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“She only wants your money. That’s why she was here, remember, for the article about your company. The one you didn’t tell your own mother about!”
“She doesn’t give two shits about my money. Your former daughter-in-law—she wants money. And you’ll see how expensive she is when she drains your account.”
His mother opened her mouth and he shook his head.
“I don’t want to hear it. I love Hope. I’m going to marry her and have babies with her.” A quick determined smile. “Lots of them. And before I forget, let me mention one other thing: you’ll be out of our lives if you choose to continue siding with my ex. Get out of my house and don’t ever come back uninvited.”
Vera was still moving her mouth but no words came out. Mitchell herded her to the door and the moment she was on the porch, he slammed it behind her.
“Did you mean what you said?”
He jumped and whipped his head toward the living room. “Holy shit!” His sister Mallory sat there, her fingers tangled in the hem of her oversize shirt.
He hadn’t seen her since they’d had their photo taken for the newspaper. She’d barely been able to stand on her own feet, given how undernourished she was. Most of the evening, her hand had been on his arm, her fingers digging into him.
Now she looked better, her face fuller and her skin not so pasty. However, she had a long way to go before she was healthy. And he’d not lied—he would be here for her, helping her.
“What are you doing here, Mallory? When did you get here?”
“Snuck in while you were talking to Mom.”
She tucked some black hair behind her ear. Her eyes, like his, were a rich brown but hers held such sadness.
“I thought you were gone for another month.”
She shrugged. “I left.”
He drew her up and hugged his baby sister. “Good for you. And yes, I meant every word of it.”
Mallory leaned against him. “She’s going to send me back.”
He swallowed and wrangled his emotions under control. His sister didn’t deserve his anger. “No, she won’t. You’ll stay here with me.”
She wound her arms around him. “What about your woman?”
A rough bark of laughter. “I don’t know where she is.” God, it killed him to admit such a thing. He should know where the woman who owned his heart was. Did she need him? Fuck. Was she missing him like he was her?
“Will I have to leave when you find her?”
The thread of vulnerability from his baby sister cut him at the knees, taking him to the floor. How hellish had her life been because he’d been so wrapped up in himself?
“No.” He kissed her temple. “You can stay as long as you want, Mallory. Whatever you need from me. How do you know I’m going to find her?”
A slow shoulder bounce. “You’re my big brother. I’ve never seen you fail at anything.”
Chin on her head, he held her. I failed you, Mallory, and I failed Hope. Something I swear I’ll never do again. “Come on, we’re going to a baseball game.”
…
Hope nibbled on her lower lip as she waited in the hallway of the building where Mr. Garfield had his office. João had offered to come in with her, but she’d decided she needed to do this alone, so he’d ambled off to be a tourist in Rock Falls, Vermont.
The drive in had tied her in knots. This close to Mitchell. Most of her wanted to see him but self-preservation wanted to bolt or hide. João had stopped at quite a few of the covered bridges in the area and had fallen in love with the one she knew well. Palisade Glen.
While he lost himself in his photos, she’d rested and kept an eye on the time. The last thing she wanted to do was be late for her meeting. Not that she wished to be here, but she’d given her word.
“Ms. Roman, Mr. Garfield will see you now.”
She glanced up to the older woman who had opened the office door. One more deep breath and Hope got up off the bench.
“Sorry we don’t have a waiting room in here.”
“It’s fine, ma’am. Thank you.” She glanced around the room. There was barely enough space for the woman’s desk. As she skirted by Hope to sit once more, Hope watched the door she had to go through.
Rethinking her decision to let João leave her here alone, she swallowed her nerves. She had no reason to be afraid. Facing death hadn’t panicked her like this did and she hated how uncertain she was right now.
Reaching out for the knob, she pulled it open. Mr. Garfield sat behind his desk. His space wasn’t that much bigger. His smile went from cheek to cheek, his ruddy skin agleam in the sunlight coming through the small windows along the ceiling.
