The Princess And The Cowboy Page 7

  “I just can’t decide,” Lily murmured to herself, shifting and reordering the sketches. When she still couldn’t narrow her choices to three, she picked up her cell phone. “Meggie? Can you come upstairs? I need you to look at something for me and give me a fresh opinion.”

  A moment later, she heard footsteps in the hallway outside.

  “Meggie,” she said, still assessing the ten sketches on the tabletop. “Will you look at these and tell me which one you like best? They’re the preliminary designs for the bustier samples we’re making for the Standish boutique in Portland—did you have a favorite?”

  “Meggie stopped across the hall to see Ava.”

  Lily started, taken by surprise at the deep male voice that was too familiar. She looked over her shoulder and found Justin walking toward her, his long strides quickly erasing the distance between them.

  “I came by to apologize.” He held out one of the two cups he carried. “And I brought you a gift—not that I think a latte will make up for how I acted last night, but I needed the caffeine and thought maybe you could use some, too.”

  “Thanks.” Lily took the cup, torn between wanting to talk to him and a reluctance to deal with the emotions of last night.

  “I was out of line and I’m sorry,” he said without preamble. “Not for kissing you—I doubt I’ll ever be sorry for that, even if you’re mad as hell. But when you left to go out, I should have been…more polite…to your date.” He said the last words reluctantly.

  Lily eyed him over the rim of her cup. “As apologies go, this isn’t the most sincere one I’ve ever heard.”

  He ran his hand over his hair, rumpling it, and scowled. “I know. I’m trying to do the right thing, but the truth is, I suspect I’ll probably be just as bad if I ever have to live through a repeat of last night.”

  “Are you telling me I can’t go out with other men?” Lily demanded, hackles rising. Not that she wanted to, she told herself, but he didn’t know that.

  “No.” He shook his head. “I’m not. Of course I’m not. I don’t have the right…”

  “Good. I’m glad we agree.”

  “…but if you could postpone dating until we figured out this thing with you, me and Ava, I’d appreciate it.”

  She frowned, unsure exactly what he meant. “I thought we were doing fairly well with the situation—you’re spending time with Ava and she’s getting to know you. What else is there?”

  “Maybe that’s all there would be for two other people in this situation—but there’s more between us than Ava. I still have…feelings for you.” His voice was rougher, deeper, his gaze intense. “And I don’t think you’re immune to me. Maybe all you feel is anger because I wasn’t around when you found out you were pregnant, or maybe you resent me because I broke off with you two years ago. I can’t say for sure what’s going on here, but I’m damned sure this isn’t only about our child. And if you’re honest, Lily, I think you’ll agree.”

  Lily badly wanted to deny she had any feelings for him beyond what she felt for any other man she’d dated. But she wasn’t good at lying, and even if she were, she doubted he’d believe her.

  “Maybe there is something,” Lily said carefully. “But as you say, any emotion on my part may well come from anger. I won’t deny there were times when I thought I hated you after you left and I learned I was pregnant. Whether that’s all there is, I don’t know.”

  He drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Okay, that’s fair,” he said as he nodded, absently rubbing his palm over his chest, just above his heart. “I can work with that. Will you do me a favor?”

  “What?” She was almost afraid to hear what he wanted. If he asked her to be more specific, she wasn’t sure she could without lying.

  “I know I made mistakes with you and I have a lot to make up for. I’m going to convince you that you can trust me again.”

  He looked around, sweeping her workspace with an assessing eye. “Great place you’ve got—it seems bigger than the last time I was here. How many employees do you have now?”

  Relieved their conversation about feelings was apparently finished, Lily showed him around the open-space workroom before they went across the hall to see Ava.

  “I have to fly to Idaho on business this afternoon,” Justin said as he kissed Ava’s cheek and handed her to Lily an hour later. “I might be gone a couple of days, but I’ll be back by Monday at the latest.”

  “Then we’ll see you when you return.” Lily ignored the sudden disappointment and purposely made her smile brighter.

