scattered here and there. Why had he felt so threatened by just the thought of living in a scene like this?
“You need a break sometimes. I can help.”
She laughed and it lit up her face for a moment. “Mitch, I can’t imagine calling you to babysit. That’s really sweet of you but I’ll figure it out. You have your empire to run. I know you’ve got millions of things to do. I just have to switch some things around in my schedule.”
He hated the way she was pushing him away again. That moment of vulnerability, of need in the church was gone and she’d built up her walls again. He genuinely liked Evie. She was curious, unguarded and loving… and she was a mirror image of Grace. How could he not fall for her?
“So you’re going to raise Evie in the city?”
He tried to keep his voice even. He wanted to shake her but she didn’t need him pushing when her sister’s funeral was less than an hour ago.
Grace grimaced. “I have to. That’s where the boutique is.” She sipped her tea and tapped her fingernails on the counter. “How am I going to do this? I work more than fifty hours a week and-”
“Weren’t you telling me Amy could handle the boutique without you? You could delegate and check in once or twice a week.”
“That’s true.”
She moved to the living room and sat on the couch and tucked her legs beneath her. Mitchell followed her and sat, thumbing through emails and messages on his phone. He calmly put his business to the side and gave her his full attention. She took a deep breath.
“I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for all this. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t barged into my condo,” she said wryly.
She needed to get her mind off of Casey’s death, off of how her life was going to change. The future was just a big blank right now and she didn’t have to face that until she got on the jet tomorrow. Right now she could put it off and as a distraction there was nothing better than Mitchell. They were actually very similar- focused, business oriented and confident. It was what made their relationship last- that understanding that sometimes they had to come second because there was business to take care of. She felt secure in their relationship. Mitchell was direct and committed to her- so she’d thought. When he turned on her she hadn’t been prepared.
He shrugged. “You made up your mind to come back into society. You never miss an opportunity to make contacts at a party. I knew something was wrong.”
“I have no idea what I’m going to do,” she confided, running a hand through he r hair. “I have a baby now.” Her eyes were huge with apprehension. “What if I can’t do this?”
She couldn’t believe she was talking to Mitchell out of all people. A week ago, just the sight of him made her ill. Now, here she was confessing her worst fears. What changed? At some point between getting Evie from the hospital and the funeral she put their past to the side.
“You can,” he said firmly. “You’ll work it out. You’ve never let anything stand in the way of what you want. The same energy you put into business, you can channel into Evie.”
Grace moved to New York after high school and started off as a housekeeper at a prestigious hotel and befriended a woman who owned a boutique. She came to love the store and its owner who passed several years ago and left the store to Grace. She’d been struggling to keep the boutique alive when she attended a social event and attracted Mitchell Price’s attention. He offered to invest in the boutique to keep it going. With his influence, she gained an exclusive clientele and her profits exceeded any figures she could’ve imagined. That felt like a lifetime ago.
Her mouth twisted. “ I feel so lost right now but women do this every day.” Her eyes grew distant as she thought. “I never thought of having kids myself.”
Grace realized what she said too late. She saw that apologetic look on his face
“You need a break sometimes. I can help.”
She laughed and it lit up her face for a moment. “Mitch, I can’t imagine calling you to babysit. That’s really sweet of you but I’ll figure it out. You have your empire to run. I know you’ve got millions of things to do. I just have to switch some things around in my schedule.”
He hated the way she was pushing him away again. That moment of vulnerability, of need in the church was gone and she’d built up her walls again. He genuinely liked Evie. She was curious, unguarded and loving… and she was a mirror image of Grace. How could he not fall for her?
“So you’re going to raise Evie in the city?”
He tried to keep his voice even. He wanted to shake her but she didn’t need him pushing when her sister’s funeral was less than an hour ago.
Grace grimaced. “I have to. That’s where the boutique is.” She sipped her tea and tapped her fingernails on the counter. “How am I going to do this? I work more than fifty hours a week and-”
“Weren’t you telling me Amy could handle the boutique without you? You could delegate and check in once or twice a week.”
“That’s true.”
She moved to the living room and sat on the couch and tucked her legs beneath her. Mitchell followed her and sat, thumbing through emails and messages on his phone. He calmly put his business to the side and gave her his full attention. She took a deep breath.
“I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for all this. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t barged into my condo,” she said wryly.
She needed to get her mind off of Casey’s death, off of how her life was going to change. The future was just a big blank right now and she didn’t have to face that until she got on the jet tomorrow. Right now she could put it off and as a distraction there was nothing better than Mitchell. They were actually very similar- focused, business oriented and confident. It was what made their relationship last- that understanding that sometimes they had to come second because there was business to take care of. She felt secure in their relationship. Mitchell was direct and committed to her- so she’d thought. When he turned on her she hadn’t been prepared.
He shrugged. “You made up your mind to come back into society. You never miss an opportunity to make contacts at a party. I knew something was wrong.”
“I have no idea what I’m going to do,” she confided, running a hand through he r hair. “I have a baby now.” Her eyes were huge with apprehension. “What if I can’t do this?”
She couldn’t believe she was talking to Mitchell out of all people. A week ago, just the sight of him made her ill. Now, here she was confessing her worst fears. What changed? At some point between getting Evie from the hospital and the funeral she put their past to the side.
“You can,” he said firmly. “You’ll work it out. You’ve never let anything stand in the way of what you want. The same energy you put into business, you can channel into Evie.”
Grace moved to New York after high school and started off as a housekeeper at a prestigious hotel and befriended a woman who owned a boutique. She came to love the store and its owner who passed several years ago and left the store to Grace. She’d been struggling to keep the boutique alive when she attended a social event and attracted Mitchell Price’s attention. He offered to invest in the boutique to keep it going. With his influence, she gained an exclusive clientele and her profits exceeded any figures she could’ve imagined. That felt like a lifetime ago.
Her mouth twisted. “ I feel so lost right now but women do this every day.” Her eyes grew distant as she thought. “I never thought of having kids myself.”
Grace realized what she said too late. She saw that apologetic look on his face
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