We finished our food, and I washed the dishes while Leo cleaned off the counter. By the time we finished, went through his school stuff for the day, and he’d taken a bath, it was time to put him to bed. He climbed into his twin bed, pulled the covers up over his head, then opened a pocket for his face to peek out. “Night. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I kissed his forehead and made sure the night light shone through the gap in the door.
There was nothing left to do except wait for sleep to find me. Memories of my summer with Alessio ensured sleep stayed far away. I relived every moment with him, every touch, every whispered breath. He’d been gentle and loving, and nothing in how he treated me gave me an inkling that he’d be able to leavewithout anything more than a single note with two sentences written in his perfect slant.
I’d crumpled the note, burned it, and washed the ashes down the drain, but nothing took the words from my mind as I struggled to understand what had driven Alessio away. I’d fallen in love with him during those long nights, and seeing him yesterday, having all that agony brought back and flung in my face, cut as deep as ever.
My night passed in a series of tossing and turning mixed with dreams of Alessio. By the time I woke, dressed, drove Leo to school, and walked through the back door into the boutique’s storage room, I’d convinced myself that it was all a dream.
Alexis met me at my desk when I set my coffee and keys down. “So. Who was the hunk?”
“Hunk?” I checked my makeup in the mirror hanging beside the desk and ran a quick inventory of the suits hanging on the rack ready to replenish the dwindling stock in the showroom. Almost time to make another order.
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Come on, Lila. You’re not blind. And I know you noticed him since you carried on a full convo for like ten minutes. I almost didn’t come get you for the delivery. The tension between you two was on point.” She kissed her fingertips and smacked her lips. “Like seriously hot.”
Dread crawled down my spine. Not a fever dream then but a reality that threatened to consume me…again. “Remember me telling you about Leo’s dad?”
“Yeah.” She drawled out the word. “But what does that…wait.” She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “That’sLeo’s dad?”
I nodded as my teeth rattled from the force she used.
“Holy shit. He’s hot.” She winced and released me. “I mean, he’s a jackass for leaving you, but you know, seriously freaking hot.”
“Yep.” No need trying to deny it.
“Why’d he show up yesterday?” Alexis usually stayed out of my business, but we’d become friends the longer she worked for me, and this was a question with an easy answer.
“I don’t know. But he doesn’t know about Leo, and I’m hoping to keep it that way. I won’t let him hurt Leo the way he hurt me.” No one deserved to be abandoned like that, and I’d gut Alessio before I gave him the power to make Leo feel betrayed or unworthy.
“Can you open for me? I need to grab these suits.” I made my way over to the rack and listened to Alexis’s retreating steps.
The lock clicked, followed by a low murmur of voices, then, “Lila, can you come up front?”
I grimaced into the suits. Great. Just what I needed this morning, a difficult client. At least I had clients. Rich clients who paid me good money to put up with bullshit so I could afford all the things Leo and I wanted and needed.
“On my way.” My smile came into place as I crossed from the back room to the showroom.
A man stood at the door, a giant bouquet of red roses in his arms. He peered around the blooms. “Lila Carmichael?”
“Yes.”
“Thank goodness.” He hefted the bouquet and set it down on the counter with a clank of glass on glass. “This thing weighs a ton. Whoever’s apologizing, he knows he fucked up.” With his hands now free, he swept off his cap and ran a hand over his forehead. “There’s a note in there somewhere. Have a good day.”
I gaped at the flowers then at him, almost asking who’d sent them.
He read the question on my face and shrugged. “I just make the deliveries.”
“Of course.” I delved into the blooms in search of the note, finally finding it tucked in the center, clipped to three bloomswith a spray of baby’s breath hiding it from view. The thick white card creased in the middle, and I unfolded it with shaking hands, already certain what I’d see inside.
Alexis moved around the store, giving me privacy and helping prepare for the day by turning on the sound machine and starting the fragrance misters.
I closed my eyes, squeezing them tight. “Please be from Mrs. Walker.”
A flip of the top paper and Alessio’s familiar penmanship stared back at me: “We need to talk.”
I rubbed my thumb over the words, hearing them spoken in his voice before I shut it away and blinked the sudden tears from my eyes. “Over my dead body.”
6
