She carefully steps down from the table, adjusting her pant legs in the process. “I may be fine to you, but my heart says something different.”
“Grief can disguise itself in many forms.” I snap the cover of the tablet shut. “Give it time. Only you can set the pace that works for you.”
“The same advice applies to love.” She smiles as she reaches past me to grab her purse. “You need to give it time. Only you can set the pace that works for you, but remember that no one lives forever.”
I know that all too well. Grief is a larger part of my life than love has ever been. It may be time to change that.
Chapter 24
Chloe
“I can move all your appointments today,” Gabi rests her palm against my forehead. “You don’t feel warm. Maybe it’s not the flu.”
I shrug as I pull away from her. “My dad and I had seafood in Boston two days ago. His stomach has been uneasy too. Maybe that’s all it is.”
“That might be it.” She starts toward my office door. “I’ll go get you a warm ginger tea. That always helps when my stomach is acting up.”
I nod as I watch her leave before I turn my attention to my laptop and the calendar app that lists my schedule for today.
It’s lighter than I thought it would be. That’s because a client who was set to launch a lawsuit against their former employer dropped it when they were hired back on.
That’s not uncommon in my line of work and since I ask for an upfront retainer, I’m never working pro bono. I wish I could at times, but I have to live.
“Chloe?”
My head pops up when I hear Rocco’s voice at my office door. I greet him immediately. “Hey, you. I haven’t see you in at least a couple of weeks.”
He steps in and takes off his scarf before slipping out of his wool coat. “How was the trip with dad? That was a last minute thing, no?”
It was. I needed some space after the conversation I had with Evan about the pregnancy scare. Since I had planned on heading to Boston early next month to interview a potential client who had recently relocated there from New York, I decided to ask my dad to tag along.
He was all over the idea and planned our entire schedule including fitting in my work commitments.
We both needed it and I came back to Manhattan feeling refreshed and recharged until I woke up this morning with an upset stomach.
“We had a blast.” I smile. “You know how much fun it is to travel with him.”
“I do.” He nods as he takes a seat across from my desk. “Do you remember when I used to take him to Vegas with me when I was playing poker? I swear the man had more fun than I did.”
I like hearing that. Our father is still grieving my mom’s death. It was the second loss he suffered. His first wife died of cancer before Rocco’s seventh birthday leaving my dad with three small boys to raise on his own.
“What brings you to my office?” I close the lid of my laptop. I need to be at the courthouse in thirty minutes so I’ll have to cut my conversation with him short.
“Evan.”
My brows pop up in surprise. “Evan?”
He nods briskly. “We ran into each other at the gym two days ago.”
I bite the corner of my lip wanting to demand that he tell me about what they talked about, but knowing full well that it involves me.
Evan doesn’t seem like the type of guy who would share personal details about our conversation with another person, especially my older brother. “I haven’t seen him in awhile. How is he?”
“Fine.” His voice lowers. “He wanted to know what you favorite flowers are. He didn’t send a bouquet of pink roses to your hotel room in Boston?”
My heart thumps inside my chest. Rocco knew what hotel my dad and I were staying in because he was the one who suggested it since it was on the waterfront. Evan didn’t send any flowers though, so my brother must have kept that information to himself.
“Some men prefer to hand deliver flowers,” I offer even though the only flowers I’ve ever received from Evan were delivered by his friend, Vanessa.