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He hadn’t lost his wife. That was an understandable misery.
This time, he’d lost Grace. The strong, proud woman he still saw walking about his hotel on a daily basis. She didn’t look in his direction—not once. She didn’t try and engage in conversation. His few ‘good mornings’ had been resolutely ignored.
But that wasn’t the thing that made him feel wretched.
It was the fact that when she thought no one was watching, her shoulders would slump, her head would bow and she’d pull a tissue from her apron.
Grace. The girl with the sparkling eyes, gorgeous smile and biggest heart in the world.
He’d done this.
This morning he’d woken up and turned over in bed. The empty space beside him hadn’t just felt empty—it had felt like a massive void.
He’d never considered himself a coward. But why had he retreated so quickly? Was he actually scared? He hated feeling like this. And he hated the way he’d made Grace feel.
The sunlight sparkled off something in the corner of the room. Silver paper. The gift that Mrs Archer had left him. He’d forgotten to open it.
He stood up and walked over. It took a few minutes to unfurl the curling silver ribbons and unwrap the silver paper. Inside was a black box. He flipped it open. An engraved silver heart gleamed at him.
Memories are special in every single way,
But new memories can be made every single day.
A long red ribbon was attached at the top. It was a Christmas decoration. Ready to be hung on a tree.
Right alongside his ceramic angel.
* * *
There was noise outside her flat as she approached. Grace froze. The last thing she needed was trouble. All she wanted to do was get inside, pull on her pyjamas and make some toast.
As she took another step forward she recognised the voices. She straightened up and walked around the corner. ‘Emma, Sophie, Ashleigh—what are you doing here?’
‘Grace!’ Their shouts were probably heard all up and down the stairwells of the flats. She found herself enveloped in a group hug. Tears prickled at her eyes.
‘You missed Christmas with us.’ Emma held up a bag that clinked.
Ashleigh held up another, her engagement ring gleaming in the dim hall lights. ‘Let us in, we want to hear all your news.’
Sophie was clutching a huge trifle in a glass bowl. ‘What happened with your boss?’
She couldn’t hold it together a second longer. She’d tried so hard all day. Seeing Finlay at the hotel was torture. Because now she knew what they could share together, she was having trouble being anything but angry.
She dissolved into tears of frustration.
‘Grace? Grace? What’s wrong?’
The keys were fumbled from her hands, her door opened and she was ushered into the flat. Within two minutes glasses appeared, wine was poured and her jacket was pulled from her shoulders. She sank down onto the sofa as Ashleigh opened the biggest box of chocolates in the world and dumped them on her lap.
It just made her cry all the more. Right now she valued her friends more than anything.
One hour later they were all gobsmacked. Emma slid her arm around her shoulders. ‘Why didn’t you tell us how you were feeling? You could have spent Christmas Day with any one of us.’
Grace shook her head. ‘I didn’t want to put a dampener on anyone else’s Christmas.’
Sophie narrowed her eyes. ‘But what about your Christmas? Finlay’s certainly put a dampener on that.’
Grace sighed. ‘It’s not his fault I fell hook, line and sinker. I knew right from the start that he was a widower. I should have known better than to fall in love.’
Ashleigh leaned forward and slipped her hand into Grace’s. ‘But we can’t always control where our heart will take us. Finlay took you to the staff party, he kissed you, he took you to Scotland, he slept with you. Then he took you to meet his family.’ She shook her head and leaned back on her heels. ‘It doesn’t matter what way I look at this, Grace. He led you on. He didn’t guard your heart the way he should have.’
‘People don’t always love you back,’ Grace replied flatly.
Sophie slammed her hand on the table. ‘Then the man’s a fool.’ She lifted her glass towards Grace. ‘Whatever happens next, we’re here for you, Grace. All of us. We’re your family now.’
The words made her heart swell. She looked around at her friends with love and appreciation. ‘Thank you, girls. That means so much. But I know what I need to do. I know how to take things forward for me.’ She gave her head a shake. ‘I don’t need a man to determine what to do with my life. I have plans. I need someone who can stand by my side and support my choices in life. If Finlay can’t do that—then he isn’t the right man for me.’ She lifted her glass to raise a toast then paused. Something sparked in her brain. She turned towards Sophie. ‘Ashleigh said you went for drinks with some gorgeous Italian. I haven’t
heard about it yet. Spill.’
Anything to distract her from the way she was feeling right now.
Because one thing was for sure. The next steps would be the hardest.
* * *
He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t take it for a second longer. Four days were already four days too many.
He’d only needed one glimpse of Grace to know that this situation couldn’t continue.
She was standing at the lifts with her cart, waiting to go upstairs. He walked over purposely and caught her by the elbow. ‘Come with me for a second.’
‘What?’ She looked shocked. He’d caught her off guard.
He steered her towards one of the nearby empty rooms. ‘We need to talk.’
She lifted her chin determinedly and folded her arms across her chest. ‘Do we? I thought everything had been said.’
He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to find the right words. ‘I hate seeing you like this.’
‘Like what?’
‘I hate seeing you so miserable—especially when I know it’s all my fault.’
‘I’m glad there’s something we can agree on.’ The words had obviously been on the tip of her tongue. She gave a little shake of her head. ‘I’m a grown-up, Finlay. And so are you.’
He stepped closer. Her perfume drifted around him, giving him agonising flashbacks to the Christmas party and to Christmas night. ‘Maybe we should have a rethink? Maybe, now that we’re back, we could see each other when I’m back in London? I mean, I’m away a lot on business. But we could have drinks. Dinner.’ He was rambling. Words were spilling out.
Her face paled. ‘Tell me that you’re joking?’
Not quite the effect he was looking for. ‘Why?’
He could see the bottom edge of her jaw line tremble. It was something he’d never seen before in Grace Ellis. Rage.
‘Why?’ She shouted so loudly he winced. Guests in the bar next door would have heard.
