And I can’t do that.
Letting out a shuddering breath, I nod once. “All right.”
His hand drops. I shiver with a sudden cold that has nothing to do with the weather.
“Don is couriering the paperwork today. Sign and notarize it by the end of the week.”
With that parting remark, Lucas disappears into his car.
And I watch the man I’m still in love with drive away as my heart breaks again.
Chapter Eight
Lucas
The move to the West Coast takes five days to arrange, even though Blake’s place is fully furnished and I only need to bring some clothes and shoes. It isn’t the actual move that takes the time, but making sure Gail and the staff will be all right. She and the landscapers have been with me for over two years. There’s no way I’m dumping them into the unemployment office just because I’m leaving Charlottesville.
Then there’s the paperwork from Don. Ava scrawled her signature on the dotted line and the document has been duly notarized. It should’ve made the weight on my shoulders ease, but somehow it seems to have moved to the center of my heart where it sits like a boulder—hard, uncomfortable and impossible to ignore.
Now I’m on the plane, less than an hour away from landing in L.A. “So you’re not mad, right?” Rachel asks over the phone. We’ve spent the last forty-five minutes going over items for my arrival.
I gaze at my knuckles and brush them against my pants. “Do you want me to be?”
“No, of course not,” she says hurriedly. “It’s just I know how much you hate interference.”
“I’m not insanely happy that you went to Blake, but I understand why you did.”
She sighs. “Thanks, boss. I just didn’t know what to do when Gail called. She sounded so worried.”
“I know.”
“I’ll meet you in L.A. next week.”
“Don’t bother.” Rachel doesn’t enjoy flying, and I don’t ask her to travel on my behalf unless it’s unavoidable. “I have something else for you to work on.”
“Oh?”
“I’m going to start giving speeches, and maybe taking on a few interesting projects.”
“Really?” The single word rises high, almost making me wince. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Why do you sound so shocked?”
“Um. Well. I turned down like seven offers without reviewing them less than two hours ago.”
“Then tell them there’s been an error and review their propositions. Send me the ones that look the most promising.” She’s been with me a while and knows what I’ll find interesting.
“Will do. Anything else?”
“Nope. I trust that you got everything squared away.”
“Great. Glad you’re back, boss.”
“I’m not going to be in Seattle.”
“I know, but this is better than you not working and always flying out to that…town.”
I pause. Rachel never pretends she doesn’t know what’s going on in my life. We’ve been together too long for those kind of games. But her sudden hesitation makes me grit my teeth. She must’ve sensed that everything went bad in Charlottesville.