“Barrett?” Mr. Adler bangs on the door. “I’m not leaving until we talk.”
Heaving out a sigh, Barrett tucks himself back into his pants before he fastens the belt. Running a hand over his hair, he flashes a smile. “That was fucking amazing, Bella.”
Toeing into my heels, I smile. “I’m glad you approve, sir. Shall I show your visitor in?”
“If I say no will you send him back where he came from?”
Holding back a laugh, I shake my head. “The sooner you talk to him, the sooner I can interrupt and tell you that you have a meeting.”
Closing the distance between us with two heavy steps, he cups my face in his hands and kisses me.
“I’m about to break this door down.” Mr. Adler fumes.
Pulling away, Barrett sighs. “Better let the old man in before he hurts himself.”
I smooth my hands over my skirt, move to the door and swing it open.
The man on the other side is frail with graying hair and a vacant expression on his face. He pushes past me, barreling into the room with the aid of a wooden cane. An oversized suit jacket is hanging from his shoulders.
I turn to see Barrett looking his dad over.
“You have some nerve,” Mr. Adler wobbles closer to his son. “Thinking you could march back into her life like you did nothing wrong.”
I know I should close the door and walk away, but I stand and stare at Barrett and his dad. This is what a fractured family looks like. These two men became strangers over something that happened a long time ago.
“I know what I did wrong.” Barrett’s arms cross over his chest. “You think I could forget that?”
“I think you’re looking for salvation.” Mr. Adler’s hand clenches around the top of his cane.
“Salvation?” Barrett barks out a laugh. “I’m looking for ten seconds of peace. Just one fucking moment where this guilt doesn’t eat me from the inside out.”
Mr. Adler glances over his shoulder at me. “You can go.”
“Don’t order her to do anything.” Barrett’s shoulders fall back.
I don’t need him to fight this battle for me. This is a private moment between a father and his only son.
“I’ll go get a coffee.” I step out of the office. “If you need me, you know how to reach me.”
I lock eyes with Barrett before I close the door softly. All I see in his gaze is a sorrow so profound that it steals my breath.
***
I get back to my desk an hour later hoping that the Adler men aren’t at each other’s throats. I peer into Barrett’s office. There’s no one there.
I fall into my chair, dropping my purse in the bottom drawer of my desk.
A yellow sticky note catches my eye.
It’s half-hidden beneath the file folder that serves as a cover for my crossword puzzle.
I slide the puzzle and the sticky note out and read the message handwritten in black ink.
I just checked my calendar. 6 meetings this afternoon? WTF? I’ll be out for the rest of the day.
I laugh aloud. I scheduled all of those meetings to make up for the ones I had to cancel so he could spend time with his sisters.
My gaze drops to the crossword puzzle. It’s new. I completed the other one when I filled in the blanks to form the word fear.