Dane(53)

She took one look at Eden, then at me, and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."         

     



 

"Oh, no. You're fine." In an instant, Eden snapped out of the worried  silence. She smiled at Janette, and I immediately noticed the faint  blush that crept up her neck and tinted her cheeks a dusty pink color.  "I was just heading to my office. He's all yours."

Janette stood there, stock still, and waited for the door to close  behind Eden. Then she carefully made her way to my desk and took a seat  across from me. Glancing over her shoulder one more time, she leaned in  and whispered, "Can she hear us?"

"Not if we talk low enough … but we don't have to whisper." I knew why she  was here. I didn't know how she'd figured it out, but with her reaction  to Eden, and now the secrecy, I knew without a doubt she'd managed to  put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Don't lie to me. Okay, Dane? If you know the truth, and I'm assuming  you do, I need you to tell me." She paused and took a few quick breaths.  Her shoulders bounced and her eyes grew softer than I'd ever seen them  before. "Is there something about Eden I should know?"

My chest constricted at the thought of giving away a secret Eden clearly  didn't want anyone to know. Including me. "What makes you think that?"

"I told you what had happened to me, and about me placing a baby up for  adoption. Your reaction was puzzling, but I just assumed it was shock  over my confession. But then Eden came up, and your reaction became even  stranger. The way you looked between us, couldn't speak … it was as if  you'd seen a ghost. Again, I assumed it was because she'd walked up in  the middle of a very heavy conversation. I thought maybe you were  concerned she had overheard us, possibly nervous about someone else  hearing what I had said. But when I got back to my office, I started  thinking. I've had several conversations with Eden since she started  here. Some were related to business, while others were more personal."

"Okay … so what are you trying to say?"

"The first time I met her, she had come down to my office to introduce  herself. She sat down and we spoke briefly. I told her I was  disappointed you'd stolen her from me, but I understood that her  qualifications were better suited for you and not me. Before she left,  she pointed to the photo I keep on my desk … the one of me with Bill and  the boys. She asked about them-Trevor and Landon. At the time, I just  thought she was striking up conversation. But now, when I think about  it, she seemed more interested in them than most people would be. And  then there was another conversation when she talked about her parents. I  thought it was a little strange at the time, but now I can't stop  questioning it."

"What did she say?"

"It wasn't what she said, but how she said it. Almost as if she were  making it a point to let me know how good her parents were to her. It  was more than just telling me she had a good life." She let out a sigh  and slumped forward in her seat. "I don't know, Dane. It's hard to  explain, but I can't help the feeling that there's more to her than what  I know."

"Then maybe you should ask her."

"That right there tells me you know the truth." Her eyes began to mist,  no matter how rapidly she blinked them. "You know, don't you? Why won't  you tell me?"

"Because it's not my place to say anything."

Her chest expanded with her deep inhalation. "I think that answered my question."

"Are you going to say anything to her?"

She stood and glanced behind her once more. The way her body appeared to  soften, almost going completely slack, showed the contentment and  emotion coursing through her. This was a mother finally getting answers  about her child. The child she never knew anything about. The piece of  her she'd given away, entrusted strangers to care for, without ever  knowing her gender.

When she faced me again, her tears had fallen, and the sight bathed me  in peace. Peace for Eden. Peace for the younger Janette who had to make  one of the toughest decisions of her teenage life. "She hasn't said  anything to me for a reason. So I feel like I should respect that and  keep this to myself."

"Maybe she hasn't said anything because she's afraid of your response.  I'm not trying to put words in her mouth, because she hasn't opened up  much to me about this topic, but I know she deals with abandonment  issues. I think if she knew your side of the story, knew where you were  at mentally and emotionally when you put her up for adoption, it might  help you both heal."

"With all due respect, Dane," she said with a smirk and a hand on her hip. "You're an investor, not a psychologist."         

     



 

I simply laughed beneath my breath and shook my head, finding amusement  in her throwing my words back in my face. "Whatever. You know I'm right.  Do with the information as you please, but whatever you do, don't tell  her I told you. Because I didn't."

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

"There is no secret. I didn't tell you."

She walked across the room and held onto the door handle. "I won't say  anything. It's a little hard to explain how I figured it out anyway."

Even though my conversation with Janette didn't take away the shock of  the truth, it was enough to clear my muddled mind. I was able to get  through the files Eden had left for me and make it to the end of the  day. I waited until I knew Eden was out of the building before sending  her a text.

Grow old with me.

I knew she'd ignore it, just like she ignored my texts every evening.  But it didn't stop me. After Janette had imparted some wisdom on me, I  had a clear understanding of where things were headed with me and Gabi,  and me and Eden.

Although, I was sure Heidi would be tired of me asking for legal favors.

I figured I'd throw her an early bonus to make up for the added personal work I'd be asking her for.





22





Dropping off a document for Eden, I found a real estate brochure on her  desk. I went to reach for it, hoping it would give me some clue on what  kinds of homes she was on the hunt for, but before I could pick it up,  she walked into her office from the hall.

She slapped her hand against her chest as she stared at me with wide  eyes and a gaping mouth. "You scared me, Dane. What are you doing in  here?"

I moved away from her desk to allow her space to settle in for the day.  She set her purse down and took her seat, all while watching me, waiting  for an explanation. I pointed to the paper in front of her and said,  "Just dropping off some work for you."

It was Thursday, approaching the end of the work week, and the closer we  got to Friday, the more I seemed to want to be near her, knowing I'd  have to go the entire weekend without seeing or hearing from her. If  she'd picked up on it, she hadn't said anything.

"I see you have one of those booklets for houses. Have you found one?"

She grabbed it off the top of her desk and shoved it into a drawer while  cutting her eyes at me and smirking. "I believe that's considered a  personal question."

"Not really. I mean, if you've found a house, you'll be needing time off  for inspections and closing. Then the time to move and get settled in. I  think that falls under the category of business-related questions. It  directly concerns me, considering you're my assistant and all."

"You're insane." She giggled and shook her head. "But fine, to answer  your question, yes. I think I've found something. But it's not a done  deal yet. It's a little out of my price range, so I have to talk with  the bank about my options."

"If it's more than you can afford, then maybe you should keep looking."

"It's not that much out of my budget. And it's perfect. It has  everything I'm looking for and then some. I think I'll cry if I don't  get this house." Realizing the personal information she shared, she  shook it off and scooted her chair closer to the desk.

"What if I gave you a raise? Would that help?" I didn't want to help her  buy a house, but if it meant she'd have everything she wanted, then I'd  do it. With, of course, the hope I'd eventually be living under that  roof with her.

"I'm not accepting a raise from you outside my evaluation, Dane. That  wouldn't look good to anyone, and I refuse to use this"-she waved her  hand between us-"as a reason to get more money." Focusing on the papers  in front of her, she silently dismissed me.

It'd been three days since Janette and I discovered Eden's secret. I  wanted to ask her about it, see if she was aware we knew, but Eden had  nearly perfected the art of holding me at arm's length. And I would've  asked Janette, but she'd made herself scarce since leaving my office  Monday.

I felt antsy, the waiting game with Eden getting the best of me. I was  isolated most of the time at the office, considering Eden kept herself  holed up behind the closed door with the shades drawn on the adjoining  window. And I was alone at home. I still didn't have answers, didn't  have a house to focus on, didn't have anyone to keep me company on the  pier. I never felt so lonely before, and I'd been in a relationship for  twelve years with a woman who spent most of the time ignoring me while  we were in the same room. I just had to push through and keep the faith.