Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 501

As Camila Davis was about to head back to her room, she glanced over her shoulder and realized she had a little shadow trailing behind her.

She quickly knelt down to stop the tiny toddler and coaxed her gently, “Lillian, sweetheart, wait for Mommy right here, okay? Let me get all clean and fresh, and then I’ll come back and give you the biggest cuddle ever!”

Lillian hesitated for a moment, then nodded, her wide eyes still a little worried.

Mr. Morris, watching from nearby, could tell that the little one was anxious after Camila’s tumble into the lake earlier.

He swept in, scooping Lillian into his arms and soothing her. “Don’t worry, pumpkin. Your mommy’s just fine. Now, tell Grandpa Morris—did you like the ducks on the lake? Wasn’t the water sparkling today?”

Mr. Morris was a pro at this; Lillian’s worries melted away as she started babbling about the ducks and the willow trees by the shore.

With her daughter distracted, Camila slipped away for a much-needed shower.

When she came back out, Lillian was still snuggled in Mr. Morris’s arms.

“All squeaky clean!” Camila announced, hurrying over to scoop Lillian up and shower her with kisses. “Come here, munchkin! Do I smell like strawberries now?”

Lillian giggled, squirming as Camila nuzzled her. “You smell nice, Mommy!”

Once Lillian was settled and content, Camila finally had a moment to text Dennis Williams.

She typed quickly: “Did you put on the ointment?”

A reply popped up almost instantly. “Just finished.”

Then another message: “When you have time, could you show Aaron how to do it right?”

Camila blinked, confused. “Why?”

Dennis replied, “He nearly killed me with that last application. I think he was trying to sandpaper my skin off—my back’s still on fire.”

Camila couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his dramatic complaint.

How rough could Aaron have been?

But she didn’t say no—she texted back: “Sure, I’ll show him next time.”

Then, getting back to the real issue, she asked, “How’s Lillian? She seemed really scared earlier. Do you think she’ll be alright?”

Dennis replied, “If you’re worried, just reassure her. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control, but as long as we handle them well, everything turns out fine. Tell her there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Got it,” Camila answered, tucking his advice away.

She spent a while talking to Lillian, calming her nerves and explaining that sometimes, people slip or fall, but as long as they’re careful and look out for each other, everything will be okay.

By dinnertime, Lillian seemed to have bounced right back, her cheerful self again.

She hung up and hurried back to Mr. Morris, quickly explaining that she needed him to watch Lillian for a bit.

Thinking it must be an emergency, Mr. Morris agreed immediately.

Camila grabbed her coat and dashed outside.

Sure enough, Aaron was waiting in one of the private neighborhood golf carts, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.

Relief washed over him when he saw her. “Ms. Davis! Thank goodness!”

She climbed in. “What’s going on? What happened to Mr. Williams?”

Aaron shook his head, worried. “I’m not sure. After dinner, he went to his office to work, and then… something just seemed off. He looked like he was in pain. I don’t know if it’s his back injury or what.”

Camila’s concern deepened. That didn’t sound right—Dennis had been using her lab’s ointment, the wound was healing well…

Maybe he’d gotten it wet again, but even then, the reaction seemed too severe. Could it be infected already?

Her mind raced with questions, but she told Aaron, “Let’s just get there and see for ourselves.”

“Right.”

As soon as Camila buckled her seatbelt, Aaron sped off toward Dennis Williams’s house, worry etched on both their faces.