rapid departure.
I take a deep breath, and then another.
Why am I so irritable?
Closing my eyes and exhaling deeply, I turn my attention to the printer. Thank God, I keep extra toner on hand. I pop the new one in the machine and click the OK button on top, probably a lot harder than I need to. It instantly starts printing paychecks, and I can’t help but sigh in relief.
I take the stack into my brother-in-law’s office just as he sets down the phone. “The plumber is on his way,” he says to Dane, glancing my way for a brief second.
“I’ll let the front desk know to watch for him,” Dane says before exiting the office, keeping an eye on me the entire way, as if he’s afraid to give me his back.
When he’s gone, I set the stack of checks on his desk and he immediately starts to sign. The silence is deafening, and I know I need to apologize for my shitty mood. He didn’t do anything wrong, yet I’m taking my craptastic day out on him. “Hey, sorry I’ve been a little out of sorts today,” I say as I drop down into the chair across from his desk.
He glances up, glasses perched on his nose, and gives me a small smile. I can totally see why my sister fell head over heels in love with the man. “Gabby, do you remember when you first started?” he asks, setting his pen down and giving me his full attention. The fact that he still has half the paychecks to sign doesn’t go unnoticed by me, and I’m sure it shows on my face.
Harrison just grins again and leans back in his chair. “Those first few days were hell.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, even though I kinda already know where he’s going with this.
“Leaving Winnie and Sophia at home was torture. I wanted to be there, with them, but I couldn’t. I had obligations to this place, to the employees, and to those who pay for our services. I needed to be here, rebuilding what was destroyed by that fire, when all I wanted to do was throw in the towel and head home to my family.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat.
“I promise it gets easier, leaving your child, but you couldn’t have left him in more capable hands,” he says, referring to his wife.
“But he’s not… my child.”
Harrison gives me a pointed look, one eyebrow rising on his forehead. “Isn’t he?”
The air in the office is warm and suffocating as I try to tamp down the tears threatening to fall. Harrison doesn’t call me on them, just picks up the pen and starts to sign his name again.
No, Milo isn’t mine… but sometimes, it feels like he is. That warm feeling I get when I think about that sweet baby hits me square in the chest, making my heart gallop and the waterworks fall. The answer to the big question still hangs open. The lab hasn’t sent the results from the swab, and I think it’s starting to take a toll on my emotions. I reach for a Kleenex on the corner of the desk and silently dab at my lower lids.
When he’s done signing, he slides them back my way. I keep my eyes focused on the names on the checks, carefully dividing them by location and stuffing them in individual envelopes. “I’ll take these,” he says, taking two stacks of completed checks, “And Chase can run these,” he finishes, sliding the other pile my way.
“Okay,” I whisper, the single word thick in my throat, grabbing the stack that’s left for our location.
Harrison looks up, his dark eyes soft with understanding. “Take a quick coffee break.”
“I can’t,” I tell him. “I need to call the distributor.”
“Those diapers aren’t going anywhere. Take a break and then make the call,” he says, getting up and taking payroll with him. I do the same, gathering the pile that Chase will run. “You got this, Gabby.”
Then, he does something completely shocking and pulls me into a hug.
“Thank you,” I whisper, sniffling against his All Fit T-shirt.
Before my brother-in-law can reply, a loud, animalist growl fills the room. “You got your own woman, Drake. Get your hands off mine.”
Harrison snorts, but doesn’t let go. “Mind your own business, Callahan,” he teases, knowing he’s ultimately just poking the bear.
“Fuck off,” Chase demands, pulling me from his best friend’s arms and into his own. His familiar scent and embrace washes over me,