Nathan hadn't wanted to tell her. He'd delayed it, turned it over in his mind, hoping there might be another explanation, something less messy, less damaging. But the truth had a way of clawing its way to the surface no matter how carefully it was buried.
"Can you give me her name?" he finally asked, Cassie didn't hesitate. "Debbie Wales."
The moment the name left her mouth, something in Nathan's chest tightened. The pieces slid into place with uncomfortable clarity. He had never introduced Debbie to Cassie. Not formally, not even casually. She was supposed to be invisible to Cassie's world, an assistant, nothing more.
"Cass," he said quietly, guilt threading through his voice, "I'm sorry. I had a surgery scheduled later that day, after our date. I brought her along because of t
