Love Me Dear (Love Me Book 3)

Chapter 26

Trinty nodded to the ladies at the check-in desk as she made her way to the back of the lobby where the hotel manager's office was located. She had agreed to join Josiah at the hotel to meet the new manager he had hired and go over a few basics with her.

Knocking on the door, she waited until she was told to enter before she opened it. When she did, she saw Josiah alone, standing at the desk looking down at some papers. He had his suit jacket off, and his sleeves rolled up and looked as if he had been working for a few hours.

"It's only eight in the morning, how long have you been here?" Trinity asked as she set her bag down on the visitor's chair.

"A while," Josiah said with a smile as he looked up at her. "Tessa will be here in half an hour. I asked you to come early so that we could talk." He moved around to the side of the desk and motioned for Trinity to take a seat, and then he took the chair next to her, fixing his tie as he sat. It wasn't like him to fidget, and Trinity took pity on him.

"It's fine Josiah, we don't need to talk about anything," she assured him. He must not have liked her answer because he stood up again.

"We do. I need to apologize, what I said was unforgivable. You are not my mother, and I had no right to compare the two of you." He leaned against the desk and frowned.

"Why not, I spent the better part of the last two months comparing Levi to my ex-husband. That wasn't fair to him, but I still did it." Trinity stood and joined him, leaning against the desk next to him. "I think when we have emotional pain and scars, it's natural to want to compare. Perhaps it's our built-in security system."

"I've always liked you, Trinity, and I always thought you would be good for Levi."

"But you worry," Trinity nodded. "I get it, why do you think my brother is here. He is checking out you and Levi too." Trinity reached for his hand and took it in her own. "We protect those we love. I get it."

He squeezed her hand. "You're not cold and unfeeling."

"I can appear that way on the surface, though. I know I can because I work hard at it. It's part of my defensive walls. " Trinity took a deep breath. "Perhaps it was the same for your mother?"

Josiah shook his head in doubt. "Promise me you'll take care of Levi?"

Trinity stood up and turned to face him. She got it now. Josiah was scared she was going to steal Levi away from him. "We can both take care of him, Josiah. He's still your father."

"I know, but now he has you." Josiah stood, finished with the conversation. He tried to walk away, but Trinity grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"He has both of us!" she insisted. Their eyes met in a battle of wills, and eventually, Joaish caved with a grin.

"Does that make you my wicked-step mother?"

"No, we're not married." Trinity smiled.

"You soon will be, and then there will be kids, and I'll have to share my inheritance." Josiah's voice took on an overdramatic tone that let her know he was teasing.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to take that step again," she said in a serious tone, "but if it should happen, I promise to make us all enough money, and no one will feel left out."

Josiah reached for her and pulled her close in a tight hug. "We're good then?"

Trinity hugged him back, tearing up a little. "We're good."

The door to the office opened, and Trinity stepped away from Josiah, keeping her back to whoever had entered while she schooled her features. When she turned around, it was to see a mouse of a woman with large glasses and a business suit. Her brown hair was coiled in a bun at the nape of her neck, and she couldn't be much above five feet tall.