However, I never noticed.
Eden opened the door between our offices and softly knocked on the wooden frame to catch my attention. When I glanced up from the file in my hand-the same one I'd been blankly staring at for at least an hour-I noticed slight apprehension in her expression.
"I was wondering if you needed anything. You seem to have been going over my notes for a while now, and I didn't know if you needed me to clarify something for you." It was obvious she wanted to ask me if I was okay, just like she'd done the day I'd left Gabi. But with our strict business-only relationship, I could tell she avoided the personal question.
"Uh, no. I think I'm all right." Just as she made a move to turn, to head back into her office where I knew she'd close the door and shut me out, I called out, "Any progress with your birth mother?"
It was enough to make her still, slowly turning her head and lifting her eyes to meet mine. "Nothing new. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that would fall under the umbrella of personal information. And since we've agreed-"
"I know, Eden." I cut her off, unwilling to hear her reminders yet again of how we had to keep things professional. "I was just curious. And considering she works here, I figured that would make it related to business. But you're right. I overstepped. I apologize."
Rather than walking away, she stood with her hand around the door frame and regarded me intently. Confusion lined her brow, but fear flickered through her eyes. I could tell there was something on the tip of her tongue, probably wondering if I'd figured it out, but before she could utter a single word, there was a knock on my door and Janette invited herself in.
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."