nearly seven years ago, and she’d vowed to never fall for it again.
Believe him?
Her gut quivered. Her fingers went cold, then hot, then cold again. Her palms became damp, but she ignored all of that and accepted the card because it would be her first step in finding out who Jacob Weatherly was and why Adeline was with him... And why did she call him “Daddy” when her adoptive father and mother were Ginger and Adam O’Neill from Georgia?
The only reason she knew that much was because when Addie needed a liver transplant at Emory, Josie’d flown up from New Orleans and donated the life-saving tissue to her beautiful child. She clasped the card, then slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans as if it wasn’t the least bit important. “I appreciate the olive branch, Mr. Weatherly.” She should have stopped there.
She couldn’t.
She looked down into the sweetest sea green eyes she’d ever seen. The tone had grown richer with time, giving Addie beautiful eyes, pale skin and hair that shone like a brand-new penny, much like her grandmother’s. She looked so much like Cissy Gallagher that Josie was surprised Kimberly didn’t notice. Maybe all freckled redheads looked alike?
But they didn’t, and Addie was special. She’d known that from the beginning, reason enough right there to give the child a clean start at life. Twice. “Nice to meet you, Addie.”
The girl offered a simple smile, the kind you’d offer a stranger. Josie’s heart broke more, because in a perfect world, her daughter would recognize her birth mother and come running.
But in a world rife with adult problems, it was better for children to be protected and beloved, and as soon as everyone left her alone, she was going to find out why the project manager from Carrington Hotels had her daughter in his care.
* * *
Jacob Weatherly faced the frustrated restaurant owner in front of him and wished he’d been on hand when Carrington presented its first purchase offer. They’d misjudged this woman, and it was a foolish mistake made by people who thought they were better than the small business owners making up a huge percentage of America’s workforce. They were wrong on that. Making enemies of the locals was a stupid thing to do.
She brought her gaze up from Addie and tried to hide the intensity of her emotions.
Atypical beauty.
The realization caught him off guard because he hadn’t had time to notice women in a while. Being a single dad had changed his personal landscape. It had been a pretty big surprise, but the bigger surprise was how much he loved this child who’d already been through so much.
No more, though. He’d see to it that Addie’s life was fairy-tale sweet from this point forward, although he wasn’t sure how he could manage the cow she seemed determined to get.
“If you need me, my number and email are on the card. It’s my cell phone.” He tapped his jacket pocket. “So you don’t have to go through automated prompts. I’d be happy to share the information I found at your convenience, Ms. Gallagher.”
“I’m pretty sure you understand that nothing about this whole deal has been convenient.” She faced him straight on, shoulders back, chin up. High cheekbones said there might be Native American blood mixed with her Celtic name. “But I think I’d like to hear what you have to say, Mr. Weatherly.”
She didn’t want to hear him out. He saw that instantly, but she’d conceded. Why?
He had no idea, but if she thought she might be able to talk him out of taking over the land, she was wrong, and she seemed too smart to haggle over a done deal. “I’ll wait for your call.”
She gave him a curt nod, then glanced down at Addie.
Her gaze softened. She smiled at the six-year-old and squatted slightly. “A pleasure to meet you, Addie.”
“Thank you.” Addie pressed into his leg slightly, a touch shy, but only a touch, and she proved that right then by leaning forward, toward Josie Gallagher. “I think you might like my daddy a very lot, actually.”
Josie’s brows lifted quickly. “You think so?” She sounded more astounded than simply surprised.
“He’s very nice.” Addie pressed forward a little more, as if sharing a secret. “And he likes to go out with pretty ladies.”
“Does he, now?” The striking woman pierced him with a sharp gaze, and he leaped to his own defense, then wondered why he felt compelled to do so.
“I don’t. Addie Rose Weatherly, you’re going to get me into trouble one of these days.”
The girl giggled and grabbed him around the leg. “Well, silly, how are we going to find you a wife if you never ask pretty ladies to come see us? I don’t think that’s how it works, Dad.”
“I’ll find my own dates, thank you.” He kept his tone dry, but when Addie burst out laughing, he had no choice. He reached down, picked her up, and marveled at how beautifully strong and healthy she was after such a rocky beginning. “Now say goodbye to these nice ladies. I’ve got a meeting at three, and I can’t be late.”
“Goodbye.” She flashed the ladies a grin while she hugged him, and if he didn’t know any better, he was pretty sure he’d been blessed beyond belief the day this little lady came into his life. She was the bright light in a sea of mourning. She made every day fuller and happier. He’d never thought about settling down and having children, and when his sister’s marriage fell apart, he was pretty sure he’d made the right choice. Now, as he held the niece who was now his adopted daughter in his arms, Jacob was 100 percent certain he’d never have it any other way.
He settled Addie into the back seat of the SUV, watched while she adjusted her shoulder strap, and when she snapped it to show him she’d tightened it correctly, he high-fived her. He’d just climbed into his seat when she surprised him from her perch. “Why was that lady mad at you?”
He could pretend that Josie Gallagher wasn’t mad, but he’d be lying, and he never lied. “My company is buying her land and she has to move and she didn’t want to move.”
“You’re making her move?” Surprise hiked Addie’s gaze to his.
“Well...” He backed up, turned the car around and aimed for the two-lane road. “I’m not. But she has to move, yes.”
“But you’re building the new big place,” she said reasonably. “So it’s like you’re making her move.”
It was kind of like that, so he nodded, but wasn’t happy to do it.
“And I get to go to big-kid school soon!”
Not much fazed Addie, and he loved that about her. They’d moved twice as he followed huge projects up the East Coast, and Addie seemed to find happiness wherever they landed, although now it was different. She was different. She was older and in need of schooling, and he was pushed to make some hard decisions about life and career. She needed roots, and after running projects on the fly for a dozen years, he might need some, too.
A boat horn sounded across the water as the Canandaigua Lady completed a lunchtime cruise. Bits of color tipped the trees, hinting new leaves. Daffodils and tulips brightened the
