“Yes, sir.”
The honesty hit him.
She did not rush to comfort him.
She did not say, “It’s okay.”
Because it was not okay.
He had suspected her.
Tested her.
Returned like a thief in his own home, expecting to find proof of her betrayal while she held the proof of his blindness.
“I thought you were stealing from me,” he said.
“I know.”
“I set a trap.”
“I know.”
His voice broke.
“You protected my daughter anyway.”
Claire looked down at Maisie.
“She deserved protection whether you trusted me or not.”
There was no insult in her tone.
That made it worse.
Harrison swallowed.
“You should have been able to trust me.”
Claire’s eyes met his.
“Yes.”
One word.
Not cruel.
True.
Maisie looked between them.
“Is Claire leaving?”
The fear in her voice turned Harrison’s stomach.
Claire quickly knelt.
“Sweetheart—”
Harrison interrupted softly.
“No. Claire is not being sent away because she told the truth.”
Maisie stared at him.
“You promise?”
He looked at Claire first.
Because he realized the choice was not only his.
Claire had been wounded too.
“If she wants to stay,” he said.
Claire closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them, they were wet.
“I will stay for Maisie tonight,” she said carefully. “Tomorrow, we need to discuss boundaries, safety, and whether this is still a healthy job for me.”
Harrison nodded.
“Anything you need.”
She gave him a tired look.
“I need you to mean that after the guilt wears off.”
That sentence stayed with him for the rest of his life.
Because guilt is easy.
Change is harder.
