“I don’t have an appointment, but if he has a few moments, I would really like to speak with him.”

The woman nodded, then picked up the phone. She gave Unity’s name and the message. In the seconds before there was an answer, Unity felt her heart pound. She was both cold and hot and a little shaky but determined.

The receptionist put down the phone and smiled. “He’s free right now. Do you know your way back?”

Unity nodded and started toward his office. She wasn’t sure her legs were going to continue to support her, but she kept moving and then she was walking into the big open space with the killer view. But all she cared about was the man standing beside his desk.

He looked good. Tall and fit and handsome enough to make her go weak all over. His gaze was steady and she had no idea what he was thinking, but for now it was enough to simply see him and be in the same room with him.

“This is unexpected,” he told her. “How are you?”

“Good. I need to tell you something, if that’s all right.”

His neutral expression turned wary, but he nodded.

She sucked in a breath. “I’ve missed you. A lot. But I knew I needed time to figure out my life. And I guess me. I’ve been seeing a therapist—a good one this time. I’ve sold the house and expanded my business and I’m still swimming.”

She told herself that wasn’t the important part and that she should get to it.

“I shouldn’t have gone out with you before. I wasn’t ready and I acted badly. I took so much from you and gave nothing in return. When I think about how I acted, I’m embarrassed and ashamed. I apologize. I didn’t know how bad things were until it was too late.”

He continued to study her, not saying a word or hinting at what he was thinking.

“I’ve grown. I will always love Stuart, but he’s gone and I’m not willing to wait to die anymore. I want to live my life. I want to get married and have a family. I want to be happy and I want to make someone else happy. I want to be a wife and a mother and be really good at both jobs. I want to offer my heart to a wonderful man who will love me in return.”

Her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. She was terrified, but she told herself she was strong. Strong enough to do the right thing. “I was hoping that man might be you, Thaddeus.” She waved her hand. “I don’t mean I’m proposing or anything. That would be really scary. I mean maybe, if you’re still willing, we could go out again and see how it goes. And before you tell me what you think about that, I want you to know that I’m in love with you. And, well, I’m hoping you still like me enough to give me another chance.”