AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mrs. Busby deserves a raise—for loyalty at the very least. Because Jilly could be trying.” And demanding. And insecure. And like the house she adored, with its plethora of glass and mirrors that needed constant shining, she’d been high-maintenance.
“Do you miss her terribly?”
Nick didn’t hesitate. “No.”
Candace’s eyes widened and her mouth formed an O.
“Did you want me to lie to you?”
“My impression was that you were everything she’d ever wanted.”
Nick looked away. He fumbled and drew the gold wedding band off his finger. “It’s long past time to take this off. What Jilly and I had could hardly be called a marriage.”
The sound of Candace’s sharply drawn breath filled the sudden silence.
“Nick—”
He didn’t look at her. “Jilly is dead. I don’t want to conduct a postmortem over a marriage that never even got off the ground.”
Her hand stroked along his arm. “I never meant to—”
Man, she was killing him. The worst of it was she had no clue. Finally, he looked at her. “I should never have married Jilly.”
Her eyes were so soft he could’ve sworn she understood what he felt. The confusion. The guilt. The frustration at the lost years.
The yearning for a woman like her.
Her hand released him, and he felt the loss. Picking up her wineglass, Candace took a deep sip.
Nick knew how she felt. Except she had no idea how bad he had it—the whole damn bottle of wine wouldn’t ease the desire that heated him, it would only inflame it. And Nick had no intention of losing sight of the most important aspect of his existence—his control.
However much he wanted Candace.
He knew the time had come to retreat. Before he lost his head and did something he might later regret. Rising to his feet, he said, “I have a long day tomorrow. I think I’ll turn in.”
“Nick…”
He paused, his pulse thudding. “What is it?”
Candace shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Tell me,” he insisted.
She hesitated, then said, “Do you still want me to come with you and Jennie to the carnival on Sunday?”
Nick was sure that wasn’t what she’d planned to say, but he didn’t challenge her. “Of course.” The coward in him added, “Alison and her husband, Richard, and her boys will no doubt be there too. It’s a great day out.”
Nick didn’t want Candace guessing how pleased he was that she’d agreed to go.
Ten
A welcoming banner festooned with hearts fluttered over the arched entrance to Valentine’s Garden Super Center.
“How did you manage to arrange for so many roses to be in bloom for today’s carnival?” Candace asked Nick as he pushed Jennie’s stroller under the arch covered in cascades of red, pink and white.
Nick’s mouth slanted. “Good planning—I leave nothing to chance.”
Candace gave him a narrow-eyed glance. Before she could react, a cloud of red, heart-shaped balloons floated toward them. A teenager wearing a T-shirt proclaiming Valentine’s… Gardens of Love emerged from behind the bunch and held a balloon out to Candace.
“Thank you.” Candace smiled and accepted the red heart. Bending forward, she tied it to the stroller. Jennie’s eyes lit up and her hand reached out. At her touch the balloon bobbed away, and Jennie squealed with pleasure.
Nick laughed. Straightening, Candace met his dancing eyes. There was a moment of pure, joyous accord, before she came to her senses and walked away quickly, leaving Nick to follow with the stroller.
She couldn’t allow herself to forget that Nick had wanted to get her out of her daughter’s life. Candace knew the battle wasn’t over yet. Nick was a hard-nosed businessman; he’d simply be choosing his time to regroup and attack again. She dared not let her guard down.
Inside the garden center, a lively sight met her eyes. The area around the coffee shop had been transformed, with extra tables and chairs arranged on the cobbles, and red-and-white petunias cascading out of planter boxes. On the wooden adventure playground children swarmed down rope ladders and over wooden battlements, and beyond the playground red, blue, and yellow canvas booths had been set up. In the nearest booth three young women were painting toddlers’ faces, while the booths beyond housed hook-the-fish, a skittle lane, a balloon twister and an assortment of other festive activities. “Goodness, it is a carnival.”
“Close enough.” Taking one hand from the stroller, Nick placed it under Candace’s elbow and guided her through the crowd while deftly maneuvering the stroller with his other hand. Instantly, shivers skittered across the bare skin where his hand rested. Candace forced herself to pretend she hadn’t noticed.
