Page 46 of His Long-Lost Baby
I can feel my mind spinning, trying to figure out what James is really thinking. But before I can come up with anything, he speaks again.
“I can’t even imagine being a single parent,” he says, his voice low and serious. “It must be so hard.”
“It has its challenges,” I admit. “But it’s worth it.”
“You’re doing something really amazing,” he says, “by giving that little girl a loving home.”
His words take my breath away. They’re so genuine. So heartfelt.
It’s probably the realest I’ve ever seen him.
A second later, though, and it’s over.
James puts his napkin on his plate. “Ready to get back to work?”
I sit there frozen for a second, my mind still reeling from the sudden switch. We were having a moment, right?
Yep. And then he realized we were, and he ended it.
Which is fine. I shouldn’t be swept up in intimate conversations with him anyway.
I push my plate to the side and join James at the coffee table, where we dive back into work.
Except… my head isn’t fully in it. It’s back at the dining table, back with the conversation we just had.
Is there more to James than meets the eye? How could a man who shows such concern about my life peace out on his own child?
The further I get into this situation, the more confusing it all becomes. And the more I worry that I’m getting pulled into his magnetic aura — and that I’ll never escape from it.
CHAPTER15
JAMES
“And we are… done!” I backup the presentation to a second location, just to make sure we don’t lose it.
“Just in time for the sunrise.” Billie rubs her eyes and gestures at the windows.
I glance up and notice that the sky is beginning to turn a soft shade of pink. “Wow, we really worked through the night, didn’t we?”
Billie nods, and I can’t help but notice how beautiful she looks in the soft morning light. Her hair is slightly tousled, and there are dark circles under her eyes, but she still manages to look radiant.
“You know,” I say, unable to resist teasing her a bit, “I think you might actually be a morning person.”
She rolls her eyes but smiles all the same. “Don’t get too excited. I’m still a night owl at heart.”
I chuckle, feeling a sense of ease wash over me. It’s strange but being around Billie makes everything feel okay. Even the mess I’ve made of my personal life.
“So, what now?” she asks, stretching her arms above her head.
“Now?” I repeat, feeling my heart rate pick up slightly. “You deserve to sleep. For as long as you want. I’m going to stay up, though. I’ll just power through until the presentation is done.”
Billie shakes her head. “There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep after all the caffeine I’ve had. How about a walk on the beach?”
I glance at my watch, knowing that the presentation is in a few hours. But then again, when was the last time I did something spontaneous?
“Sure,” I say, and before I can change my mind, I grab two cups of coffee and head out with Billie towards the beach.
The sand is cold beneath my feet as we walk along the shore, the waves crashing against the shore in a soothing rhythm. I take a sip of the coffee, enjoying the taste as it warms my insides.