Her mother gasped. “Good grief, Heather, you’re only going to be gone for a few days.”

Heather frowned and stared down at her overflowing suitcase that had taken up most of the space on her bed. “Yes, but Linda told me that we’d socializing. Lounging by the pool. Drinking on the beach. That sort of thing.”

They were in her bedroom, which she had spent the day turning upside down in an effort to pack everything she needed for this trip to California. Heather had been packing all day Sunday for the upcoming trip, but she still wasn’t finished.

She started assessing everything in her suitcase, cross-checking everything with the list she was holding in her hand.

“Sounds more like a vacation than a work trip,” her mother murmured. “I must say, it sounds exciting.”

She gazed at her mother, who was busy helping her pack toiletries into a small bag.

“It does,” Heather said. “I’m still nervous, though.”

“Oh, Finn will be just fine, sweetie.” Her mother patted her shoulder gently. “Your father and I will take good care of him.”

“No, it’s not that. I know that Finn is in good hands with you guys.” Her parents always took good care of her son, spoiling him with affection. He was lucky to have such doting grandparents. “It’s the trip. I’m worried about how going on a trip alone with Simon will look.”

Her mother set the bag on her bed. “People are always going to gossip, sweetie. Even if the public hadn’t found out about your relationship with Simon, they still judge women in your position anyway. You know how people love to gossip about women close to powerful men.”

“Simon said something similar a few days ago.” Heather sighed. “I know how people gossip, but I was never the kind of woman people gossiped about.”

Ever since high school, she had just blended into the background. Most people didn’t notice her, and she liked that just fine. But Simon had noticed her. Even after he had become popular in high school. Even after he had become one of the richest men on the planet, he had noticed her. More than noticed her. Pursued her. Protected her. Then, he had betrayed her in the worst way possible. Her heart still hadn’t mended from that awful day. That awful day when he had told her he really thought she was capable of stabbing him in the back. Of spying on him and stealing his work.

The pain in her heart was still so sharp it hurt even worse than their first breakup all those years ago. The pain was so raw now. So much more acute. Back in high school, when Simon had broken up with her, she didn’t know it was to try and protect her from the stress of a long distance relationship. He’d ended things to follow his dreams which she knew he had the right to do. But his accusations hadn’t been about protecting her or chasing a dream. It had been deliberately cruel. And she had never envisioned Simon as a cruel person. That change in him had shocked her down to her core. Thrown her off balance.

But that didn’t stop her from yearning for him. When he had made the offer to come to California, she had projected an air of confidence to hide the fact that she missed him so much she could barely stand it.

Her mother sat down on the bed and motioned for her to sit down. Heather sat on the edge of the bed beside her mother.

“I know you’ve been under so much stress.” Her mother reached out to smooth her hair the way she often did to soothe and comfort Heather. It was working. Heather already felt a tiny bit stronger. “It’s hard to work at such an elite company.”

“You’d think I’d be used to it by now after all the stuff that went down at VLA,” Heather said.

“I don’t think anyone ever really gets used to challenges, hon,” her mother said. “What matters is how you deal with them. And I think you’ve been handling all this stuff remarkably well. You’ve had to deal with the media and your feelings for Simon, which can’t be easy. I remember how hard the earlier breakup was on you. Not to mention you have to deal with how horrible Gary has been to you.”

“Well, you did give me a gentle warning about Gary before I married him.” Heather grimaced. “Maybe I should have listened to you.”

“You did what you thought was right under the circumstances,” her mother said. “I never liked him, but you were trying to protect your son the best way you knew how. What mother doesn’t want to protect her children?”

Heather gave her a small smile. “And you were trying to protect me when you warned me about Gary.”

Her mother returned her smile. “I know you’re worried about this trip but, whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

“So, you don’t think I’m a fool to still feel something for Simon? Even after all those things he said?”

“Of course not.” Her mother patted her cheek gently. “You’ve spent most of your life being practical, but for some reason, when it comes to that man your heart takes over your brain. He brings that out in you.”

“He also drives me crazy.” Heather laughed, her heart fluttering now that the topic had veered to Simon. “There’s never a dull moment with him.”

“Good. I’m sure this trip will probably be very exciting.” Her mother waggled her eyebrows, making Heather gasp.

“Mom.”

“What?” Her mother’s face softened into the picture of innocence. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re implying things you shouldn’t be implying,” Heather chided. “He’s my boss. This is a business trip. There isn’t going to be any funny business.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. People might speculate, but if nothing is going on then it will all be idle speculation.”

