“We’re not finished.” A pause while she
sputtered on the other end of the line. “I’ll pay for all of Casey’s expenses to move her back to New York.”
“I can do that myself. I told you, I don’t want Casey or
Evie in the city!” Grace shouted.
“Are you going to the
Smith party with Landon?”
The change of subject threw her off for a momen
t. “What does it matter to you?”
“It matters.” His words were terse.
“I don’t understand. You threatened to take me to court. You said I was nothing more than a common-”
“
I didn’t mean it. If you’ll just give me a chance-”
“Nothing you say will make a difference
. I would rather leave this city penniless than let you manipulate me with money.” She hung up and stood over the desk, breathing hard. He used to bring out the best in her. Now he brought out the worst. Her cell began to ring with Mitchell’s name on the screen. Her phone beeped as she received a text. She snatched up the phone with a growl.
When you’re ready to listen you know where to find me.
She resisted the urge to throw the phone against the wall. Hell would freeze over before she listened to a word Mitchell had to say in his defense. Nothing would erase the scars on her heart. She would find a way to open a boutique in Texas even if she left New York with nothing.
Throughout the week
Grace wasn’t surprised by the phone calls from Macy and other women who attended the party that suddenly wanted to get together and “talk.” When Mitchell took her under his wing he taught her to read between the lines and how to keep business and pleasure separate. Grace faced her fair share of catty women trying to start rumors to break her and Mitchell up, of trying to make her feel insecure and unworthy of being in their midst. She endured a lot of scorn and outright threats from his exes but she did it because she loved him and she believed he returned her affection.
She was getting dressed for another dinner function, another night
filled with polite talk, business and seeing Mitchell. All she had to do was get through this get together and then she’d be Texas bound tomorrow. She was applying lipstick when she saw Landon’s name on her cell. She paused for a moment. The kiss had been pleasant and she enjoyed his company but she felt nothing other than friendship for Landon.
“
Landon?”
“You’re going to the party at Pat
Smith’s tonight?”
“Yes,” she said warily.
“Need a date?”
She
put a hand on her hip even though he couldn’t see her. “Landon, you’re a tease. Why should I go with you when you didn’t call me after the last party and I’ve been wondering all week about that kiss?” There was laughter in her voice.
He chuckled. “I’m a stupid, selfish man. I’ll make it up to you tonight.
”
“
I don’t think so!” she said, exasperated. “I don’t want a replay of last week.
His voice changed.
“Has Mitchell been giving you trouble?”
“No. Not really.”
“You want to tell me who put those bruises on you?”
“It’s not important.”
He sighed. “You’re one stubborn, independent woman.”
“And I like it that way,” she retorted.
“Mitchell’s a stupid bastard for letting you go,” Landon said carelessly. “This isn’t the first time we’ve fought over the same woman.”
Grace paused in the act of
smacking her lips. “Is that so?” Why was this the first time she’d ever heard about it? “I thought you guys were just business rivals.”
“We used to be good friends and then Rachelle happened. It was a long time ago and we both got screwed by her.” His voice was hard with remembered anger.
“Figuratively or literally?”
“Both. She fooled both of us for a while before
Mitchell caught on. I think she’s in Europe now,” Landon said carelessly.
“
Fooled you how?” Grace demanded.
Landon
hesitated. “Ask Mitchell. I don’t want to get into all this- that’s not why I called. Do you want to come with me tonight?”
“I don’t want to make another scene. I’ll pass for tonight. Thanks though,” Grace said,
going over this new information.
“Alright.
But if you ever want to mess with Mitchell’s head, give me a call,” Landon said.
Grace laughed. S
he couldn’t help it. Landon was always up for a mischief and scandal. If he wasn’t so focused on taking digs at Mitchell she probably would have gone to the party with him.
Ever efficient, she
began to pack her suitcase. She hoped Mitchell would keep his distance this time. He pushed her in public because she wouldn’t see him privately. He also knew she wouldn’t make a scene. Smart ass. She spread her clothes over the bed, accessorizing and planning outfits when her cell rang. She frowned at the unfamiliar Texas number, wondering why Casey would borrow someone’s phone.
“Hello?” Grace said.
“Is this Grace Stewart?” a brisk voice asked.
Alarm spread through her. “Yes. Who is this?”
“You may want to have a seat. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting
on her bed but she came out of her stupor when she heard her front door open and close. She didn’t have the energy to call out or be afraid. Grace couldn’t stop staring at the phone lying beside her manicured feet encased in Jimmy Choo shoes.
“
Grace?” a masculine voice called.
“No,” she moaned and covered her face with her hands.
Not him. Anyone but him. He called her name again and she sensed him pause in her bedroom doorway. She caught a whiff of that cologne she wished he would stop wearing as he knelt in front of her.
“Grace?”
“I told security not to let you in here.” Her voice was muffled because she refused to lower the hands that shielded her devastated face from his view.
“You didn’t come to the party. You wouldn’t answer your phone. What’s wrong?”
