Blaire: Did you find all three pairs?

Axel: Uh yeah. And then some.

Blaire: What did you do?

Axel: It’s Carrie’s fault. She’s just too adorable.

He sent me two pictures, one of Carrie in a pink dress with a stylish leather jacket and black boots and one of a pair of boots that looked suspiciously like the ones the Fort Worth Wranglers Cheerleaders wear.

I dialed his number, and he answered immediately. “Hey, Bear.”

“Axel, what the hell? You were supposed to get three pairs of shoes. That’s it.”

“We got exactly what you wanted, but additional purchases were made,” he said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. “She said the pink and black stuff was her ninja-princess outfit.”

“Are the white boots Luccheses?” I asked. “Ax, do you know how much those cost?”

“Yes and yes. I got them for her to wear to my games. The salesgirl said they would look good with the jersey I got her and the white shorts we bought today.”

Those boots had to have cost at least two hundred dollars. For a four-year-old! “Axel, it’s too much. Why did you do that?”

“Because we were having fun, and because you won’t let me do much else, Blaire. I’ve been trying to do the right thing here. I want to give you child support since I wasn’t there for you both. I want you to move in with me so I can take care of you,” he said, sounding frustrated.

“Ax, I don’t need—”

“I know. You don’t need me. Got it. Thanks, Blaire.” He sounded angry with a heavy dose of hurt in the mix.

Dammit, Blaire.

“That’s not what I was going to say,” I murmured, but he had already hung up.

35. Blaire

Blaire

I was totally exhausted by the time I left the hospital at five o’clock the next evening. My surgical patient had spiked a fever, so her surgery had been postponed until next week. That allowed me to finish my rounds and get out of there early. Hallelujah!

I went to my house and clicked open my email, finding the two I wanted and opening the attachments. I set them to print while I went upstairs and enjoyed a long, hot shower.

Carrie was going to a movie with her uncles, so I had decided it might be a good time to set a few things straight with Axel. I knew I had hurt him the day before, and I needed to make things right. He craved my trust, needed it, and I was about to give it to him in spades.