“So, you do regret it?”
“No. That’s the problem,” she said. “I don’t regret being with you. And if I had any sense at all I would.” The fact that she had found more pleasure with Simon than she had with any other man terrified her. Made her feel completely out of control.
And control was the one thing she needed now. Her marriage to Gary had brought so much heartache. The only way to protect it now was to focus on work and her son. Entertaining the idea of a relationship with Simon was out of the question. She had to lock up her heart. Lock it up so tight that no man ever got close to it again. Her bruised and battered heart couldn’t survive another heartbreak.
When they got to her parents’ house, the place was dark. Their car wasn’t in the driveway, either. Her heart sank at the sight of the dark house. She had a key, so she opened the front door and turned on some lights.
“I can wait here with you.”
Simon’s voice made her whirl around in the passageway near the house’s entrance. She winced. Heather had been so preoccupied with getting inside the house to find her son that she had just left Simon in the car.
“Do you think it’s wise to just wait here?” she asked. “What if something has happened to them and they’re out there in trouble?”
“Well, if neither of your parents is home, I suspect they’re somewhere together,” he replied. “Which probably means they aren’t in too much danger.”
“And what about Finnley?” She bit her lip, unable to hold her anxiety inside.
He approached her, took her hand, and squeezed it gently. “Whatever is going on, I won’t leave you until he’s safe with you, okay?”
“Okay,” she said softly. Simon was being so strong and reassuring. So kind and attentive. Guilt over her argument with him washed over her, but she pushed the guilt aside. All that mattered was finding her son.
“Do you have any way to get in touch with his teacher or something?” Simon asked. “The school is closed, but maybe his teacher might have some more information.”
She pulled her hand away to open her bag and grab her cell phone. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“You were stressed,” he replied. “Sometimes that makes it harder to think clearly. But that’s what I’m here for. To help you find him.”
With shaking hands she searched through her contacts and called her son’s teacher. When Finn’s teacher answered, it was impossible to keep the panic out of her voice as she pressed her for information. After his teacher informed her about Finn’s injury she quickly hung up and turned to Simon.
He frowned. “What is it?”
“Finn’s teacher says he fell off the slide and my parents picked him up,” she said.
“Is he okay?”
She felt the tears prick the back of her eyes. “I don’t know. His teacher sounded calm, but I can’t stand thinking that he might have hurt himself and I wasn’t there for him.”
The sound of a car engine outside grabbed her attention, and before she could think she ran out of the house. Her parents’ beat-up old station wagon had just pulled up, and she watched as her father helped Finn limp towards her.
“Mommy!”
“Finn!” At the sight of her son, Heather ran towards Finnley and wrapped her arms around him. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine, Mommy,” Finn said.
She pulled back to get a good look at him. There was a bewildered expression on her son’s round face.
“Your teacher said you hurt yourself falling off the slide,” she said as she noticed the bandages around his lower leg.
“He sprained his ankle a tiny bit, that’s all,” her father said. “When we picked him up he was crying and howling up a storm.”
Her mother stepped out of the car. “But he was so brave when the doctor had a look at him.”
“So, he’s okay?” Heather demanded.
“I’m fine, Mommy.” Her son flashed her a smile. “The doctor says I get to miss P.E. for the next week! I got a note and everything.”
She almost laughed. He was still missing some of his front teeth, and a smile from Finnley was rare these days. Heather patted his head gently. “That’s nice. I’m glad to see that you’re okay, pumpkin. Why don’t you go inside with Grandpa?”