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Garrett snorted, but let it go. In an abrupt change of subject, he said, “Look, I’m calling to tell you I’ve got a guy here in Cadria who wants to hire us to protect his gem collection. He’s loaning it to a museum in L.A. and he doesn’t trust their security.”
“Hah. Good call.”
“That’s what I told him,” Garrett said. “Anyway, I’ve faxed the information to Janice at your office. You’ve got to come up with the plan and the details on fees, since you’re the one on-site.”
Griffin scrubbed one hand across his face and nodded at Nicole as she dropped to the sand beside her son. Now that Connor was in safe hands, Griffin stood up and walked a few steps toward the water’s edge.
Just a few days ago, he’d been wishing for work, something to keep his mind busy. Now he glanced back at the woman and child kneeling in the sand. The sun was setting and the pale wash of golden light lay across the two of them as if they were highlighted in a painting.
Frowning to himself, he turned back to look at the sea and the shimmer of light dancing on the surface of the water.
“Griff?” Garret asked. “You there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. When’s he need the estimate?”
“Couple of days. When you’ve got it, fax it back to me at the palace and I’ll take it to him and sell the rest of the deal.”
Chuckling, Griffin shook his head. “At the palace,” he repeated. “Doesn’t that ever seem weird to you? That you live in a castle?”
“All the time, man. All the time,” Garrett mused. “But Alex lives here, and I live with Alex.”
“Yeah,” Griffin said. “I get that.”
“Do you?” Garrett laughed a little. “Well, now, there’s a surprise. Aren’t you the one who suggested that Alex give up the whole princess thing and move back to California with me?”
Yeah, he had. Griffin hadn’t understood why Garrett had been so willing to give up his own life in favor of living in Cadria full-time. Turning your world upside down for a woman just hadn’t computed with Griffin.
Now, he got it. Though he didn’t really want to consider just how he’d come to the realization. Another glance at Nicole and he was rewarded with her smile. His chest tightened, so he looked away quickly.
“I’ll go to the office, pick up the papers,” Griffin said. “Then I’ll get it back to you ASAP.”
“Okay...” Garrett said slowly. “Griff, is there something you want to talk about?”
“What is this, a chick flick?” Griffin countered, shaking his head as if his twin could see him. “No, I don’t want to talk. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Right. How about the situation with Nicole and her kid.” Garrett paused and said, “Let’s remember the last time you got involved with a single mom.”
“Let’s not.” Griffin’s scowl was fierce, but since he was facing the sea, no one could see it.
“It about killed you to lose that boy. He even ran away from his mom and went to you.”
“I remember.” He didn’t want to, but he did. Jamie had been six, and Griffin had been his T-ball coach. He’d relived his own childhood through Jamie, and in a few weeks, he’d come to feel like the boy’s father. But when Jamie’s mom walked away, he’d lost his relationship with Jamie, as well.
Griffin still remembered the afternoon a crying little boy had shown up at his office. Jamie had run to Griffin, hoping to bring him back into his world. There had been nothing he could do to stop the boy’s heartbreak...or his own. He’d returned Jamie to his mother and driven away, vowing never again to get involved with a woman who had a child.
He’d kept that vow. Until now.
“This is different,” Griffin insisted, and wasn’t sure whom he was trying to convince—himself or Garrett. Lowering his voice, he said, “I feel sorry for the kid. He doesn’t have a dad, okay? This thing with Nicole and me isn’t permanent, so neither is the situation with Connor. I’m not getting sucked in again. I won’t let that happen, so relax.”
