Chapter Thirty-Nine
“They’re beautiful.” Trent brushed a delicate finger down the velvet cheek. “Which one is this?”
Jade laughed. “That’s Julia.”
“Julia,” he repeated, a vicarious sort of pride mixing with his envy. Her little face was so small and perfect. “Can I hold her?”
“Of course.” Jade carefully passed him the precious bundle and he smiled, cradling the baby’s slight weight in his arms.
Jeremy stepped to his side, holding Jason. “They’re perfect, aren’t they?”
He smiled at his friend. “Absolutely perfect.”
The door creaked and Trent’s heart punched hard against the wall of his chest. Chloe looked at him, expression blank, arms holding a basket of flowers attached to two large balloons, one announcing a boy, the other announcing a girl. She took his breath away.
“Chloe,” Jade said, interrupting their eye contact and leaving Trent’s heart racing.
“Congratulations.” She placed the basket on the table and kissed Jade’s cheek.
He silently watched as she congratulated their friends. Her hair was longer and lighter as if she were trying to get back to her natural blonde. She looked so … different and still so beautiful.
Jeremy passed Chloe the baby and her face lit with an expression he’d never seen before. Her smile lit the room and he added little Jason to list of those he envied most in this world when she pressed a kiss on the baby’s head.
Her gaze lifted and collided with his. He shouldn’t stare, but he couldn’t pull his gaze away. Her chest lifted as she stared back, an invisible thread seeming to anchor them in that special moment.
“Since you’re both here,” Jeremy said and glanced at Jade. His wife nodded. “We have a question for you two.”
Chloe’s focus turned to Jade and Trent’s gaze followed. Jade smiled. “We were hoping you two would be godparents.”
Chloe gasped. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“We love you guys. Of course, it’s what we want.”
Trent beamed. Not only was it an incredible honor, it somehow made him feel closer to Chloe. “Yes. Definitely. I’m honored.”
Jeremy clapped a hand on his back. “Thanks.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
They all turned to Chloe and she quickly nodded. “I’d be honored.”
He and Jeremy broke into conversation, his ears catching on every other word Chloe said as she quietly chatted with Jade. After a while, Chloe announced she had to go. His chest knotted at the unbearable thought of watching her walk away.
“I should get going too.” He passed Jeremy the baby and stood.
Chloe was already through her goodbyes and slipping out the door. He rushed into the hall just as she turned the far corner. He raced after her.
“Chloe, wait…” Coming around the bend, she turned and looked up at him. He caught his breath. “How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been … good. You?”
He was happy she considered herself doing good, but part of him regretted she’d gotten to that good place without him. It had been months and he’d not heard from her. Every time he picked up the phone to call, he told himself not to push. Each day without her was more excruciating than the last.
He wasn’t just lonely. He was incomplete without her. “I’ve been … okay. I miss you.”
Her gaze darted to the ground as her cheeks flushed. “I’ve been meaning to call.”
His heart soared. “Why didn’t you?”
“I…” She glanced up at him, biting down on her lip. “I don’t know.”
“I wanted to call you a thousand times. How are the boys?”
“They’re doing wonderfully.”
“And you? Jeremy and Ty tell me you have quite the operation running in Upper New Castle.”
Her smile radiated with pride. “It’s pretty amazing what you can do when you finally have money.”
Money wasn’t responsible for what she’d created. Her good heart was the culprit. “I’d say it’s more passion than finances. From what I hear, you’ve created a one of a kind facility.”
“A necessary facility,” she corrected. “It’s not finished yet, but it’s getting there.”
“Can I come see it?”
“I… I actually wanted to talk to you about what we would need to turn one room into a gym for self-defense classes.”
His eyes lit, a full smile curling his lips. “Anything you need. I’m your man.” How badly he wished that was true.
“We’re non-profit, so the pay isn’t much, but I’d love to have you teach classes if you’re—”
“Yes. I’ll do it.”
She laughed. “What about your other job.”
He shook his head. He’d saw off his leg for an excuse to be close to her again. His other job could wait. “It’ll all work out.”
“Well … thank you. I’m usually there between nine and two. You can stop by whenever—”
“I’m free now.”
“Oh … okay. That works, too.”
Relieved he wouldn’t have to say goodbye just yet, he waved a hand toward the elevators. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
* * * *
When they arrived at BASE, Chloe gave Trent a tour of the space, her heart beating a mile a minute as her belly flipped every time he looked at her. It seemed as impossible to hold his stare as it would be to hold her hand over a flame, so she kept her gaze mostly focused on their surroundings.
He appeared impressed with everything she’d showed him so far. When she took him through the back room, he pulled out a small notepad and made a list of equipment they would need.
“I can price out all this stuff and work out all the installation details with Ty for you. It’ll only take me a few days to get you an estimate.”
“That would be great. Whatever you need. I have money put aside for the improvements. I want it equipped with anything that’ll help our residents.”
He smiled and a shiver raced up her spine, her focus falling to his shoes.
“This is amazing, what you’ve done here, doll. I’ve been in security for almost fifteen years and I’ve never seen a facility this thought out for the purpose you’re serving. You should be incredibly proud of yourself.”
Heat rushed up the back of her neck. For some reason, his praise was more valuable than others’. “I am.”
“What’s new with the boys?” His tone was cautious.
Discussing her sons was always easier than discussing herself. “Dayton’s making straight A’s and Mattie finally started piano lessons. He’s a natural. I don’t know where he gets his talent.”
His eyes softened, creasing at the corners as his smile gentled. “I miss you.”
It was the second time he said so and twice as impactful. She missed him too, painfully so. But her situation was still the same. No matter how badly she wished she could go back to the way things were, she couldn’t get past the thought of sharing herself intimately with someone else. It was a painful realization no matter how many times the thought occurred to her.
“I’ve missed you, too. But…” And it was even more painful to admit out loud.
“Hey.” He gently touched her cheek and her breath held. “No tears.”
She blinked, mentally demanding she not do this in front of him. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. If you cry, I cry.”
She nodded tightly, stuffing down her emotions. “I wish things could be different.”
“They are different, Chloe. I see that.”
But he didn’t fully understand. “I don’t want to lead you on.”
“I’m a big boy. Why don’t you let me take you out to dinner this week? We can discuss everything that needs to be done for the gym and classes. I can help you set up a schedule and write an ad description so the girls know what to expect.”
“Trenton…”
“Just dinner, Chloe. Think of it as business.”
His words relieved and worried her. “Okay. A business dinner.”
When he smiled she wondered if she was making a mistake. Those sapphire eyes were her undoing. She couldn’t mess this up. If they could somehow figure a way to be friends, if that could somehow be enough for him, she’d be the luckiest woman in the world.
No… Her mind objected. The luckiest woman would be able to have all of him.