what their history was. She leaned into Mitchell and he put his arm on the back of the pew and she leaned into his warmth. Evie had her face pressed sideways against his chest, mouth hanging open as she napped in the afternoon heat. Neither of them said anything for a long time.
“You don’t have to say goodbye yet,” Mitchell said.
“Okay,” she whispered and forced herself to stand.
Mitchell carried Evie in one arm and put the other around her as she donned oversized sunglasses. When they stepped outside Grace froze, stunned when she saw Mitchell’s bodyguards holding back at least twelve paparazzi. They shouted questions, rousing Evie who started to cry.
“Are you back together?” someone shouted.
“Is she your daughter?” another reporter demanded.
Mitchell rapped out commands and his bodyguards made a path to his car. Mitchell handed Evie to Grace as soon as they got into the car. He pulled out his phone and started snapping commands at Max.
“How did they know?” Grace asked quietly.
Mitchell looked back at her, face tight with anger. “I’ll find out.”
Grace rocked Evie as they made their way back into the city. When they arrived at the hotel Grace was alarmed to see no less than twenty reporters waiting on the steps. She put a blanket over Evie for privacy as they pushed their way through the ruckus to the lobby. Workers and other guests turn to watch and whisper as they made their way to the elevators. When they got back to the suite Grace took Evie into their suite to change and feed her. When she set Evie down for a nap and walked into the living room she found Mitchell waiting for her.
“We’re on the news,” he informed her and she missed a step as she headed for the kitchen.
She didn’t comment as she filled a mug with hot water. She knew Mitchell followed and was waiting for her to say something. It was a reality check she didn’t need right now. Here she was, trying to cope with Casey’s death and it was going to be splashed across the tabloids and gossiped about. She thought of the picture the paparazzi snapped: Mitchell holding Evie in one arm and her with the other. Everyone would assume they were back together. The picture spoke for itself. What would the headline be? Tycoon comforts ex lover amidst tragedy? She didn’t want to know. This was exactly what she didn’t want for Evie- to be in tabloids with trashy headlines.
Something made her ask, “Does Ray know you’re here with me?”
He frowned. “No. Why?”
She thought of Ray’s reaction to seeing them on the news and rubbed her temples. Hadn’t she told him she wanted nothing to do with Mitchell and yet here she was. If he was angry before, he would be livid now. Knowing Ray, he probably thought she was callous enough to use her sister’s death and lean on Mitchell for sympathy.
“This doesn’t concern Ray,” he said, gesturing between them.
You have no idea, she thought wryly. She would let Mitchell deal with Ray. She wasn’t capable at the moment.
“It’ll blow over,” she said quietly and dipped her tea bag in the hot water.
“You’re not bothered by all the press?”
Her eyes fixed on him and he saw the signs of strain on her face but he saw strength there too. She was prioritizing in that practical brain of hers. The moment in the church when she leaned into him was the first sure sign he was making progress and now it was front page news. He knew there was no better way to have her pulling away from him than paparazzi putting Evie in the media.
“Of course I am but what’s done is done. We’ll go back to New York and go our separate ways and everyone will go onto the next sensation.”
His hands fisted in his pockets. “I want to help with Evie.”
She paused with the mug halfway to her lips. “How?”
He gestured around the suite that had been their home for the past week. It had a lived in feel now with their jackets thrown over the couch and toys
“You don’t have to say goodbye yet,” Mitchell said.
“Okay,” she whispered and forced herself to stand.
Mitchell carried Evie in one arm and put the other around her as she donned oversized sunglasses. When they stepped outside Grace froze, stunned when she saw Mitchell’s bodyguards holding back at least twelve paparazzi. They shouted questions, rousing Evie who started to cry.
“Are you back together?” someone shouted.
“Is she your daughter?” another reporter demanded.
Mitchell rapped out commands and his bodyguards made a path to his car. Mitchell handed Evie to Grace as soon as they got into the car. He pulled out his phone and started snapping commands at Max.
“How did they know?” Grace asked quietly.
Mitchell looked back at her, face tight with anger. “I’ll find out.”
Grace rocked Evie as they made their way back into the city. When they arrived at the hotel Grace was alarmed to see no less than twenty reporters waiting on the steps. She put a blanket over Evie for privacy as they pushed their way through the ruckus to the lobby. Workers and other guests turn to watch and whisper as they made their way to the elevators. When they got back to the suite Grace took Evie into their suite to change and feed her. When she set Evie down for a nap and walked into the living room she found Mitchell waiting for her.
“We’re on the news,” he informed her and she missed a step as she headed for the kitchen.
She didn’t comment as she filled a mug with hot water. She knew Mitchell followed and was waiting for her to say something. It was a reality check she didn’t need right now. Here she was, trying to cope with Casey’s death and it was going to be splashed across the tabloids and gossiped about. She thought of the picture the paparazzi snapped: Mitchell holding Evie in one arm and her with the other. Everyone would assume they were back together. The picture spoke for itself. What would the headline be? Tycoon comforts ex lover amidst tragedy? She didn’t want to know. This was exactly what she didn’t want for Evie- to be in tabloids with trashy headlines.
Something made her ask, “Does Ray know you’re here with me?”
He frowned. “No. Why?”
She thought of Ray’s reaction to seeing them on the news and rubbed her temples. Hadn’t she told him she wanted nothing to do with Mitchell and yet here she was. If he was angry before, he would be livid now. Knowing Ray, he probably thought she was callous enough to use her sister’s death and lean on Mitchell for sympathy.
“This doesn’t concern Ray,” he said, gesturing between them.
You have no idea, she thought wryly. She would let Mitchell deal with Ray. She wasn’t capable at the moment.
“It’ll blow over,” she said quietly and dipped her tea bag in the hot water.
“You’re not bothered by all the press?”
Her eyes fixed on him and he saw the signs of strain on her face but he saw strength there too. She was prioritizing in that practical brain of hers. The moment in the church when she leaned into him was the first sure sign he was making progress and now it was front page news. He knew there was no better way to have her pulling away from him than paparazzi putting Evie in the media.
“Of course I am but what’s done is done. We’ll go back to New York and go our separate ways and everyone will go onto the next sensation.”
His hands fisted in his pockets. “I want to help with Evie.”
She paused with the mug halfway to her lips. “How?”
He gestured around the suite that had been their home for the past week. It had a lived in feel now with their jackets thrown over the couch and toys
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