I lean in to clasp him briefly on the shoulder. “Of course. Enjoy your evening.” I grimace as I walk away, thinking he’ll no doubt be doing just that with my secretary. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that idea. It’s too much like thinking of your parents having sex.

Lia is already yawning when I walk in the door. “Hey, baby.” I smile as she walks slowly toward me. One of my T-shirts drapes over her very swollen stomach to reach mid-thigh. Her feet are bare and I see the pink polish on her toes that I applied a few days ago when she was unable to do it herself. I chuckle when I notice she’s tied her hair up in the elastic she’d removed from my underwear months ago—at least I hope she hasn’t taken the scissors to another pair. No matter how many ponytail holders I buy for her, she still prefers her homemade version. Her quirkiness is just one of many things I adore about her. She walks into my arms and I inhale the floral scent of her hair as I nuzzle her neck.

“Hey, babe.” She snuggles against me as closely as her stomach will allow. “Are you hungry? I had a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and some soup when I got home so I’m still full.” She yawns again and I rub her back soothingly. “I thought I would lie down just for a few minutes. Do you mind?”

“Of course not,” I assure her. “Actually, Aidan is coming by to talk. Maybe I’ll just meet him downstairs and we can grab something for dinner while we chat. That way we won’t disturb your sleep. Want me to bring you back something?”

She pulls back and I drop a kiss on her mouth. “That sounds good. Promise to wake me when you get back? I’ve missed you today and want to spend some time together before bedtime.”

Aidan’s call has me distracted, but I put it aside to give her my attention. “I missed you, too. How about I tuck you in before I leave?” Her eyes dance and she gives me a big smile. She’s so easily excited about the small things in life, unlike the women I’ve dated over the years. They had lived for the exclusive parties and the right people seeing them. Lia prefers to stay home and snuggle on the couch or have a quiet dinner at Leo’s. She has no interest in her social status and such things have never interested me, either.

I pull back the comforter, pick her up, and gently deposit her onto the sheets before covering her. My hand goes automatically to the swell of our child and I caress her softly. “The baby has been really hyper today,” she says drowsily. “Even Rose felt her kicking, which thrilled her to no end. She announced it to everyone in Starbucks.”

Sitting next to her, I stroke her hair until she falls asleep just moments later. Being pregnant has forced her to sleep on her back, which causes her to snore. It always surprises me that someone so small can make so much noise. She’s offered to sleep on the sofa for fear of disturbing my rest, but there’s no way I can go back to sleeping alone. Holding her in my arms at night is the only true peace I’ve ever known. If that means I have to listen to her raise the roof with the level of her snoring, then so be it.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I quietly get to my feet and leave the bedroom before pulling it out. Aidan says he’s in the lobby and I ask him to wait for me there. I check on Lia one last time then quickly lock up and take the elevator down to see my friend. He’s waiting for me when the doors open and I’m taken aback by his appearance. We give each other the standard one-arm hug and decide to go to the bar on the corner. We keep the conversation light on the way over, mainly discussing how the merger between the Kenson group and Quinn Software is coming along.

I order a beer and a cheeseburger when we reach the bar and he does the same. “So, what’s going on?” I ask when our food and drinks arrive.

He downs half of his in one swallow before nervously beginning to peel the label from the bottle. “What do you know about Cassie’s family? I mean, besides her father, have you ever heard her mention anyone else…like her mother?”

I pause with my bottle halfway to my mouth as I stare at him in surprise. Somehow, I wasn’t expecting this question. I sit my drink back on the table and say, “Her mother’s dead. Or at least that’s what I was told. To my knowledge, there is no one else. If there is, she never said anything about it. Why?” I ask, beyond curious now.

He gives me a look that has me bracing. “Her mother didn’t actually die until two years ago. Up until that time, she was alive, well, and living in Charlotte. Just two hours from her daughter and ex-husband.”

I gape at him, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “But…why wouldn’t Cassie have simply said they were divorced. I mean, I don’t recall her ever saying how she’d died, but she always said something about them losing her when she was young. I assumed that meant she was dead.”

“It’s possible she was too little to remember anything other than what her father told her. Who in the hell knows? If she packed her bags and took off, he might have thought it was kinder to pretend there was a reason why she left her daughter behind.” Aidan shrugs as if trying to make sense of it. He comes from the standard two-parent household so he’s never had to deal with abandonment issues concerning his family. Unfortunately, not all of us are that fortunate. My parents died in a car accident when I was young, so they didn’t voluntarily leave me, but it happened all the same.

Puzzled, I ask, “Did Cassie remember this or something?” Maybe she’s no longer capable of hiding behind the lies she used to throw around so well.