the old days living together at the mansion. He told me about the consulting work he was now doing, and I bragged a bit about my daughter, how smart she was for her age and her interest in art. Every minute it felt more like old times.

“I’m glad to see you’ve relaxed,” I said.

He nodded. “I think getting away from the mansion was a good idea.”

Then my phone rang, and I looked down to find it was Casey.

Shit.

CHAPTER 33

Dorian

The look on Primrose’s face told me who was on the other line.

“Hello?” She paused. “Is everything okay?” Then after a few seconds, she looked over at me briefly. “Put her on.”

I crossed my arms and watched as she spoke to her daughter.

“Hi, sweetie. You can’t sleep?”

I smiled sympathetically from across the table, feeling like a complete jackass for being the obstacle that kept this woman away from her baby right now.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s hard,” she said. “But I’ll be home in less than a week.” After a few seconds, she frowned. “No, honey. I can’t.” She paused. “I know. Try to sleep and be a good girl for Daddy.”

After a long pause, she said, “Of course. Anytime she needs to hear my voice, don’t hesitate.”

I noticed her chewing her lip, a clear sign she was anxious. Looking downright sad, she wrapped up theconversation. We’d made a good effort to stick our heads in the sand tonight. But this call had forced reality back to the forefront.

“What did he say that made your face change like that?” I asked when she hung up.

She moved some food around the plate with her fork. “He said she wasn’t the only one who needed to hear my voice.”

Stiffening, I nodded. “He’s not going to give up easily, is he? This is going to be messy. If you decide you want a life with me, are you prepared for what that’s going to look like? Will he try to use your daughter as a pawn?” It was a harsh question, but it needed to be asked.

“You mean like custody?”

I nodded. “I don’t know that he wouldn’t do something like that.”

She stared off in thought. “Casey would never do anything that might hurt Rosie. He’s a good person, and he loves her more than anything. Taking her away from me would be detrimental to her, and he knows that.”

“Okay.” I downed the last of my drink, feeling very uneasy. I looked away from her as my mind began to race.

Any reminder of her life in Ohio was a reminder that I stood to lose Primrose yet again. And I wouldn’t withstand it another time. The next time would be the last.

“I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t want to be, Dorian,” she said after a moment, interrupting my worry. “You know I didn’t make this decision overnight. Even if the unknowns scare me, I’m all in.”

She had a point. It wasn’t like she’d gotten on a plane with me the first time I’d tried to steal her away. Primrosehad given it careful consideration, and I had to give her credit for that. Ultimately it wasmyfear getting in the way right now. I wanted to protect myself, but there was no way to get her back without risk. It did help to hear that she was all in.

After I paid the bill, we rode in silence back to the mansion.