AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I laugh. “Connor, you can see everything from where you’re standing.”
“Not the bathroom. I haven’t seen that.”
I point to the one door in my apartment. “It’s through there.”
He opens the bathroom door and pops his head in. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smaller bathroom.” Then he crosses the room to the only window and gazes outside at the sidewalk. “Just the one window?”
I nod. “Unfortunately, yes.”
Then he skims the titles on my bookcase. “Austen, the Brontës—I see you’re still a romantic.” He picks up a copy ofJane Eyre, one of my favorites, and peruses the copyright page. “This is a first edition. It must have cost a pretty penny.”
“Skye and Will gave it to me for my birthday last year.”
“I’ll buy you an entire library of first editions. Just say the word.”
I sit on the edge of my bed. “Connor, you know I’m not after your money.”
He frowns. “I know. And I’m sorry Angelica called you a gold digger. She couldn’t be more wrong.”
“I don’t blame her for thinking it.”
He sits beside me and takes my hand in his, linking our fingers together. “I really am sorry you saw that. It put quite a damper on what was turning out to be a fantastic weekend.”
“Has she said things like that to you before?”
He frowns. “Not lately, no.”
“But in the past? When we were together?”
He hesitates before saying, “She might have, on occasion. I ignored her.”
“You never told me.”
“Of course not. Her words meant nothing to us.”
I stare down at our hands, his so much bigger than mine.
He strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. “Kennedy, I can’t take back what my grandfather said to you. It was inexcusable, and I’m ashamed of him. But he’s gone now. I’m here, and so are you. I want us to have a fresh start and put all the nastiness behind us. What do you say?”
Hope blossoms in my chest. “I want so badly to believe this can work.”
“It can.” He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “Please say yes. Let’s have our second chance.”
I nod. “I’d love nothing more.”
He releases my hands and cups my face. Then he leans close and gives me a soft, tender kiss. “I vow to you—”
There’s another knock on my door. “For god’s sake, not again.”
I roll my eyes. “I adore Mrs. P, but sometimes she’s a bit much.”
I head for the door, but when I glance through the peephole, I see it’s not Mrs. Philbin. It’s Ms. Talisman, and she looks irate.
Like Mrs. P, Ms. Talisman is in her eighties, also a widow. Her husband was a train conductor in the city, back in the day. She’s tall and sturdy, her skin dark brown, almost black. Her hair has long since turned white and she keeps it buzz-cut short. Her eyes are as dark as obsidian.
I open the door. “Ms. Talisman, what’s wrong?”
She waves a sheet of paper in my face. “Have you read this? It came in yesterday’s mail. I just now opened it.”