She’d known he would come. While she stared at the phone by her feet she saw his name appear at least four times. She couldn’t find the strength to answer, to tell him she was fine because she knew she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. Please leave me alone, she thought as he dragged her hands from her face. She gave in because she didn’t have the will to fight. He looked at her bloodless face for a long moment and rubbed his hands up and down her sides in an intimate, comforting caress he had no right to do. She pushed at his chest and he sat back on his heels.
“I know something’s wrong,
” he said, dark eyes glued to her face.
As much as she wanted to keep this from him, to keep him out of her personal life h
e had to be told. She was going to need time away from New York, from the boutique for... How could you put a time limit on what she had to do? Her mind couldn’t wrap around the concept. She had to go to Texas and restructure her whole life because everything changed.
Mitchell waited for Grace to say something. She was so pale he
thought she was going to faint and he poised himself to catch her. Was she sick? The worry that caused him to force his way past her security hadn’t abated now that he saw she was safe. Something was wrong. He’d known as soon as he came into her condo and heard the dead silence. If it wasn’t for his sixth sense where Grace was concerned he would have assumed she wasn’t there but something urged him to search the condo. Finding her sitting on the bed in a sapphire blue gown, hunched over with her hands covering her face made his heart stop. Even when he called her name and moved towards her she hadn’t moved a muscle. He reached out and brushed her hair back from her face and found her skin clammy.
“Casey died in a car accident five hours ago.”
The utter calmness of her voice made goose bumps rise on his arms. Her eyes were glassy with shock and she stared straight through him. Her voice was flat and emotionless. Only one other time had he seen her like this and seeing it again ripped at him. He felt just as helpless as he had then. He knew Grace loved her sister more than anyone else on the planet. He grasped her ice cold hands and rubbed them together.
“What about the baby?”
he murmured, squeezing her limp hands. Had Grace lost her sister and niece?
For a long moment she didn’t answer. She withdrew her hands from his, stood and walked unsteadily around the bed to an open suitcase
that was half full. Her whole body trembled as she started throwing the clothes scattered over the bed into the bag.
“
If anything comes up with the boutique that Amy can’t handle, can you take care of it? I need to fly to Texas and take care of my sister. I need to grab Evie. She needs me. If you have trouble you can reach me on my cell or you can email me. I need to call Amy and I need to get a flight-”
Mitchell turned her ar
ound. Reaction was setting in and he could see her breaking apart. He wasn’t sure if she knew her voice was rising to a frantic note. He waited until she focused on him.
“I’m coming with you.”
“I need you to take care of the boutique,” she said through chattering teeth.
“I can
handle everything through my laptop and phone. I want to help.”
“You staying in the city
will
help me,” she said stubbornly.
Inside, she could feel herself crumbling and she was determined not to lean on him. This man had
torn her to pieces before. He made her lose control and scream and cry until she couldn’t anymore. She wouldn’t give him another chance to see her broken. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Sooner or later he’d grow tired of her pushing him away- his pride could only take so much. She didn’t want or need his help. She could do this on her own.
“
I’ll be fine. Thanks for offering.”
She pulled away
and turned back to her suitcase. Evie. She needed to get to Evie. She was the only thing that mattered now.
“D
amn it Grace. Stop pushing me away. You think I can’t see you’re scared and hurting?”
“I can do this,” she said through stiff,
numb lips.
She
tried to zip her suitcase but her hands were shaking too hard. His hands covered hers and she jerked away. She couldn’t breathe. She ran to the balcony and leaned against the railing. She bent over and was grateful her hair hid the way her face crumpled into a mask of grief. A warm, large hand pressed against the middle of her back which throbbed as fear spread through her. How could she do this? She wasn’t mother material. She was supposed to protect and provide for Casey who was gentle and genuinely loved to care for others. Grace was the polar opposite- selfish, career-driven and a workaholic. She loved her niece but she knew nothing about babies and Casey had never left her alone with Evie longer than an hour. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“I know you can
do this alone but you don’t have to.”
Mitchell’s voice intruded into her frantic thoughts and she
sucked in a breath before she faced him. She needed to be alone so she could scream, cry and panic in peace. The last thing she needed was Mitchell Price invading her space and trying to comfort her when she was a nervous wreck.
“I have money, thanks.”
His eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about money. It’s about letting me be there for you.”
He wanted to be here for her after a year of being apart? He wanted to be around when she was vulnerable and
out of her element so he could do what he did best- be in charge. Her emotions were on a rocky precipice and having Mitchell around when she didn’t have her shields in place was dangerous. To avoid the grief threatening to choke her she embraced anger instead and faced the proud tycoon who looked so immaculate and untouched, as usual. How could he understand what she was feeling? Had he ever really loved anyone?
“
I don’t need you. I can handle this on my own.”
“
Grace-” he began.
“Don’t!” she said and this time her voice shook.
