Read Online His Secretary: BBW Romance (Her Second Chance Book 1) by Harmony Raines - Free Book Online

and Dan are going to look after you? And I’m sure they’ll look after these two troublemakers too.”
    “Max and Dan,” Jess gasped, her earlier worries erased at the thought of all that time with her favourite uncle. “We could have the longest tea party ever.”
    “Yes.” Laura’s eyes lit up at that thought, she asked Helen, “Can we dress up now for dinner?”
    “If you want to.”
    The two girls were off up the stairs before Helen had a chance to say another comforting word. Just like that, the fact that she was going away had been forgotten, replaced by the excitement of time spent with someone else. Someone fun. She leaned on the kitchen counter, her face in her hands.
    Sometimes all she felt was taken for granted. The girls loved her, and depended on her always being there, and that was as how should be. She was their mom. Yet Helen felt there was nothing else to her any more, no other part of her existed. A one dimensional person instead of the multifaceted woman she used to be.
    Over the next few days she had a chance to reclaim herself. Max was right, this was a good idea. She might even come back refreshed, and not feel like a drudge every day of her life. The monotony of getting them all out of the door in the morning, of doing the shopping, the washing, and every other little thing that needed doing suffocated her. But it was her lot as a single parent. This small break was a little treat to herself. With the girls so happy there was no need for her to feel guilty for one more moment.
    Pulling out a saucepan, she began to make dinner, and by the time she put the pasta on to cook, she found herself humming happily. A feeling of having a weight lifted off her shoulders was incredibly strong. When the girls came breezing in, dressed up like two princesses, she didn’t even nag them not to get sauce on their pretty dresses. Everything was so much easier now she had something to look forward to. The fact that it involved Oliver was only part of the excitement. For once she was going to spend a few days as an adult, in the sole company of adults.
    While they sat eating, Helen reminded her daughters of what Dan and Max needed to do to get them ready for school on time. Everything was slotting into place when the phone rang.
    “Hi Dan.” A brief conversation later, and it was decided that the two girls would be better off in their own home. Max and Dan would come and stay.
    “Are you sure, Dan?” Was she looking for one final last way out of this?
    “Yes. It’ll get Max and I in training for when we have kids.”
    “Oh?”
    “Don’t tell Max I said that. The thought of the wedding is quite enough without thinking of kids. But really, we would love to, if that’s OK with Laura and Jess.”
    “Uncle Dan wants to know if it’s OK for them to come and stay here while I’m away?”
    The loud shout in her ear could be heard down the phone too. “I think I have my answer,” Dan said. “I’ll come around in time for you to leave, I’d like to meet this Oliver Pierceson before you go off with him.”
    “Dan,” she warned. “He’s my boss.”
    “So. You’re my sister, and I want to make sure you’re safe.”
    “I will be quite safe. What’s the worst that could happen?” Her mind filled with what she’d like to happen. If only this was a romantic break with Oliver, not business. Dan’s voice broke through her thoughts.
    “I’m not sure if I should be more worried about you, or me and Max. Those daughters of yours have a way of wrapping us around their little fingers.”
    “They are already insisting on one of your famous tea parties.” Helen tried to concentrate on Dan’s voice, not on the thoughts that were still trying to invade her head. As she looked at the two girls in front of her she suddenly felt as if her body and soul were being torn in two.
    Was this how it felt when a parent had to choose between her kids and something else? The ache of betrayal at wanting something other