Idle speculation could still ruin a career. Not to mention that photo of them in a lip-lock at their reunion was still floating around out there. Dover’s lawyers were working overtime to keep it under wraps, but knowing it was out there was like waiting for another shoe to drop. Another scandal that her ex-husband could use against her in court.

“What if Gary uses this trip in court to take Finn away from me?” Heather asked.

Her mother frowned. “Well, do you want to back out of the trip? Should Gary really have so much control over you that he ruins this chance to change your career?”

This trip to California really was the next level. She might have only gotten the chance because she was the only person Linda could spare during the new magazine launch, but Linda was still trusting her with a huge project. Heather had already done a ton of research, so she knew how important Blue Naught was. Dover’s board might not see its importance, but their rivals at VLA were probably fuming that Simon had managed to poach the startup out from under them. “I want to protect Finn. If Gary uses this trip against us in court, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“What does your lawyer think?”

“He thinks I should go. He says people will already speculate, and if I do well on this trip it will look like I’m a professional who can put the past behind me and move forward,” Heather said with a sigh. “I mean, I trust him, but he isn’t exactly like the fancy lawyer Simon paid for to get Finn back. My lawyer works at a small law firm and I’ve got, at most, two people working on my case. With a lawyer like the one Simon paid for, I’d have dozens of people in my corner.”

Her lawyer might not be working for some hot-shot law firm, but she had given him the client list that Linda had shared with her. He was helping her with the investigation, and it was good to have a professional on her side while she worked to figure out who had betrayed Simon. Not to mention, Dover’s IT guys were looking into the hacking. Maybe there was a chance she could clear her name.

“I recall you told me that Simon offered to pay for a lawyer,” her mother pointed out.

She shook her head. “No, I can’t go down that road. I can’t take that kind of money from my boss. The last time Simon helped me financially, it got into the papers and everyone found out about our affair. It’s way too risky, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to take that kind of money. That lawyer was expensive enough after one day’s work. Imagine the fee after an entire court case. Besides, it would be awkward to ask for that kind of help after I’ve told him I don’t want his help.”

Her mother sighed. “Oh, Heather. Sometimes I wish you could see what was right in front of you.”

She looked at her mother quizzically. “What does that mean?”

“It means you spent so many years married to a man who didn’t appreciate you that you don’t think you deserve any kind of help or happiness. You think you’re supposed to do it all by yourself with no help. Your father and I had to beg you to let us help with Finn.”

“You sound like Simon.” Heather narrowed her eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were plotting with him.”

“I’m not.” Her mother paused. “I support whatever decision you make, but I know that man brings out something in you that I haven’t seen since you were a kid.”

“What’s that?”

“Happiness.”

“I am happy,” Heather insisted. “As long as I have Finn.”

“What Simon brings out in you is a different kind of happiness. It’s like this pure joy that radiates off you,” her mother said. “You’re excited about life. You’re scared of going on this trip, but I’ve seen you do all that research later at night. Work excites you. When you talk about Simon, there’s a smile on your face. Every time you talk about Gary you look like you’re sucking on a lemon.”

Heather laughed. “Okay, Mom. I get it. You’re Team Simon.”

“You’re darn right I am. Every time you talk about Simon you get a dreamy look on your face.”

“So, you’re not ashamed of me? Of the affair? The scandal hanging over me?”

Her mother’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “No. Never. I could never be ashamed of you. Heather, you are the thing in my life I am most proud of. I can’t believe I raised such a wonderful daughter. You’re the bravest, kindest person I know. This relationship with Simon might be full of drama, but you followed your heart. And that’s what every parent wants for their child.”

Tears stung the back of her eyes and she cleared her throat. “Thanks, Mom.”

Her mother must have seen the tears about to fall because she pulled her close and held her tight. “I know things aren’t easy, sweetie, but I’m here. Your father and I will support you through anything. And we are never going to let that jackass of an ex-husband take that boy away from you.”

She laughed through her tears and held on to her mother. “You’re the best, Mom.”

“Thank you, sweetie.” Her mother kissed the top of her head. “And if things get too difficult on your trip, you can always call me.”

Her heart felt lighter than it had in days. Knowing that she had her mother in her corner made hope grow in her heart. She had ended things with Simon, but that didn’t mean her life had ended. Her career still meant so much to her, and this was the perfect opportunity to prove herself. All she had to do was keep her hands off of Simon and focus on the work. With any luck, this trip would go well after all.

~~*~~

HE’D BEEN SUMMONED by the board. Again.

As he sauntered into the conference room, Simon scowled at the board members who had already taken their seats. It was always difficult to corral them when he had something important to discuss, but whenever they wanted him they all managed to gather on short notice.

