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She practically skipped ahead. “Why aren’t you happier?”
Kane Zegas was the devil.
And somehow I felt like I’d just sold my soul to him.
But if it kept Penelope out of trouble and allowed her to pursue her dreams, it was a risk I was willing to take.
“That’s just the first step,” I said carefully.
She bumped shoulders with me. “Mom. You’re so cautious.”
I had to be. My daughter was grown, but she was still my responsibility.
“You should’ve let me come with you. He wouldn’t have said no to me.”
And there was that willful streak she had. It was both a blessing and a detriment. Because of it, she’d accomplished so much. And she got her way most of the time. But when she didn’t... she didn’t take rejection well.
“It wasn’t the time.” I wanted to keep her as far away from Kane as I could. I’d managed to this long and would just have to pray she wouldn’t be influenced by him.
She flashed a saucy grin. “He’ll be charmed by me.”
Charmed.
The word sent a shiver through me. “I’m sure he will.”
My steps faltered. He hadn’t asked about the situation. Hadn’t told me to give my contact information to his assistant... let alone asked for it himself.
And I hadn’t been thinking clearly enough to nail down a meeting time to discuss it.
I adjusted my scarf.
Thiswas why I wasn’t skipping down the street. I might not have succeeded after all.
Penelope picked up the pace. “There’s a protest not far from here and we still have time to make it. The city is trying to kick out the homeless from a park they’ve sold for development. Can you believe they didn’t offer anywhere for them to go?” Her outrage on behalf of people she didn’t know was an extension of her heart.
I liked to think I’d taught her that.
More than once I’d wondered if the life I’d given her was the right one. We’d traveled all over the world, fighting for the most pressing causes at hand. She’d never had a normal school life or a settled routine.
“You should go to the apartment. I don’t want you getting into unnecessary trouble.” Until she’d come along, I’d never worried about the consequences. Then suddenly there was someone else I was responsible for. And it had made me bolder in my pursuit of finding justice for those who couldn’t find it themselves. My worldview broadened even more when Penelope was born.
“I’m going.”
We could argue all the way there, but she’d win. So I wouldn’t.
“If things start to get dicey—”
“I know. I know. Get out of there,” she groaned. It was the same thing I’d been telling her for most of her life.
She dragged me forward. “We have so many people to help here, Mom. I’ve been looking at bigger office space—”
“We’re not staying here,” I said sharply.
“I’ve joined a firm here. As soon as I do enough time, I’m going on my own. They don’t get what we do, who we help. To them, it’s all about the money.” Her disgust was evident.
I was still stuck on the fact she wanted to put down roots here.You should’ve known she’d be attached to this city. It’s in her blood.
Our ancestors had walked these streets. Had made an empire in this city. They could’ve gone anywhere. But New York had captured them.