  He leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her cheek, then her mouth. “Miss me,” he murmured into her ear, the words a soft command.

  Before she could protest, he turned and disappeared down the stairs. She heard his deep tones as he made a comment, followed by Meggie’s laughter, then the bells on the outer door jingled.

  Lily carried Ava into her playroom, the feel of his warm mouth against hers lingering long after he was gone.

  The small neighborhood park around the corner from their town house was a favorite with Lily and Ava. On Saturday morning, she held Ava on her lap while they sat in one of the swings, moving slowly back and forth while Ava giggled with delight. Afterward, they strolled over the expanse of lawn, Ava clutching Lily’s finger while she practiced walking, lurching along with frequent sudden falls onto her diaper-padded bottom. When she tired of the exercise, Lily fed her a picnic lunch sitting cross-legged on a light quilt spread on the thick grass. Ava fell asleep after eating. She lay sprawled on her back on the cotton quilt, her favorite blankie tucked over her with the soft pink ribbon edging clutched tightly in one hand.

  Lily sat on the quilt beside Ava, knees raised, her bare toes flexing in the cool grass at the edge of the cotton spread. She opened her book, a romance by her favorite author, Susan Wiggs, but instead of reading, she stared unseeingly at the far edge of the park.

  What am I going to do about Justin? He was being attentive, considerate, charming, and clearly adored Ava. So why was she so unsettled and worried about his sudden reappearance?

  The answer was obvious, but it wasn’t one Lily wanted to acknowledge.

  He still had the power to wreck her life, she thought. All he had to do was walk into a room and her inner radar shivered and cranked on high-alert. Her stupid hormones still went haywire every time he got close enough to let her breathe in that unique scent of subtle aftershave and pure male that was his alone.

  The necessity of balancing his legal and moral right to see Ava with her own need to keep him as far away as possible was driving her crazy. She badly wanted to tell him to go away, but not only would it be a poor decision, as her attorney had assured her only yesterday, but Ava clearly adored him.

  Ugh. She dropped her head into her hands and groaned silently. I should never have left the flower shop with him that night all those months ago.

  But then you wouldn’t have Ava. The small voice spoke clearly and with indisputable logic.

  Lily lifted her head and looked at her daughter. Ava was sound asleep, her long dark lashes delicate fans against smooth skin, her compact little body sprawled with the boneless ease of childhood slumber. A surge of love rocked Lily, calming the storm of emotions stirred by thoughts of Justin.

  You’re worth it, Ava, she thought. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

  Calmer, she returned to her novel, this time totally absorbed in the pages.

  “Hello.”

  Lily looked up from her book. An older man in a white golf shirt, khaki pants and brown loafers had taken a seat on the nearby park bench. A blue Mariners baseball cap covered most of his black hair and his eyes were concealed behind dark sunglasses. He nodded, smiling in friendly greeting. She smiled back and he shook out his newspaper and began to read.

  The man looked familiar, she thought as she bent her head to her novel once more.

  “Humph, what nonsense,” the man grumbled.

  “I beg your pard
on?” Lily looked up, unsure if he were talking to her, or commenting to himself.

  “Sorry.” The man lowered his newspaper and shook his head with a faint grimace. “Politics—drives me crazy.”

  Lily smiled. “Me, too. What’s the city council up to now?”

  “Potholes,” he said succinctly. “They don’t see the need to fill the ones on streets in the SoDo District.”

  “SoDo, specifically?” Lily suspected the pothole issue applied to more city streets than just those in SoDo, local shorthand for the Seattle area located “south-of-downtown.” “I’ve noticed a few problems in Fremont, too.”

  “This report is about the Sodo District in particular.” He held up the paper, turning it so she could see the photo of the mayor talking to a road crew. Two of the four men were shoveling black, grainy-looking material into a hole the size of a large bucket. “I drive down there, past Safeco Field, several times a week, and believe me, the streets are in terrible shape in the warehouse area.”

  “As much as we pay in taxes, you’d think the city could afford to fill potholes before they’re so big a car could fall into them,” Lily said dryly.