Most of the senior staff was seated at the conference table, including Everett Eastman and Linda.

Everett returned Simon’s scowl, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Glad you could join us, Simon.”

“What’s this about?” Simon walked over to the table.

“We have much to discuss,” Everett said darkly. “Including this little trip you’re embarking on tomorrow.”

“You make it sound like something nefarious,” Simon said. “Last week, I informed the board. I made the whats and the whys clear.”

“Yes, but you’re taking that woman with you,” Everett said, his voice dripping with disdain.

“That woman has a name,” Simon snarled. “It’s Heather or Ms. Hall to you. See that you remember it.”

Everett frowned, the hard expression on his face giving way to discomfort. “Ms. Hall is going to be your companion on that trip.”

“We’re going in a professional capacity.” Simon tried to ignore the painful squeeze of his heart. Because the last thing he wanted was a professional relationship with Heather. He wanted more. So much more. Wanted it so badly it felt like his heart might explode behind his ribcage.

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Everett barked.

“I don’t give a damn what you believe,” Simon countered. “This is my company.”

“If you cared so much about your company, you’d stay away from that wo-Ms. Hall.” Everett’s eyes flashed with anger. “Things have just started to improve. Sales are better. They’re not as good as we wanted, mind you, but they’re getting there. And on top of it, our legal department has just informed us that the compromising photo of you and Ms. Hall won’t be released. We managed to secure a legal motion that keeps it out of the press. For now, anyway. Plus, news of the hacking has died down. Things are finally starting to go right. Why jeopardize that?” 

“I’m not trying to jeopardize anything.” He was losing control of his temper. Simon could actually feel the control slipping from his grasp. The fact that Everett was using his company against Heather filled him with a rage he couldn’t describe. It was low to try to use profit margins and sales against Heather. She meant so much more than that.

If he had to choose between Dover and Heather, he’d pick Heather. Without question. Without hesitation.

That thought released the vise that was crushing his heart. Heather meant more to him than his dreams. Because Heather was his dream. She was what he wanted. That was why the prospect of this trip had put his mind in such a fog. Why he’d so easily finessed a way to convince her to go to California with him.

It wasn’t about the acquisition. Sure, he was excited about this new startup, but that paled in comparison to the prospect of getting to be with her, away from the judgment of everyone at Dover. Even though he knew that she was through with him, just being in her presence would be enough to soothe the dull ache that his heart had become.

That was why he checked his messages on his phone so obsessively. The chance that she had sent him a message had turned him into the kind of man who was glued to his phone. Sometimes, he found himself daydreaming about her. Literally daydreaming about her voice. Her perfume. The way her lips curved into a smile. Nothing thrilled him more than when he was the one to make her smile. Make her laugh.

It was then that it dawned on him. He was in love with Heather.

Simon had always known that love was a chemical trick of the brain. But what he hadn’t known until this moment was that the chemicals were proof that love was actually a real, tangible thing. If even his brain reacted to her, then that made his love for her a scientific, provable fact. An undeniable thing like the moon, or carbon dioxide.

“Simon?” Everett’s voice dragged him from his racing thoughts. “Why don’t you sit down so we can have a civilized discussion?”

“Why? You’ve already made up your mind.” Simon crossed his arms.

“Everett, taking Heather to California was my idea,” Linda interrupted. “Don’t blame Simon.”

Simon held up his hand to silence her. “No, Linda. This is entirely my decision. It had nothing to do with you.” He wasn’t going to let Linda risk Everett’s wrath.

“I do blame Simon,” Everett said to Linda. “I hold him solely responsible for the mess we’re in.”

“Funny, you blame me when times are tough, but never when they’re good,” Simon said. “You always took the credit for when Dover did well.”

Everett’s face turned red. “That’s not fair.”

“I don’t care. It’s the truth.”

“You cannot throw this company away for Ms. Hall,” Everett said. “You’re to inform her immediately that she will no longer be going on this trip. Either find someone else or go alone.”

“No.” Simon’s eyes swept across the room, making sure he locked eyes with every senior executive sitting at the table, so they would know he was serious. “I’m only going to say this once. I’m not giving her up for anything. I love her. If you don’t like it, you can all go to hell.”

Simon turned around before he could see the look on Everett’s face. He didn’t give a damn about Everett or his threats anymore. Simon was going to have Heather if he had to literally tear Dover headquarters down with his bare hands to do it. She might not know it yet, but she was his. And this trip to California was the perfect opportunity to win her back. Screw the board or anyone else.