BEHIND THE wheel of his car in a motel parking lot, Shane looked down at the printed snapshot in his hand. When he’d received the photo a week or so earlier, he’d been struck by the attractiveness of the woman in the center of the shot. Now he knew the picture didn’t do full justice to the vibrant, animated woman who’d shared coffee with him that morning. Elle O’Meara.
In the photograph, she smiled brightly as she pushed a stroller through a park. The wind lifted her honey-brown hair and the sunlight glittered in her warm brown eyes as she gazed down at the laughing, pink-cheeked child. The wholesomely appealing scene could have been staged for a magazine ad. During the past few days, Shane had studied the photo enough to memorize every detail, but still he’d been startled by how strongly seeing Charlotte—and Elle—in person had affected him.
Elle had been gracious to him during their two brief encounters. Funny, encouraging. Inquisitive in a friendly, interested manner, though she’d backed off quickly when she’d stumbled into painful memories on his part. He’d seen the compassion on her face when she’d learned of his losses, but she’d obviously understood he hadn’t wanted to go into details. As it was, he’d told her more than he’d intended. Elle was certainly easy to talk to. He could easily imagine having long, wide-ranging conversations with her. The fantasy was as enticing as it was unlikely.
He stuffed the photo back into its envelope, then stashed it under the passenger seat, feeling rather foolishly furtive as he did so. It wasn’t as if Elle would see into the envelope if she strolled past the car. He really wasn’t cut out for this undercover stuff.
He wondered how Elle’s hospitable attitude toward him would change if she found out his biological connection to her daughter. He’d debated how best to approach her since he’d learned her name a few weeks ago. He still wasn’t certain that telling her everything would be the best move on his part.
Judging just by his first impressions, she seemed to be family-oriented. She’d arranged her work schedule to maximize time with Charlotte, though he wasn’t sure a coffee shop was the best place for a toddler to spend her days. Elle had even hired her oddball mother to work with her. So perhaps she’d at least somewhat understand the family commitments that would compel a man to hire a private investigator, to put his own life on hold, to be prepared to bargain or bribe if necessary just to track down one small child. Or maybe she wouldn’t.
Elle could send him away once she learned the truth. Could refuse to even talk with him again if she found out who he was. But for both business and personal reasons, he was going to risk hanging around a little longer. For his family’s sake. For his own. And most of all, for the promise he’d made to his late brother, Charlie.
Charlotte’s biological father.
“SO WE’RE AGREED? We’ll stay with the schedule we have now at least through the end of the year?”
Kristen Boyd nodded in response to Elle’s question, but her faraway expression made Elle wonder if her partner had been paying attention during their Thursday afternoon business meeting. “Kristen? You’re listening, right?”
“What? Oh, right. Yes, the weekend menu is fine with me.”
Elle swiveled in her seat to frown at her partner, who sat next to her at the small desk they shared in the tiny office tucked into a corner of the shop, just off the kitchen. She noted that Kristen’s eyes were clouded and her right hand was tangled in her thick blond curls, a sure sign Kristen’s thoughts were far away.
“We weren’t talking about the menu. We were discussing the weekend work schedule. DeShawn wants to work an extra hour this Sunday to make up for the time he missed during midterms last week. That’s okay with you, right?”
Kristen blinked. “Oh. Of course. I’ll keep him busy prepping for Monday.”
After hesitating a moment, Elle asked, “You’re okay, right? Should I be worried?”
Slumping a little in her chair, her partner shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t blow me off, Kris. I can certainly tell by now when you aren’t happy.”
Elle had considered herself incredibly lucky when she and her lifelong best friend had finally been able to start this business together three years ago. With Elle’s then-husband, Glenn, finally finishing law school and their finances looking promising, it had seemed an ideal time to start their family, as well. And then Glenn had blindsided her by asking for a divorce.
Other than her mother, Kristen had been Elle’s biggest supporter during that rough time. Elle was trying to do the same now that her friend had gone through a painful breakup, but Kristen kept pushing her away, saying she needed time to deal on her own. Which was fine, of course. Fully understandable. And yet...
Kristen’s emotional turmoil was beginning to interfere with their business. Elle wondered if she should push her partner to open up to her. If Kristen wanted out of the business, she needed to say so—though the very thought of losing the shop made Elle’s heart ache.
“I’d really like to know what you’re planning, Kristen,” she said bluntly. “I know you’re still hurting over the breakup with Casey, but is there something else, too? Are you unhappy with the work schedules? With any of the decisions we’ve made lately? You’re okay financially?”
Though Kristen supplemented her three-day-a-week coffee shop schedule by singing in a local club on Friday nights, Elle had no other income outside The Perkery. Other than their divorce settlement, she received no support from Glenn. Elle had adopted Charlotte on her own after he backed out of the proceedings, so he didn’t owe her child support. He had also openly expressed his doubts that Elle and Kristen would succeed with their fledging business. Elle had been proud every single month the books had balanced, almost all of them now. It had been both a matter of vindication and of personal fulfillment for her.
Still, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for her to buy out Kristen’s share. If Kristen had decided she wanted out, it was possible they’d have to sell the business. And while Elle told herself she would survive the disappointment and start over, the prospect hurt.
“I’m fine,” Kristen repeated, her voice almost mechanical. “Like you said, I’m still stinging over Casey, but I’ll get over it. As for money, I’m okay. Casey and I maybe overindulged in a few luxuries while we were together, but I’ll get my part paid off. The club’s been after me to perform on both Friday and Saturday nights. Not a lot of extra cash, but it’s something.”
She drew a deep breath before adding, “Maybe I get a little restless sometimes, but that’s natural, right? I mean, especially after a bad breakup. I find myself thinking maybe a change of scenery would help. Maybe it would be good to start all over someplace new. But then I tell myself I’m just trying to run away from the pain, and it wouldn’t really help.”
Elle found little reassurance in those words. Certainly not in her friend’s distant, unhappy expression. Telling herself not to dwell on potential problems, she focused instead on Kristen’s pain, wanting to help in whatever way she could. “If you need some time off, you know you only have to say so. You don’t have to wait until your scheduled vacation time. Mom and I are willing to work with you and your crew, and we can always add a couple of temp workers if necessary.”
“I’ll think about it, but I’ll probably just tough it out. Thanks,