She clutched the railing like a lifeline. “I don’t have time for this. My sister’s gone and Evie needs me.” She saw the pity in his eyes and bared her teeth at him. “You need to stop pushing into my personal life. We’re business partners. That’s it.”
His eyes burned and she refused to back away when he towered over her, invading her space.
Again.
“P
ushing me away isn’t the answer. What we had together hasn’t faded,” he stated.
When she opened her mouth to scr
eam at him he leaned forward and brought his mouth a scant inch from her own. Breath seized in her lungs and no words emerged from her lips. She was surrounded by the smell of his skin, the intensity of his eyes and the strength he exuded. His body heat beat against her cold flesh and her hands curled into fists in an effort to stop herself from leaning into him and accepting his strength and comfort. She glared up at him instead.
“
My sister’s dead and you want sex?” she sneered.
He kissed her
on the corner of her mouth. It was a gentle brush of his lips that was done with before she could register what happened. It was a gesture of comfort and friendship she didn’t want to accept from this man because she couldn’t afford to trust him again. Why did the simple gesture make her want to cry?
“Sex is easy. What we feel for each othe
r isn’t and you know it,” Mitchell said calmly.
She couldn’t deny
the simple brush of his lips on her cheek was more effective than a French kiss. How could she love and hate someone at the same time? She broke eye contact so and tried desperately to regain her thoughts. .
“I need to get to Texas,” she murmured,
staring at his tie.
“
My jet’s waiting.”
Long pause.
“How soon?”
“All it takes is a call but I come with the jet
.”
“Please.”
It was a plea for him to stay in New York, to let her deal with everything herself. She didn’t want him to see her this way, didn’t want his help because she knew she was still susceptible. It was the reason why she fought him so hard and he knew it.
Mitch
ell shook his head. “No.”
She
wrapped her arms around herself. She glanced up at his implacable face and knew she couldn’t delay her arrival in Texas just because she didn’t want to spend time around her ex. She could do this.
“Make the call,
” she whispered.
She
walked around him and went into the bathroom. She stripped off her gown and let it fall carelessly to the floor before she sank to her knees. She stared sightlessly ahead as tears dripped from her eyes. She bowed her head, covered her face with her hands and let out a keening sound she immediately smothered. Casey was her responsibility, her little sister to help and guide and she failed once again. Here she thought Texas was the best place for her to be and now she was gone. She would never see Evie grow up. A sob escaped from her mouth and she turned on the shower to drown out the sound of her mourning. She wasn’t sure how long she sobbed on the bathroom floor and she didn’t care. If she didn’t do something about the emotions inside of her she would explode. When the torrent of tears slowed she lay on the tile of her bathroom for several minutes, trying to gather herself. Her thought process was sluggish and muddled. When the sobs turned into pitiful whimpers she forced herself to stand, wash her face and change. Despite the midnight hour she put on sunglasses. When she walked out of the bathroom she found her suitcase gone. When she trudged to the front door she wasn’t surprised to see Max, Mitchell’s bodyguard standing there with Mitchell. She nodded at him and he nodded respectfully.
Mitchell clutched her arm as they walked to the elevator as if he was afraid she would faint
or turn hysterical on him. She wanted to shrug him off but she didn’t. She felt lightheaded and sick to her stomach. Mitchell had a private car waiting at the curb and he held the door open so she could slide in. She slumped into the leather cushions.
“Do we need to stop at your place?” she asked huskily.
“No. I have clothes on the jet.”
She didn’t ask any o
ther questions. A short time later she walked onto his jet and was greeted by the pilot. She was familiar with the jet, knew his staff and refused to think about the repercussions of accepting his help. She needed to do something so despite Mitchell’s attempts to filch her phone she called Amy and explained the situation. She paced the aisle as she fought the urge to just sit and weep. That wouldn’t solve anything. After she hung up with Amy she sent off several emails and tapped her hands on the arm of her seat when she was finished. She stopped in mid tap and called a decorator to start working on making her guest bedroom into a nursery. She put the phone down again and tapped restlessly.
Mitchell
eyed her. “My assistant can take care of all of that.”
“I need to do something,” she said
faintly.
“You’re taking custody?” he asked without inflection.
Her stomach twisted with terror but she tilted her chin at him. “She’s my niece.”
“What about the father?”
“He doesn’t want anything to do with Evie.”
Casey
became pregnant within six months of dating Evie’s father and he made it clear he supported an abortion, as had their mother. Grace twisted her hands together and stared out the window, willing the jet to move even faster. A sympathetic stewardess brought her ginger ale and Tylenol.
“What abo
ut your mother?” Mitchell asked.
Grace set her glass down very deliberately before she met his gaze.
Mentioning her mother when she wasn’t in complete control was never a good idea. It roused forgotten bitterness and her only fears of parenting. Her mom encouraged Casey to have an abortion and continued to blackmail Grace’s father to punish him for never loving her in return. Her mother was the reason Grace was sick to her stomach about the thought of parenting. If Ray and Vicky were the only role models she had… wasn’t Evie better off with someone else?