  The man’s eyebrows lifted and he laughed, an abrupt bark of sound.

  Beside Lily, Ava stirred, murmuring and curling onto her side.

  “I’m sorry,” the man said, his gruff voice lower, quieter. “I didn’t mean to wake her.”

  Lily stroked her palm lightly over Ava’s back, feeling her settle once more. “It’s okay, she’s still sleeping.”

  “How old is she?” he asked.

  “A year.” Lily glanced at him, and was surprised at his strangely vulnerable expression as he stared at Ava. The newspaper twitched as if stirred by a breeze, but the day was still. “Do you have grandchildren?”

  “Yes.”

  “Girls or boys?”

  “A little girl.” His gaze left Ava’s tiny form and met hers. “A brand-new little granddaughter. I wasn’t sure I’d have grandchildren,” he went on, his deep voice faintly rough. “I didn’t set a good example as a father, or as a husband. I wasn’t sure any of my kids would want to marry, let alone have children.”

  “Then you must be even more delighted to finally have a granddaughter,” Lily said, caught by the emotion in his voice.

  “I am,” he said with quiet conviction. “I truly am.” He looked at Ava, then returned to Lily. “Are you and your husband planning more children?”

  “I don’t think so,” Lily said cautiously. The man seemed nice, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to share personal details about her life with a stranger.

  “Well, if you do,” the man said with a smile, “I hope they’re all as beautiful as your little girl there.” He pointed to Ava before glancing at his watch. “Uh-oh, where did the time go? I’m going to be late.” He folded his paper and stood. “Nice talking to you.” He lifted a hand in farewell before striding briskly away down the walkway.

  Lily watched him leave, struck by how tall he was—he had to be well over six feet, she thought. The nagging feeling that she knew him returned, stronger than before. Was he a customer at the boutique? No, not likely, she thought, although there were a number of male regulars who bought lingerie for their wives. Most of her clientele, however, were women.

  A black SUV pulled up to the curb, the door was pushed open by an invisible someone in the back seat and the man got in, then the vehicle quickly sped away.

  Beside her, Ava stirred, waking from her nap and distracting Lily. It wasn’t until later that afternoon as she scanned the daily online version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that she realized the man in the park had been none other than Harrison Hunt.

  She stared at the picture in disbelief, narrowing her eyes to focus.

  The photograph had been taken at a charity function months earlier and Harrison wore a tuxedo. Black-rimmed glasses framed his shrewd gaze and his black hair was uncovered, but nevertheless, Lily was positive the man in the photo and the man she’d spoken with in the park earlier were one and the same. The casual clothes, dark sunglasses and the Mariners ball cap he’d worn, plus the fact that a small neighborhood park in Ballard was the last place she would have expected to see the billionaire, had created near-perfect camouflage.

  She thought about their conversation and realized there could only be one reason Harry had sought her out—Justin must have told him about Ava. And Harrison apparently had wanted a closer look at his granddaughter.

  Why didn’t he introduce himself? she wondered. In retrospect, he’d seemed almost shaken as he studied Ava, the newspaper trembling in his hands.

  Lily hadn’t worried when the older gentleman in the park was an unknown. But now that she knew he was Harrison Hunt, her protective instincts went on red alert. She didn’t know Harry personally—Justin hadn’t introduced her to anyone in his family when they were dating. Nevertheless, she’d read accounts of Harry’s brilliant deal making and ruthlessly competitive business nature.

  What was the likelihood Harrison Hunt was a sweet teddy bear in his personal dealings?

  I’m guessing it’s zero to none.

  So what did that say about why he’d come looking for Ava today? She glanced at the digital clock on the microwave in the corner cabinet. Only a few hours until Justin was due to arrive, and when he did, she thought, he’d better have an explanation for his father’s unexpected visit to Ballard.

  She waited until Ava was tucked into bed and they were downstairs again, the brightly lit family room allowing her to see his expressions clearly and judge his reactions.

  “I talked to your father today.”

  Justin’s head came up and he stared at her. “What?”

