4

I chuckled. “So does Daddy.”

He lifted one eyebrow in amusement and kissed me fast. “Yes, he does. I want to spend the weekend with my girls. I’ve missed you all too much.”

I cupped his cheek. “A family weekend sounds perfect.”

“Great. I looked at my calendar and next week is going to be crazy. Graham has me booked solid. You have a sitter for Thursday, right?”

“Yes. The dinner?”

He nodded, a grimace crossing his face. “Graham is certain we’re going to grab a few awards for the campaign for BAM. Otherwise, I’d skip it.”

I studied him for a minute. “Why?” He usually enjoyed the dinners and spending the evening talking with his peers about marketing and strategies.

“David will be there. From the rumors I’ve heard, things aren’t going well with his company. That will make him especially nasty. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”

I stroked along his jawline, feeling the tension simply talking about David caused him. “He’s in the past, Richard. He can’t hurt us now.”

He huffed out a long breath, not meeting my eyes.

“Hey.”

He looked up, wary.

“What is it, darling? Tell me,” I insisted.

He slid his arm around my waist, pulling me close. His breath tickled the hairs on my forehead. “Seeing him, being in the same room as he is, reminds me of the man I was before. The bastard I was to you—to everyone. It reminds me how close I came to becoming like him. I hate even hearing his name, never mind being around him.”

I hugged him close. It was rare, even now, that Richard showed his vulnerable side.

“I know he’s going to bait me. Make his snide remarks—remind me of my past.”

I held him tighter. “Nothing he says will make any difference.”

He laid his cheek on my head. “I worry I’ll slip back into that behavior someday,” he confessed in a low voice. “That I will lose everything I hold so dear to my heart.”

I tilted up my head, meeting his worried gaze. “No, you will not. You will never be like him, Richard. You’ve totally changed. You were lost and alone before. You have me now. The girls. The Gavin family. We would never allow that to happen. You would never allow that to happen.” I studied him, worried. “Maybe you should tell Graham you don’t want to attend. He would understand.”

Our eyes locked. Anxiety was evident in his stance. “Katy…”

“I love you,” I insisted. “I love you with everything I have. I love the man you are.”

“I know.” He stroked my cheek with his finger, but he still looked worried.

“David baits you because you have something he will never have, Richard. Happiness. You’re fulfilled and complete. At the end of the day, you have a home and a family that loves you. He’s alone and miserable.”

His tension drained away. He stood straighter, and the frown lines eased from his face.

“You’re right. I have everything he wants and will never have. He can’t affect me because I won’t let him. I have too much good in my life.”

“Yes, you do.”

He lowered his face and kissed me, his mouth moving with mine gently. “Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t know what came over me, but thank you for listening and being there for me.”

“I’ll always be here.”

He kissed me again. “Then I have everything I need.”

 

  

RICHARD

“I

s that everything, Mr. VanRyan?” Sheila, the woman who owned my favorite flower shop, inquired.

“Yes. Those will be delivered this morning?”

“Absolutely.”

“Perfect. Thank you.” Satisfied, I ended the call, the music returning to the speakers in my car. Katy would have flowers arriving by lunchtime.

I had no idea what had come over me this morning. I’d dealt with David on several occasions since leaving his firm. We attended many of the same functions, and we often competed for the same business. I ran into him on occasion in the same restaurants. Victoria wasn’t a huge city, and the marketing world was small, so it was inevitable. I would acknowledge him at the dinner and move on. Why knowing I would be seeing him next week suddenly bothered me, I couldn’t comprehend. However, as usual, my Katy had been there and offered me precisely what I needed to sort it out in my head and be able to move forward.

She was correct. The man I had been was gone. The person I was back then when I worked for David and lived his cutthroat ways no longer existed. I had a real life now and the one thing David would never possess, because he was simply incapable.

Love.

It made me richer and stronger than he could ever be.

Sometimes, I simply needed reminding.

 

  

K

aty descended the steps, her deep-red dress swirling around her knees. The off-the-shoulder look was sexy, and the cut of the dress hugged her curves. She was perfect.

Gracie clapped her hands in delight. “Mommy, you look tho pwetty! Doesn’t she look pwetty, Daddy?”

“Yes, she does. Beautiful, in fact.”

Katy lifted Gracie from my arms. “Thank you. Are you going to be a good girl for Mrs. Thomas?”

Gracie bobbed her head eagerly. Mrs. Thomas had been a staple in our home since Gracie was born. A grandmotherly sort, she doted on both our girls, and us as well. She lived a few houses over—her husband was retired and enjoyed golf. She preferred to stay busy and had a small group of parents in the neighborhood she babysat for. I made sure to pay her enough and treat her very well, so she was always available for us. It was easy since she reminded me a little of Penny and I liked how she cared for my girls.

All of them.

“We’re gonna do a puthzel.”

I grinned at the lingering lisp in Gracie’s voice. It was slowly disappearing, and I hated to see it go, although I knew it was part of her growing up.

I hated that part as well. It was happening too fast.

Katy rubbed her nose on Gracie’s affectionately. “I made a treat for you to share too.”

Gracie threw up her little arms. “Yay!”

“Give Mommy a kiss goodnight,” I instructed. “Then Daddy needs one, and we have to go.”

Kisses, snuggles, and more nose rubs later, we were headed to the dinner. Katy slipped her hand into mine.

“You’re wearing my favorite suit. You look very handsome.”

I squeezed her fingers. “Thought you’d like it.” I winked. “Hoping if I show you a good enough time, maybe I’d get lucky. My good looks should seal the deal.”

She chuckled low in her throat and turned to the window. “Such ego. Go fuck yourself, VanRyan.”

I laughed, feeling my tension ease as I steered the car toward the banquet hall. Katy always knew how to get me to smile.

“God, I love you, Katy VanRyan.”

She looked at me, her beautiful eyes bright in the dimness of the car. “I love you. And I’m right beside you. Okay?”

I lifted her hand to my mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Okay.”