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Whatever it was, he was hoping she’d feel comfortable enough to open up to him. But he didn’t want to pry.
Luckily, he was busy with work all day Saturday. Without his phone buzzing every few seconds, as it did during the week, he actually sat down and finished some changes to his business plan. The Knoxville investors had requested them. He still wasn’t sure if he wanted to work with them. Nic had him all mixed up on the issue. But he’d promised the changes, so he’d shot them over.
But there was another project he was lining up. It was a surprise for Faith. He’d reached out to one of his virtual assistants yesterday morning to help with it, and she’d texted first thing that morning with a link. He entered some information, paid the fees, and it was all set.
Now he had to make sure Faith was ready for the surprise. Around midafternoon, he put a pause on his work and emerged from his office. The problem was, he couldn’t find Faith. She wasn’t in her room or the living room—her two usual hangouts. Her laptop wasn’t in its usual resting place on the end table on her side of the sofa, either. Finally, he had no choice but to call out for her.
“Out here!”
He was standing in the kitchen when he finally got a response to his shouting. He pushed the door open and stepped out onto the back patio to find her seated in one of his rocking chairs, blanket wrapped around her, sipping from a coffee mug.
“It’s freezing out here,” he said.
She shook her head. “Not too bad with this blanket. I wanted to get some fresh air.”
She wore no makeup and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, but he spotted jeans and tennis shoes. So at least she was dressed for the company she was about to get.
“I have a surprise,” he said, still closely gauging her expressions.
Confusion was clear on her face as she looked up at him. “Surprise?”
“You’ll see.”
He gestured for her to follow. He wanted to be outside when they pulled in. Unfortunately, that left the two of them standing on the front stoop, staring at an empty driveway.
She looked at him, brow still furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
“Trust me.” It would have been nice if a few seconds later, something appeared. But the driveway stayed empty. “Maybe I should text to get an ETA.”
He reached for his phone in his back pocket, not sure who to text. The assistant? That was his only point of contact, unless the online forms he’d filled out had a name on them. Maybe he should check his old emails now.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I have my blanket. Do you need your coat?”
Holden shook his head. He wore a sweatshirt, which was hardly enough to keep him warm in this weather, but he wasn’t planning for them to stand out here for an extra-long time.
“Whatever it is, thank you,” she said. “You and your daughter have been way too generous.”
Why did this sound like some sort of goodbye message? His stomach lurched. He was not prepared for his time with her to come to an end.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Was it something I did? You’ve seemed a little distant since we danced last night.”
She shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just feeling a lot of pressure to figure out what I want to do with my life.”
He forced his mouth into something he hoped resembled a smile. “I can’t say I’ve had an easy time figuring out what I want to be when I grow up.”
“I’m thirty years old with a failed engagement and years of experience in a career that I don’t want to continue,” she said.
“Managing a store?”
“That too,” she said. “But my degree is in art history. I was a curator for a museum. That had me traveling all over the country and finally outside of it. That’s how I ended up in England.”
“And where you met your fiancé.”
“Ex-fiancé,” she corrected. He noticed she always made sure he was clear on that. “Yeah, just when I was trying to find a way to get back here, he came along and made me think about sticking around there forever. Anyway, I’m not sure my résumé will help me find the kind of work I want.”
“The kind of work you want?” he asked. “What exactly is that?”
“I love marketing,” she said. “I did all the social media for my ex’s parents’ store. I kind of became the face of their shop on one platform, and it got them a lot of business.”
