The bed was still a mess, but he grabbed hold of the sheet and covered her with it.
“Is it bedtime already?” she asked sleepily.
“Yep.”
“I should call my son,” she said.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” he asked. His parents had been drunks for most of his childhood, and he had gotten his fair share of drunken phone calls from them. Heather wasn’t an alcoholic as far as he could tell, but he couldn’t imagine getting a drunken phone call from his mother would do Finnley any good.
“No, you’re right. I’m way too drunk,” she said. “But I want to tell him that I love him.”
Her words shot straight to his heart. In this moment, he could deny her nothing. “How about we text him? He’s old enough to read, right?”
She nodded. “He’s still reading picture books, but yes, he can read. And he’s with his grandparents, so they’ll help read the message to him.”
“I can help you write a text,” he suggested. “Where’s your phone?”
“In my bag,” she said, pointing to the night table.
Simon reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. “I know you can’t read without your glasses, so what do you want me to type for you?”
“Just tell him hi,” she said. “And that Mommy loves him very much. And that I miss him.”
For a moment, a strange wistfulness settled over him. He had never thought he’d be the type of man to start a family but seeing Heather’s love for her son almost made him wish for more. Much more than the ordered, isolated life he had built for himself.
He started texting furiously and sent the message according to Heather’s instructions.
Moments later, he got a reply and read it out loud to Heather. “Hello Mommy. Hugging you through the phone.”
She smiled. “He’s such a sweet boy.”
“Yeah, he seems like a great kid.” Envy made his stomach knot up. It wasn’t right to be jealous of her ex-husband. Despite their divorce, it was clear that Gary had given Heather something Simon had no idea how to give. Happiness.
If he was less set in his ways, and their relationship less fraught, he might be ready to try. To try to make a woman happy. And if he could choose that woman, it would be Heather. He shoved that crazy thought away. Sex with Heather had been incredible. Mind-blowing. But mind-blowing sex wasn’t the foundation of a relationship. Not the kind of relationship that a woman like Heather deserved.
He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Goodnight, Heather.”
She yawned loudly. “G’night, Simon. You’re a good guy. Too good. Thank you.”
“No problem.” Simon turned away and headed into the living room. From the sound of her heavy breathing, it was obvious that Heather was drifting off to sleep. Her hangover would probably be terrible tomorrow, but at least it looked like she wouldn’t be throwing up tonight.
He settled in front of the TV and started mindlessly flicking through the channels. His thoughts were racing, going over the events of the day. As he went over everything, he found himself torn.
Part of him cared about the Heather he had just helped into bed. The mother who cared so deeply for her son that it moved even a stone-hearted man like him. But the other part of him remembered that she couldn’t be trusted. Not with all the lies she had told him.
Knowing that she had told him so many lies was going to make it impossible for him to get a good night’s sleep. Because he knew that the more he got to know Heather, the less he really knew about his new assistant.
Chapter 14
She woke up with a splitting headache. The worst of her life.
Heather had no idea what time it was, but it was far too bright. With all the strength she could muster, she hauled herself up to sit upright on the bed.
Suddenly, Simon stepped into the room, slipping a jacket over his broad shoulders. “Finally up?”
Searing pain needled through her skull. “Please. Not so loud.” She held her hand up and shut her eyes tightly. Anything to shut the world out while a jackhammer went to town on her brain.
“I’m going downstairs for breakfast,” he said. “If you have a quick shower, you’ll probably still have time to make it for breakfast before the day starts.”