INDISPENSABLE: Part 3: A Billionaire Romance by Maryann Barnett Page B

number on his computer and decided he may as well set that meeting up. His notification tone sounded. He picked his phone up. It was Heather.
    You want us all to go on holiday together?
    Was she surprised, or shocked, or excited? This was what he hated about texting; it was tricky to decipher emotions. He clicked to reply. Do you think it’s a good idea?
    He waited. In about thirty seconds the reply came. I’m almost sixteen. Nothing with both parents is a good idea.
    Brock had to laugh. Her humor was just like his. He texted back . Not that desperate for something to do?
    Almost immediately. Lol that’s it. Also mom needs her own life.
    The gravity of that line punched Brock right in the feels. Jodie needs her own life. All these years and he’d stayed married to keep his family together, to make him feel better, to make up for his fuck ups. Dear God, he’d railroaded Jodie’s choices right from the start. She’d never had a chance to be loved by someone for the wonderful woman she was, to love anyone else fully.
    He wanted to be sick. He did need to clean up his own shit; he really did.
    Ok. Tell your mother I’m coming for lunch today. Jodie knew he never came for lunch unless it was about something that could seriously affect them all, and he figured divorce fell under that category.
    Sweet. See you soon.
    Brock mused a little about what Jodie would think about a divorce. Is it something she’d want? It wasn’t like he’d leave her with nothing. She’d always be looked after. Did she want to get her own life? Had he effectively held her captive all these years? He banged his fist down on the desk.
    He’d find out in an hour, but however it went down, divorce was the only answer. Brock could never expect to have anyone love him while he was married. Maybe that was part of it for him. It made him inaccessible, at least, in his own mind. How he’d never seen this before, or contemplated it was crazy.
    Brock had a million things to take care of today, but his mind was consumed with Sarah at the warehouse. The way she’d been. So beautifully broken and vulnerable. She’d made her decision to keep it business, and he’d respect that. Mostly because she was right, the man she needed wasn’t him.
    She’d accepted his aftercare, as he tried to put her back together but ultimately, today, she’d turned him away. He’d been telling her that she should, so it was no use missing her now and wondering what it could be like coming home to her after work each day. He knew his life was way too dysfunctional for that.
    Heather’s family unit had always been the most important thing to him—since the day he found out Jodie was pregnant. His life was about nothing but providing for his family. In his mind, what he did at the warehouse with other women was just like releasing a pressure valve. The women he’d had there before Sarah weren’t in it for love. They were in it for kicks.
    Freedom to choose her life was what Sarah wanted. To trust that whatever her decisions were, he didn’t hold that against her in any way. It wasn’t too much to ask for. Everyone needed that in their life, including him. Now he was about to put that to the test with Jodie and ask for a divorce. That didn’t give him a green flag to pursue Sarah.
    Deep down, Brock wanted to let her go, for her to be happy. He wanted to stay distant enough until the person who would make her happy and love her in the way she needed came along. Brock realized how much he hated the thought of any other man giving Sarah what she needed. After what they’d shared together, it was really hard to let go. But he had to and he would. Control was his speciality.
    A tap came on his door, and his assistant popped her head in. “Bella Lake is here to see you, Mr. Devlin.”
    “Show her in, Deidre.”
    Bella flowed in the door— all draping clothes and bright mixed fabrics.
    “Bella…welcome to my office. Come and sit.”
    “Thanks, Brock. I wanted to come say