The Accidental Mother by Rowan Coleman Read Free Book Online Page A

promotion and to achieve the dizzying heights she had. With her as your boss, you felt that anything was possible, everything was achievable. Sophie had learned everything from Gillian, and she didn’t mind admitting to herself that she wanted to be Gillian when she grew up. She wanted Gillian’s job, her sense of presence, her innate authority, and also her really great, wrinkle-free skin. Gillian was so tightly in control of every strand of the business that Sophie had been taken aback by her display of emotion. The plight of the children touched her instantly.
    “Oh, my God,” Gillian said softly, shaking her head and staring out her window. “It’s your worst nightmare, your worst ever nightmare. The thought of leaving your children alone in the world. Every mother’s deepest fear.” She looked at Sophie. “Your friend must have trusted you very much, Sophie. You should be proud.”
    Sophie felt a little guilty. Proud was the very last thing she had been feeling. Beholden, embattled, terrified, and shocked—all of those things had registered, but pride had yet to make an entry in her top five chart of whirlwind emotions.
    “Of course I do,” she lied so as not to disappoint Gillian. “And, well, I’m afraid I will need some time out of the office while the children are staying with me. The social worker says—”
    “Of course,” Gillian said generously before leaning forward a little in her seat. “How long exactly?”
    “Not long at all,” Sophie said hurriedly, sensing that already Gillian was trying to find how much exactly all this would affect her business. “I won’t need long…. It’s just for a week or two, just until they find their dad, you see.”
    “So you’ll want two weeks off right away then?” Gillian asked her, sounding suddenly less generous. “To spend time with your godchildren.”
    “No, I won’t—” Sophie began reflexively, not wanting to irritate her boss. “What I mean is that of course I do want to spend time with them, the poor darlings, but I won’t just walk out on my responsibilities to McCarthy Hughes, Gillian. I know that you are being extremely kind, but I am not the sort of person to take advantage of that kindness. I’ll have to be at home mainly, but I’m sure I can supervise Lisa and Cal from home, and I’ll be in at least twice a week. Three times maybe. Maybe I’ll pop in every day. I’ll get a nanny or something.”
    “For two weeks?” Gillian asked, with amusement.
    Obviously Sophie had said something funny, but she wasn’t exactly sure what it was. “Yeah, you know, from an agency or something,” She said uncertainly.
    “It seems a little extreme, Sophie, for a few days. If that’s all it is really going to be, the company won’t grind to a halt without you, you know.”
    The comment could not have stung Sophie more if Gillian had leaped over her solid oak desk and slapped her across the face.
    “I know!” Sophie said with a little brittle laugh. “But I’m just in the middle of some important projects right now, especially the Madison Corporation ship party. That’s coming up really soon, and there is heaps left to do, even though we are completely on top of it, of course…”
    “Of course,” Gillian said, smiling wryly.
    “So, I mean, I will take it as vacation, but I’ll just keep working too, if that’s okay.”
    Gillian seemed to mull the proposition over, and Sophie wondered, not for the first time, how it was that Gillian managed to wear chic little chiffon neck scarves loosely tied at her shoulder without them constantly coming undone like Sophie’s did whenever she had tried it. Perhaps she glues them on, Sophie thought.
    “Look,” Gillian said at last. “I appreciate your dedication, Sophie. It doesn’t go unnoticed. But I wonder if you realize what you are taking on. Let’s play it by ear. If things change or you find it too much to do both, then Eve can always step in—”
    “No!” Sophie interrupted her