It sounded like parting words. His heart hammered on his ribs.
I need to distract her.
“If you believe all that stuff you said, why would you get freaked out because some stranger said hateful things on social media?”
“Knowing it in my head and putting it into practice are two different things. I’m working on it, though. In fact, before I leave town, I plan to talk to the reporters and tell them I’m filing for divorce. I don’t want you to lose any fans over this.”
He cringed. “I think your ex-husband may have already spilled the beans. Evidently he made quite a stir today.”
“Oh no!” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I didn’t believe him when he threatened to do it. I’ll make a statement or something. Somehow, I’ll fix it.”
“It’s probably best to let it die down. But do me a favor and don’t go anywhere without Mack.”
She groaned. “Fine. I can handle having a Mack-sized shadow for three weeks, I guess.”
He followed on her heels as she made her way to the door, snatching her purse from the entry table. Gus whined as he circled them, probably hoping for a walk.
“So this is it, then? You’re leaving, and I’ll never see you again?” He had to say something. Anything. Something to make her stay. But his head felt hollow. He couldn’t even think.
“I’ll call you if I have any information about your birth mom.” A single tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a glistening track. “But yes, this is goodbye. Thank you for everything.”
“We might run into each other,” he said in desperation. “I still own your motel.”
“It would probably be best if that didn’t happen. Maybe we can communicate through Mack, since he’s going to be around all the time.”
She turned to leave, but he caught her arm.
“Brooke, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you what you want.”
Her nostrils flared, and she stretched her lips into a trembling half-smile. “Don’t be sorry. It was the best time of my life.”
“Can I kiss you? One last time?”
The muscles in her throat convulsed, and she dropped her eyes.
“No.”
With that whispered word, she turned and walked out, the door closing behind her with a thunk that made him flinch.
Gus let out a mournful howl. Could he sense she was gone forever?
On wooden legs, Cole stumbled to the closest chair and dropped into it. The air in the room thickened, too congealed to pass into his lungs. Pain stabbed in his chest.
Deep inside, he knew this was the real reason he would never commit to a woman. It had nothing to do with what his birth mother might or might not have done, and everything to do with avoiding this inevitable agony.
If losing Brooke was this painful now, how excruciating would it have been if he’d let himself fall in love with her?
More than I could bear.
CHAPTER 22
“That’s the last of them.” Brooke pressed her hands into the small of her back, which had a habit of aching all the time for the past week or so.
Mack wedged the remaining gift bags into the back seat, along with the huge box that contained her brand-new Pack ‘n Play. “Are you going to leave all this stuff in here when you drive back to Oklahoma tomorrow morning?”
“That was my plan. Cole already had my boxes shipped up there, so I only have a couple of suitcases left. Hopefully, they’ll fit in the front seat.”
She wasn’t looking forward to the seven-hour drive. Her feet would be the size of watermelons by the time she got home.
“Are you going to miss this place?” Mack asked.
“Not the place, so much.” She looked over her shoulder toward the long sidewalk that led to the Hayward Home entry doors. “But the people turned out to be pretty great, especially the ones who were nice to me before I married a billionaire. You know what I mean?”
“I do.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “In my business, I get a feel for who’s real and who’s fakin’ it.”
“But I wasn’t expecting the baby shower, so I’m kind of blown away by it.”
Mack nodded, shifting on his feet. “Ms. Miller, I wish you’d let us drive you to Oklahoma. I don’t think it’s safe for you to drive alone, especially after you and Mr. Miller have your big press conference today. Some of those people are pretty riled up.”
Her stomach probably would’ve lurched, if it’d had any room to move.
Mack must have noticed her anxious expression, because he hurried to add, “Don’t worry too much about it. Most people didn’t take your ex seriously. I think the press conference will be as smooth as glass.”
She wasn’t sure what made her more nervous… being on camera with all those reporters firing questions or seeing Cole for the first time in three weeks. Hopefully, Mack was right, and none of the people who’d been raging on social media would show up at the press conference.
Nathan—or Satan, as Harper now called him—had been spouting off, milking it for all he could get. Though many of his accusations were ridiculous, such as claiming she’d used the pregnancy to trick Cole into marrying her, the rumors had spread like wildfire on social media. Some had pointed out the rather obvious fact that he’d slept with his current wife while still married to Brooke, but he claimed Brooke’s unfaithfulness had driven him to it.