  “I saw Harry today,” she repeated.

  “Where?”

  “At the park. Ava and I spent a couple of hours there this morning, and after we ate lunch, your father arrived.”

  “What did he want?”

  “He sat down on a bench nearby and he read the newspaper. Then we talked about how much we both don’t like politics in general and the city’s failure to fill in street potholes in particular. Then he asked me how old Ava was—and, that’s about it.”

  “That’s it? What did you say when he told you who he was?”

  “He didn’t tell me who he was.”

  Justin’s eyes narrowed at her, trying to gauge her mood. “He never identified himself?”

  She shook her head. “No. I didn’t realize who he was until after we were home and I saw a photo of him online.”

  “So you don’t know what he wanted?”

  “I thought maybe you could tell me.”

  “I told him to stay away from you until you were ready to meet him, whenever that might be.” What the hell was Harry up to? “He didn’t say anything that gave you an indication as to why he was there?”

  “I think he did, although I didn’t realize it at the time. He talked about wanting grandchildren and he told me he had a new granddaughter.”

  Justin bit back a curse.

  “He was talking about Ava, wasn’t he?” Lily went on when he didn’t speak. “You told him about Ava?”

  “Yeah, I told him I—we—have a daughter,” Justin admitted, wondering how much he should tell her. “Harry suffered a heart attack recently, and ever since, he’s been fixated on the fact that none of his sons are married with kids.”

  “Oh, yes,” Lily said. “He mentioned he’d been concerned that none of his sons had children. I didn’t know at the time you were one of the ‘sons’ he was talking about,” she added. “But then, I didn’t know he was Harrison Hunt.”

  “Harry’s pretty hard to miss—especially given all the high-profile interviews he does for HuntCom. Why didn’t you recognize him?” Justin asked, curious.

  Lily shrugged. “He looked like any other over-sixty guy in the park. And he was

  dressed down, in khakis and a golf shirt, with dark sunglasses and a ball cap.”

  “Harry was wearing a ball
cap?” Justin was incredulous.

  “Yes—a blue-and-gold Mariners hat.” She eyed him. “You look shocked.”

  “I am.” Justin shook his head, amazed. “Harry considered buying the team once, but even if he had, I doubt he would have worn the hat. He’s just not a casual-clothes kind of guy.”

  “Well, he was today,” Lily said dryly. “And the hat and glasses made a very effective disguise. Besides, who would have expected a billionaire to drop into my little neighborhood park on a Saturday morning to read his paper?”

  “You’ve got a point.” Justin was relieved. Lily wasn’t giving off hostile vibes. Apparently, Harry hadn’t said anything to offend her. “So, you’re okay with him dropping in on you?”

  She bit her lip, her eyes going dark green. “I’m concerned about why he did it. If he only wanted to meet Ava, why didn’t he call and ask to see her? Why didn’t he tell me who he was at the park?”

  “Maybe because I warned him not to contact you,” Justin said. “Harry on a mission can be hard to deal with. I didn’t want him pressuring you in any way.”

  “What kind of pressure did you think he might use?” she asked.

  Justin could tell his words hadn’t reassured her, in fact, just the opposite. She looked alarmed. “Nothing specific,” he said soothingly. “It’s just Harry’s personality to get intense about things. I didn’t want you to feel overwhelmed by him. Or by the rest of my family,” he added. “My brothers are cool with waiting to meet you until you’re ready, but the women in the family are as excited about Ava as Harry. I had a message on my answering machine from my aunt Cornelia, and another one from my cousin Frankie.”

  “What did you tell them?” Lily asked.

  “Nothing. I haven’t called them back. But when I do,” he added, seeing the tiny frown lines deepen between her brows. “I’ll tell them to back off until you say it’s time. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She smiled, clearly relieved. “Thanks, Justin. It’s not that I don’t want to meet them, and I’m sure my Aunt Shirley wants to meet you, too. But I know the press keeps track of Harrison’s movements, and if he visits Ava, reporters are bound to find out, sooner or later. Once they do, any privacy we