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Senator Diamond and Janine flew back from Washington D.C. to attend the event, and at one point, Roxanna found herself surrounded by almost the entire Diamond family—her family.
With Loyal’s help, she’d come to accept not only would she never receive what she’d always wanted from her mother, but the fact she no longer needed anything from her to feel worthy of love. Loyal, Asher, and the rest of them more than made up for her sorry-ass side, and Honor and Mae were a whole other kind of family she’d come to cherish.
Before noon, she was able to hug Martha Rowen, and buy her guardian angel driver Leonard from the night of the fire a dozen cupcakes to take home for him and his granddaughter. Loyal shook the man’s hand and thanked him for saving her from walking in the cold that night.
There was a fun moment when Mae introduced Merit to Ian, and Merit realized the ‘man’ he’d been jealous of the past couple of months was her six-year-old son. Based on the guy’s open no single moms rule, Roxanna fully expected Merit to lay off the flirting after that. The surprise came when he and Ian hit it off like best buds.
On a mid-afternoon trip through the store to offer cake and coffee samples and see if customers had questions, she spotted Loyal leaning against the wall behind the register, cell phone in hand, brow furrowed. She’d started sensing more with him the past couple of months, his moods and feelings, though she wasn’t sure it was psychic reading so much as being attuned to the man she loved.
Setting her tray down on the counter, she sidled up beside him. “Everything okay?”
“Just trying to word this text to my brother.”
She lifted her gaze to his. Asher and Merit were both over on the bakery side. Which meant the only brother he’d need to text was Grayson.
“What are you texting him for?”
“I’m going to offer him money for the foundation.”
“Finally?” It had been almost two months since she’d first suggested he use his own money.
He blew out a breath. “Yeah. It took a little longer to sort out the details than I expected. Plus my lawyer said it was best to wait for the new year.”
“Okay, but now it’s all set, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you frowning?”
“Because it’s not going to only be my money. I’m adding mine to Dad’s.”
Comprehension dawned, and she smiled. “You’re taking the CFO position.”
“Yeah. Grayson’s going to be pissed.”
“So maybe it’s better you do it in person.”
He made a face. “He’s still going to be pissed.”
“He’ll get over it,” she predicted with confidence. “Especially when he realizes he can help twice as many people with twice as much money.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Grayson might be bull-headed”—like you can be—“but he isn’t stupid.”
Loyal shrugged as his lips twisted with a slight smirk. She smacked him on the arm, leaned in for a two second kiss that may have stretched to five—okay, seven—then stepped away to pick up her tray.
“Roxanna.”
She heard the need in his voice, and her panties were instantly wet. She arched him a look over her shoulder as she moved far enough away to avoid the temptation to jump him.
Chin dipped low to his chest, he gave her a devilishly sexy look through his lashes and a little jerk of his head toward her reading room.
Eyes wide, she darted a look around the busy store and shook her head.
He raised his eyebrows.
She shook her head more emphatically. No way was she going to have sex right there with people in her store. The fact that her buttoned-up accountant wanted to was almost as shocking. And a major turn on, too.
