“And your family?”
“Great. They’re in the city now.”
“Right. Mum said your folks moved up here soon after—” He didn’t finish.
Soon after you left.
“And Sean?”
“Everyone’s fine,” she said, sharper than she meant to.
He nodded, crossing his arms to mirror her. She focused on his beat-up black Converse—unexpected on Jameson Kingston, who had modeled in Calvin Klein and for Gucci fragrance. The scuffed rubber threw her for a second.
“I’ve been meaning to reach out,” he said quietly. “This last year, I—”
“I’ve got to go.” The words escaped before she could catch them. Survival instinct.
He winced. “I—”
“Excuse me,” she murmured, already moving. She stopped beside Jenna. “It was a pleasure meeting you. If you have questions, Jessica can help. She’ll arrange the purchase and shipping.”
“Lovely to meet you, too,” Jenna chirped, already absorbed in a landscape.
Daisy climbed the stairs to her office on shaky legs, grabbed her purse, waved a dazed goodbye to Jessica, and walked quickly to her car. She drove a mile and a half before pulling to the curb and letting herself do something she hadn’t in a very long time.
She cried.
Chapter Sixteen
DAISY DROVE AROUND FOR THEnext hour after her little bawl session on the side of the road.
Pathetic, she told herself. She hadn’t seen the guy in years and still allowed him to have that kind of effect on her.
She reminded herself she was no longer a weak teenage girl. She was a woman now. Strong and independent. A woman who had done a damn good job with the life she’d been given. No one could take that from her, especially not Jameson Kingston.
And yet, regret prickled. She had run out of her own gallery because of him.
Him, who was more beautiful than ever.
Him, who was the most beloved rock star of the 21stcentury.
Him, who had once broken her heart almost beyond repair.
She hadn’t been prepared for that, to see him after all this time. She and Jess most definitely needed to come up with a better screening system. Or maybe she’d invest in state-of-the-art security.
By the time Daisy pulled into her parents’ driveway, she’d mostly managed to wipe the tear streaks from her cheeks and fixher makeup. Still, her heart sagged when she put the key into the door and turned the knob. It was still sad when she placed her bag on the foyer table and greeted her father, who was sitting in his office just off the entry.
But all sadness evaporated when she saw the most beautiful pair of blue eyes peeking from around the corner.
“Mommy!”
Daisy crouched and scooped Amelia into her arms, smothering her with kisses until the girl squealed. “Stop, Mom!”
“What? Are you getting too old for sloppy kisses?” Daisy teased.
Amelia shrugged. “Maybe when I’m nine.”
Daisy set her down with a smile. “You’ll be nine in a few months.”
