Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 409

Vince understood Timothy better than most.

If Sandra and Abell had actually managed to persuade Timothy to file for divorce, they would have reached out to him ages ago-asked him to get in touch with Jessica, at least. But now, with the court date less than twenty-four hours away and still no word, it was obvious things weren't going as planned.

Larkin turned to Jessica and asked gently, "So, you're really sure there's no chance of you and Timothy getting back together?"

Jessica nodded.

"In that case," Larkin continued, "once the hearing's over tomorrow and you and Timothy are officially divorced-why not marry our Vince?"

Jessica blushed so deeply she could feel the heat creeping up her neck.

She waved her hands in protest, flustered.

"You don't want to?" Larkin prompted.

Hurriedly, Jessica grabbed a notepad and scribbled, "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

She wrote, "Mr. Zimmerman is such a good man. I'm not worthy of him." Vince, silently watching from across the room, caught the words she'd written.

Larkin chuckled. "You're an exceptional woman yourself, Jessy. There's no such thing as 'not worthy.' Vince has always been the more gentle one in the family, always quick with a smile. I think you'd be a wonderful match. And I know he admires you, too."

someone like Vince-well, with his family, his standing, and his talents—he could easily find

Jessy and Timothy divorce, would you be

Vince together, not like that. Besides, Vince and Timothy

his thoughts the way Jessica did. No woman had ever moved him so deeply, or impressed him so

she wanted custody of Henry, he'd find a way—no matter what it took-to bring the boy over from the Lawson family for

things ever turned romantic between them, she doubted she'd have the courage to keep talking to him at all. She'd always assumed Vince's

more-especially given his

her

to Larkin.

to start anything new, not when

everything

is willing. I've always thought

a good

you, I wanted to bring

were already married, so I kept quiet. But now that you're getting a divorce, there's no need for me to hold back?

Vince interrupted,

frowned. “You just agreed a second ago—don't

altogether if things moved too fast. At the very least, he wanted her to feel she could still come to him

and I discussed that if, in the end, she still hasn't turned up, Jessy could pretend to be her for a while to comfort my mother. But if Jessy and I announce an

his granddaughter brought a shadow to Larkin's face. He turned to Jessica, his voice a little softer.

Jessica wrote, "Twenty-seven."

now. She disappeared when she was six. It's