“Just spoke to my editor about it. How is the mood at the office?”
“Our PR team is flipping out. We’re going to have a meeting about it today.”
“Okay. We’re still on for lunch?” I asked.
“Sure. In two hours, right?”
I just wanted to be with him so we could regroup together.
“Yes.”
“Sure, babe. Just come here. Love you.”
“I love you too.”
I smiled, feeling a lot lighter after hanging up. I sat in the coffee shop long enough to finish my decaf mocha before heading to the theater. Avery and her group were already in the lobby. She barreled into me, wrapping her arms around my middle, grinning up at me.
“Hey, lovebug. How was the show?”
“Super boring. Are we still going to see Ryker?”
“Yes, we are. Come on, let’s go.”
I chuckled, hugging her with one arm. After thanking her teacher for making attendance the next day optional, we headed to Central Park. We still had an hour and a half until we were meeting Ryker. It was going to be a short (and very late) lunch, because we still had to make it home in time to get Avery’s bag and head to JFK. We ended up taking a long stroll through the park, and when we arrived at the fund, the receptionist handed me a visitor badge automatically. I wasn’t there on official business, but eh, she didn’t need to know that minor detail.
Once we were on Ryker’s floor, we stealthily made our way to his office. No one paid attention to us. It seemed even crazier than usual; everyone was running around in a frenzy. Even Ruby lacked her usual spark. Her hair was in disarray, as if she’d run her hands repeatedly through it. I waved at her, but she didn’t notice me.
I was surprised to find Ryker’s office empty.
“Let’s wait in here,” I told Avery. “He’ll come soon.”
She immediately sat in his leather chair, spinning around, grinning from ear to ear. I intended to call him, then noticed that his cellphone was lying between two stacks of paper on his desk. Okay, nothing to do but wait, then. I sat on the other chair.
“Avery, please don’t touch anything,” I warned.
“Yes, Mommy. I’m a big girl. I’m careful.” She touched one of the stacks, just barely, but it tumbled down from the desk the next second. I jumped from my chair, trying to catch them all, but only managed to get a paper cut on my left palm. The papers just spread everywhere. Jesus! I went to my knees, gathering them. Shit, I didn’t know how to put them back in order. The pages weren’t numbered. I just placed them back on the desk as best as I could.
“Heather?” Owen’s voice sounded from the doorway. Crap.
“Hi, Owen. This is my daughter, Avery.”
He stepped inside, glaring at the disorderly stack of papers. “Those are confidential documents.”
“They just fell on the floor, and I put them back.”
“They fell because of me,” Avery said apologetically. “But I don’t know how. I was being careful.”
She was still sitting in Ryker’s chair, which Owen definitively didn’t appreciate.
“What are you doing here, Heather?”
“We’re just waiting for Ryker so we can go to lunch.”
“He can’t take a lunch break today. He’s in a huge meeting.”
“Oh. Okay. We’ll just wait for him.”
“It’s going to take hours. You can’t wait here. This is not a place for children.”
I straightened up, jutting my chin forward. “I know. It’s.... Can I talk to Ryker for a minute or leave him a message?”
“No. Look, Ryker needs to focus right now. He doesn’t have time to chase children around the office or clean up after them. He’s got more important things to do.” His voice was so harsh that Avery gasped. Her eyes widened. She clutched the armrests with her tiny hands. I rolled my palms into fists.
“I know you’re pissed about the article, but honestly, it’s your fault for bringing Dawson into this in the first place.” Now, why I went and said that I’ll never know, but attacking my girl just pushed me a little too far.
“I can do whatever the hell I want.”
“Yes, but I’m not going to let you take it out on my daughter and me.”
“Don’t wait up here.” With a dismissive nod, he turned around, leaving the office. I hurried to Avery, who was rubbing her eyes. Oh, no. She was crying.
I crouched to her level, cradling her head with both hands. “Baby girl, why are you crying?”
Avery let out a heart-wrenching sob. “Ryker doesn’t want to see us.”
“It’s not that, baby. He’s busy.”
“He forgot about us.” Her lower lip was trembling.
“Sometimes, you only find out you have a meeting a few minutes before. Like Mommy sometimes has to go for interviews, you know?”
“But now we’re here, and he’s not coming to see us,” Avery insisted. “What if he doesn’t want us anymore?”
My heart just cracked. “Avery, of course he does.”
“But that mister said that Ryker has more important things to do than us.”
“He only meant the meeting.”
“How do you know?” Avery asked, tearing up again. “How do you know?”
I had to change topics, take my girl’s mind off it.
“I just know, honey. Please trust me. Listen, why don’t we go home? We need to take your bag and leave for the airport anyway. Then you’ll be with Gran and Pops and all your animals.”
Her sobs subsided a little, but she held out her hands. Oh, no! Lately, she only wanted in my arms when she was inconsolable. I carried her all the way out of the building. On the cab ride to the apartment, I tried to talk more about her animals and her best friend there, Jillian, but she only gave me monosyllabic answers.
Once we were at home, we ate some leftover pasta, and then I did the last checks on her luggage. She was usually so bubbly and happy before leaving for Phoenix. But now, she was just sitting on her bed, dangling her feet. I sat next to her, caressing her cheek.
“Honey, what’s wrong? You don’t want to go?”
“I have to go. Tony misses me. And Gran and Pops too.”
“That’s right, they do.”
“Can you come with me?”
“To Phoenix?”
“Yes. Pleaaaase.”
Oh, God. I couldn’t just buy a last-minute ticket to Phoenix. But I also couldn’t just let my girl leave like this. She needed reassurance, and all the love I could give her. I just had to pack in a hurry and buy a ticket. It was only the weekend after all, and I could edit my articles out of my parents’ place too. Jesus, I already didn’t know my ass from my elbow. I checked the price of a last-minute ticket, because this was honestly the deciding factor. I blew out a breath of relief when I found one that fit in my budget.
Two hours later, when we met Mom at the gate, I was a mess, and so was Avery. I’d thought I managed to soothe her but quickly realized I hadn’t because my girl had wanted to stay in my arms most of the time. We barely made it on time to the airport. I’d texted Mom on the way to let her know I was traveling with them as well. Thankfully, she hadn’t asked why. She gave me the usual Mom-check, and her eyebrows went high up her forehead. She opened her mouth, but I shook my head lightly, pointing toward Avery. Mom pursed her lips but focused on Avery.