Chapter 34

Ronnell’s POV

How could I have taken an axe to a situation that required a little screwdriver? How could I have been so heavy-handed? Blair wasn’t one of those tough clients I usually dealt with, but I’d spoken to her like she was.

“Blair—”

Her head shook violently, sending her hair spilling around her shoulders. “I know I’m a terrible mother. A complete failure. Don’t you think I know that? I wasn’t ready for this. I was selfish and had him anyway because I thought I could handle it alone. Now look at me, making a fool of myself in front of my best friend’s brother, and my boss—”

I was up and pulling her into my arms before I could stop myself. This was exactly what I’d been avoiding for months—holding her, touching her, and intimacy with her. But right now, she needed me more than I needed to protect my boundaries.

Locked away memories of my mother’s breakdown—her days of endless sobbing—suddenly surfaced. I was holding Blair, but my mind was w