Page 42 of Lonely Heart
I’d just arrived at work and had exited my truck to find my best friend had done the same. But Cooper looked like he had something weighing heavily on his mind. “Hey, Marco. How’s it going?”
“I’m good. But you look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. Is something going on?” I pressed.
Cooper shook his head, letting out a sigh of frustration as we made our way through the parking lot. “It’s… well, it’s Skye. She’s just been feeling so lousy with this pregnancy. And she’s been sick for the better part of the day, every day, over the last week.”
“That’s got to suck, Coop. I can’t imagine what it’s like to see her go through that.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered. “The worst part about all of it is that there’s nothing I can do to fix this for her. The doctor said it’s normal, and within a few weeks, it should subside. But it’s the worst thing I’ve ever had to witness. I feel so helpless.”
I still couldn’t believe my best friend was going to be a dad later this year. If I sat back and thought about it, the whole thing was crazy. Cooper went from not even being interestedin finding anyone to even date to suddenly being married and months away from having a son or daughter.
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help.”
“You are,” he insisted. “That you’ve taken the lead on the villas has lightened my load tremendously. With all the maintenance the machines in the chocolate factory have required recently, it’s been a relief to know I don’t have to worry about the villas, too.”
Nodding, I confirmed, “Yeah, I guess it’s all under control. Liam and the handful of other guys I have working over there with me have been putting in a lot of work, and they’re doing a phenomenal job.”
We made it to the spot where Cooper and I were going to have to go in separate directions to get our days started. So, we stopped there, and he said, “I’ve heard they’re looking great, especially now that the tile has come in. I’m hoping to stop in either today or tomorrow to check them out.”
I offered a nod of understanding in return. “Yeah, if you get a chance, you should stop over. Though, I’ll say that I won’t blame you if you can’t make it. If I were you, I’d want to rush home after work to be with Skye. How’s she managing with the bookstore?”
“I’m so glad she hired people a few years ago. Her staff has really been helping her out and picking up the slack, so she’s been lucky there.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. I should probably get over the factory, so I can be done at a reasonable time today and get back home to help her. I’ll catch up with you later, Marco.”
“Sounds good. Take it easy, Coop.”
With that, the two of us turned and walked off in separate directions—Cooper to the factory, and me to the hotel. The moment I stepped inside the lobby, my eyes went toward the registration desk and scanned it.
It was early.
And while there was staff on hand, Ivy hadn’t arrived yet. Then again, her schedule wasn’t exactly a normal nine to five, considering she had evenings or weekends that she worked if there was some event happening in the hotel.
Though it was rare for me to see Ivy when I arrived here in the mornings, I found I was growing more and more needy when it came to her. Until recently, I’d been able to walk through the hotel or attend a Westwood celebration without experiencing this feeling. But now, she was all I seemed capable of thinking about. Ivy was constantly on my mind, and the more time we’d spent with one another, the more I wanted to be around her.
Sometimes, seeing her as I passed through the hotel—even if she was busy with a guest and couldn’t talk—was just enough to ease that feeling, that ache, in the center of my chest.
Today, that wouldn’t be the case. So, I’d spend my morning working hard and getting things accomplished despite the heaviness that overwhelmed me. And in a few hours, I’d head out for lunch in hopes of catching a glimpse of her and lifting that unbearable weight off my shoulders.
On the bright side, there was plenty to keep me busy. We’d been pushing hard to get the villas completed, and it was our hope they’d be done within the next few weeks, if we could continue to work at the pace we had been.
I’d gotten right down to it, and while I wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed, I knew it had to have been a couple of hours after I’d arrived when the door to the villa where I’d been working opened and I heard that sweet voice. “Knock, knock.”
In an instant, I felt lighter, happier. A thrill moved through me, my hands suddenly itching to do something, touch something.
I turned toward the sound of her voice, and the second my eyes landed on her, warmth spread through my body. All theanxiousness I’d felt when I hadn’t seen her this morning was gone, replaced by overwhelming contentment.
As usual, she looked fantastic. Today, she was wearing a pair of slim-fitting charcoal gray suit pants with a cream-colored sweater that landed right at her waist and a pair of black pumps on her feet. What I would have given to ask her to turn around for me. No doubt those pants were hugging her impeccable ass perfectly.
I smiled at her. “Hey, you.”
She beamed back at me. “Hey.”
It was now the end of the week, days since we’d gone to that woodcarving class together. And while we’d had a few quick chats in the lobby over the days that followed, this was the first time we were alone like this.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.