Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
He took a step closer, and I backed away, causing him to instantly stop.
“I understand you loved your wife, and you’re not ready. I honestly wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone. I truly wasn’t. I’m not trying to replace Lisa in any way, for you or for Hadley. I’ll talk to Rose about looking for another nanny to replace me.”
“What?”
Any additional words I wanted to say seemed to be stuck in my throat.
Aiden ran his hand over his face and sighed before speaking. “I don’t want another person to take your place. You’ve brought a new light into our world, Emma. I just…I need to focus on Hadley right now and figure a few things out.”
“You don’t want me to leave after what happened to Hadley?”
“No! It would break Hadley’s heart if you left.”
An instant pain hit me in the chest. The fact that he didn’t say his heart would be broken felt like a knife had been thrust into my body.
Stop it, Emma. Stop it now.
“Aiden? Emma? The doctor is back,” Lance said from the other side of the waiting room.
Quickly turning and walking in the direction of his father, Aiden disappeared around the corner.
I took a few moments to settle my erratic heartbeat. Aiden and I were clearly going to have to sit down and talk about things. Maybe the best thing for everyone concerned would be for me to move, find an apartment or a small house to rent. At least that way, I had no reason to be at Aiden’s house so much. Once he was home from work each night, I could leave and give him the space he wanted.
“You certainly are taking your role as nanny very seriously.”
The voice was impossible not to recognize. Nancy. Again.
Facing her, I smiled. “Is there something you needed?”
She tilted her head and looked me up and down. “What in the world does he see in you? You’re the total opposite of Lisa.”
I slowly took a deep breath and tried to fight my urge to run—or worse yet, call her a bunch of names. Instead, I just raised a brow.
“I’m here to check on Aiden.”
My other brow joined the first. “On Aiden? Or Hadley?”
“Both,” she replied with a smirk.
I shook my head and started to walk away when her next words stopped me in my tracks.
“Don’t look so surprised that I’m here, Emma. I care about him. After all, we share a common bond in Lisa. And we’ve also shared a bed.”
A wave of sickness swept through my entire body and a hand went to my stomach.
Aiden had slept with Nancy? When? My head instantly felt like I was in a thick fog.
Nancy walked closer and leaning in, whispered in my ear. “He didn’t tell you about us?” She shifted to stand directly in front of me. “You’ll never win his heart. I couldn’t, after all, and he slept with me.”
Quickly recovering, I took another deep breath before replying. “That’s none of my business. If you’ll excuse me, Nancy, I was on my way out.”
She stepped out of my way as I headed toward the elevator. It wasn’t lost on me the snarky way she laughed when she called out after me.
“Don’t worry, Emma. I’ll take real good care of him and Hadley tonight.”
Clenching my teeth together, I pushed the button harder than I should have as I waited for the doors to open. When they did, I pressed the lobby floor and didn’t turn around until the doors had completely shut.
Backing against the elevator wall, I covered my mouth and held back the urge to cry.
A feeling of hopelessness washed over me. I couldn’t lie to myself any longer. I was in love with Aiden…but he didn’t feel the same. And there was nothing I could do about it. Yet again, it seemed like happiness was something I’d never be able to have.
Ever.
Slipping out of the car, I turned back and said, “Thank you, Earl. Dinner was fabulous.”
“Anytime, Emma. It was good seeing you again.”
Earl was the owner of a local flower shop I’d gone into a number of times. He’d seen me walking away from the hospital and had pulled over to ask if I needed a ride. It must have been obvious how lost I’d looked, because he instantly invited me to his home to have dinner with his family.
Turning to walk to my door, I stopped when I saw Aiden.
“Hadley’s been asking where you were.”
I forced a smile. “I figured once you got there, she’d be fine.”
“You promised her you’d sleep with her tonight. She’s been waiting for you.”
“I ran into Earl, and he invited me over to his house for dinner with his wife and daughter.”
“You didn’t even think to let me know you’d left the hospital? You didn’t even say goodbye to Hadley.”