Baby, I'm Yours

But no one would ever know. Rick had promised.

Becca would be left to wrestle with her conscience alone. In this very kitchen, she’d managed to betray not only Gabe, but Rick. How would she ever forgive herself for such a huge abuse of trust?

When she contemplated what Rick probably thought of her, Becca inwardly cringed.

It didn’t matter.

Who was she kidding? It mattered a great deal. She didn’t want to lose his friendship over a moment of insanity. It was almost a compulsion these days to keep the people who’d known and loved Gabe as close as possible. As if, in some way, it kept Gabe close, too.

A WEEK LATER, Rick waited in the booth at Coco’s Restaurant. His reason for inviting Becca had been purely practical. They needed to discuss business in a neutral setting. The office was out, because he didn’t want to spook the employees if anyone heard about belt-tightening. And Becca’s house was definitely not a good idea.

He stood as she approached the table, admiring the vibrant swing of her blond hair, her confident stride and ready smile. The lines of strain were barely noticeable. But the fact that she’d lost weight was readily evident and he worried.

That was the other reason for inviting her to lunch. At least he was sure she’d eat one good meal today instead of forgetting to take care of herself while she looked after everyone else.

Rick grasped her hands and kissed her quickly on the cheek. “Hi. No problem with traffic?”

“Not a bit. This was a great idea.” Her eyes held a trace of wariness, though.

He wondered if she would think it was such a good idea when he was finished imparting his news.

“How are the kids doing?” he asked as they sat down.

“It depends on the hour. They seem to take turns having meltdowns in their own way. It’s exhausting trying to gauge who’s having a hard time and what I should do to make it right.”

“Not a whole lot you can do. Except listen and let them know you’re there.”

“But I’m their mother. I should be able to offer words of wisdom that make their pain bearable. I’ve spouted the ‘we’re in this together’ stuff until they’re tired of hearing it. And to be honest, grief is a pretty solitary pursuit. No matter how badly I want to be there for them, a lot of it they’re going to have to work out in their own time in their own way.”

Rick nodded. “Same goes for you.”

“The children have to be my focus right now. I don’t have the luxury of falling to pieces.”

“I remember when Kayla was a teen. It made me feel so helpless when I realized that she would ultimately have to find her own way. My ex-wife and I just stood there with our hearts on our sleeves, hoping like crazy she’d ask us for guidance. And when she didn’t, providing it anyway.”

“You and Valerie did a good job. Kayla seemed like a nice girl the few times she’s come to the office to visit.”

“Yes, I don’t see her nearly often enough. But she’s got her own life. I guess I should be grateful she got a job in Akron after she graduated from NYU.”

Becca reached across the table and touched his arm. “I’m sorry. I seem to have lost every ounce of tact I once had. She’s just doing the usual separation thing, trying to be an adult.”

Awareness rippled through him, reminding him she had once touched him in a more intimate way.

As if sensing his thoughts, Becca quickly withdrew her hand.

The waitress arrived and took their order and the awkward moment passed.

“Tell me the real reason for the lunch invitation.”

Rick cleared his throat. “There are some changes around the office I need to discuss with you.”

“Changes?”

“Personnel. I brought the books for you to take home and look at this evening. Gabe’s only been gone two weeks and I’m swamped. We’re going to lose customers if our service suffers—you know how competitive the rental business is.”

“I know you’ve had a lot on your plate. Can we hire someone to…fill Gabe’s position?”

“We can’t afford two salaries for one position.”

Becca paled. “You’ve continued to pay his salary to us. I have to admit, I didn’t stop to think what that would mean.”

“Believe me, I’d like to keep on paying his salary indefinitely. If business were booming, we could. But you know we’re putting most of our profit back into the agency.”

“You have to do what’s best for the company. Hire someone to take Gabe’s place. We’ll…manage somehow.”

He could tell from the panic in her eyes that she had no idea how her family would manage.

“What about Gabe’s life insurance? Will that tide you over until we can pay you a dividend?”

“He let the policy lapse.”

Rick swore under his breath. How could Gabe have been so careless?

Simple. Gabe hadn’t intended to drop dead at forty-two.

There was no way Rick could pull the rug from beneath Becca. He’d simply have to continue with eighty-hour workweeks and hope for the best. “Forget I said anything. Maybe I can delegate some of Gabe’s duties.”

“What about me? Why don’t I pick up some of the slack?”

“Becca, you’ve got a full-time job of your own at the salon, plus the agency’s accounts receivable and three kids who are grieving for their father. With elderly in-laws, your plate is already too full.”

He didn’t add that it would be nearly impossible to work that closely with her and not be reminded of what they’d shared. And what he feared they’d lost.

Their meals arrived, giving them a moment of respite from the heavy topic.

“This business meant the world to Gabe,” she said. “He wouldn’t want it jeopardized.”

“He wouldn’t want his family jeopardized, either.”

“Then why did he let the policy lapse?” Becca’s confusion and frustration were evident in her voice.

“You meant the world to him, Becca.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that? If I meant the world to him he wouldn’t have left me.”

“He didn—”

“Logically, I know he didn’t choose to leave us. I know he never intended to need that policy, either. But he did. And I can’t help but feel a little…shell-shocked.” Blinking away tears, she said, “Things were so good between us. I can’t believe he’s gone, Rick.”