“I think it went pretty well,” Lexi agreed.
“Pretty well?”the bookstore manager echoed incredulously. “You had a line wrapped around the corner and you sold out in an hour!”
Lexi smiled, undeniably pleased by the successful outcome of her book signing. Yesterday’s event, the first of her two-week book tour, had gone just as well. Not only that, but her cookbook had debuted on a major bestseller list and was already headed for a second printing, according to her editor.
As if those weren’t reasons enough to celebrate, she was in love. Deeply, madly in love with a wonderful man who also happened to be her best friend in the world. For the first time in years, Lexi could honestly say that life was good.
“Can I get you anything, Ms. Austin?” the bookstore manager asked, eager to accommodate. “More Perrier? Hors d’oeuvres?”
Lexi smiled, rising from the table. “No, thank you. I’m meeting some friends for lunch—”
“The ones who were here earlier with cameras and big signs?”
Lexi chuckled. “Yes. And one of them is pregnant,” she said, referencing Samara, “so I’d better not keep her waiting much longer.” She shook the woman’s hand. “Thanks so much for your hospitality.”
“Thankyou.It was a real pleasure to meet you, Ms. Austin. I wish you the best with your cookbook.”
“Thank you! I appreciate that.”
As Lexi headed from the large chain bookstore, she pulled out her cell phone and felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that there were no missed calls. She’d hoped to hear from Quentin by now. After attending her book signing yesterday, he’d left for Washington, D.C., to tend to some business matters at the law firm’s other office. Since becoming Marcus’s partner, he’d had to take on even more responsibility, which meant more travel. He’d be gone for a week, and Lexi honestly didn’t know how she’d make it that long without him. Last night she’d slept in one of his T-shirts, which was so big on her it could have been a muumuu. She’d buried her face in it, inhaling the wonderful, familiar scent that clung to the fabric.
Smiling, she sent him a text message.I miss you.
“Alexis?”
She glanced up. A man had appeared directly in her path. Medium height and build, with stooped shoulders and deep lines carved into his pockmarked brown skin. Sunken cheeks and bloodshot eyes rimmed with heavy bags hinted at a life of hard drinking.
As recognition dawned, the ground tilted beneath Lexi’s feet and she staggered back a step, staring in shock.
It can’t be.
But she knew it was.
Ray Austin. Her long-lost father.
“How ya doing, baby girl?” he said, greeting her as though they’d just spoken the week before. “Looks like I’m too late for your book signing. Real sorry about that. I’d hoped to—”
“What are you doing here?” Lexi whispered, the words forced out through dry lips.
Her father frowned. “I just told you. I came for your book signing. I saw you on TV last week—”
“You saw me,” she repeated scornfully. “You haven’tseenme in over thirty years!”
Ray grimaced. “Well, now, I can explain—”
“You don’t need to explain anything. I have no interest in anything you have to say.”
He took a step forward and she instinctively retreated, heart knocking painfully against her ribs. Glancing around the busy bookstore, she met the curious stares of several onlookers and realized that she was causing a scene.
“Excuse me.” With a curt nod at her father, she sidestepped him and hurried from the bookstore. Once outside, she sucked in deep lungfuls of air. She felt as if she were suffocating, having one of her panic attacks.
Ray followed her out of the store. “I know I haven’t been there for you like I shoulda. But—”
She whirled around. “Butwhat?All these years without so much as a birthday card or a phone call. And you show up here out of the clear blue, expecting me to—what? Welcome you with open arms? Call you Daddy?” She raked him with a look of scathing contempt. “You wasted your time coming here.”
He had the nerve to scowl. “Don’t I have a right to be proud of my daughter’s accomplishments?”
“You gave up that right when you walked out on us! And I think we both know thatpridehas nothing to do with why you’re here today.”
