Chance - Deborah Bladon Page 0,57

I have to hear it. I've replayed what happened in the bedroom of the Hamptons house over and over again since I left there. None of it makes sense to me. "I need to hear it."

"Caleb loves you as much, if not more, than he loved the woman he was engaged to." He cups his hand under my chin. "He's so scared that you're going to break his heart that he's determined to break yours first."

I shake my head slightly, noting the resistance in his touch. "I don't think that's it. If Caleb loved me he'd tell me. He wouldn’t push me away."

"The fact that he's pushing you away is his way of telling you he loves you, Rowan. He's scared and he doesn't know how to trust in his own heart."

Chapter 40

"Are you planning on going to that party the Fosters are having?"

I came into work a day earlier than I had originally planned. It's Tuesday morning and the first words out of Clive's mouth are about the Foster family. I may just need to pack up my life and move to California to escape those men.

"No," I say without asking any details about what the hell he's talking about. The very last thing I want to do right now is party with the Fosters. I'd rather do my taxes, or Clive's taxes or anyone's taxes.

"No?" he repeats back. "You're not planning on sending Jordan in your place, are you?"

My eyes dart up to his face. I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not. The Jordan joke is past its prime but Clive is notorious for beating a joke to death with the hope that he can get one final laugh out of it. "If the Foster brothers are having a party, I don't want to be there."

"You need to be there," he says succinctly. "It's a charity event, Rowan. I'm presenting the Foundation with a gift from Corteck and since Lilly's best friend is Ben Foster we need to have a strong presence at the event."

Dr. Ben Foster is one of the few Fosters I've yet to meet. He's Caleb, Asher and Gabriel's cousin. He's also co-founder of the Foster Foundation with his twin brother Noah, the famed photographer. I met Noah four years ago when I went to a private showing of one of his gallery openings. The walls had been covered with breathtaking photographs of nude women. I was in awe of his talent and mesmerized by his passion to create art. We'd had a long conversation about chasing after your dreams and even though my dreams didn't line up with his, he was encouraging and attentive.

"There's no reason for me to be there," I point out. "I admire everything the Foundation does, but it has nothing to do with me."

It's true. The Foster Foundation is an organization that provides medical care to anyone who can't afford it. The main focus has always been on providing for those who have no roof over their heads. Ben Foster has set up clinics around the city for anyone who wants care but can't afford it. Their philosophy is simple. They don't ask questions. They are there to help. I've gifted their non-profit with a check for the past two years on my birthday as a way to celebrate my own good health.

"Corteck is partnering with the Foundation." He lowers himself into one of the chairs in front of my desk. "We're donating a software program that the city's homeless shelters can use to streamline the medical care of the people who stay at those facilities."

Again, I don't see the direct connection to me. "That's great, Clive. You know I'm on board for anything philanthropic that the company does, but I'm sure someone else can take my place."

"I'm not asking you to be there as an employee, Rowan." He crosses his legs as he leans forward in the chair. "I'm asking you as a friend. This is a big deal to Lilly and I."

I need to widen my circle of friends beyond people with the surname Foster, but until I manage that, I do the right thing. "Tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

"I didn't know if you'd stop by." Asher swings the door of his apartment open.

I scan his face noting how much different he looks now that he's shaved the beard and had his haircut. He looks exactly as he did before he ran away on his selfish adventure. I'm still reeling from the