by Karen Booth
“Daniel. Come on,” his mother said. “We’ll sign it together.”
He managed to pick up his feet, but every step felt wrong. Putting his name on those papers might put a solid wall of concrete between Emma and him, but not signing wouldn’t mend his heart. He’d still be the sad and empty version of himself, and he didn’t want to be that man anymore. He wanted to be his best self and he was that only with Emma.
He walked up to his mother and Charlotte. “I’m not signing.” His words echoed in his head, but they felt right. It felt good to get them out of the way.
“Don’t be silly,” his mother said.
“Is something wrong?” Charlotte asked.
“I need a moment with my mother, if that’s alright.” The press in the room had figured out that something was amiss and were closing in, just like they loved to do. “And I need you all to back off,” he said to them sternly. “Please.”
“You’re embarrassing me.” His mother’s jaw was firmly set.
“I’m sorry. Truly. I am. But this was never the right thing to do. I wanted this for you because you wanted it. I thought it might make you happy. But I can’t see this through because it all started out of hatred.”
“It’s business. Nothing else.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m not buying that. It’s more than that and you know it. You want to show the world that you’re invincible and that we won’t let the bad things knock us down. But this is a distraction from the real work that needs to be done. You and I and Dad are never going to get past William’s death until we stop worrying over the family business and get back to the business of being a family.”
“You’re my son and my employee, and I expect this of you.”
“You’re my mother and I expect you to want me to be happy.” There would be hell to pay for what he was about to say, but hopefully, she’d one day see that this was all for love. A love that could not be bought, or negotiated, or replaced. There was only one way out of this. “I’m not signing. I’m quitting. Effective immediately.”
* * *
Mondays were never Emma’s favorite day of the workweek, but today was especially bad and she’d been in the office for only two hours. It was going to be a long day. Being at Eden’s was like attending a funeral. There was an overriding sense of doom, a dark cloud overhead. She felt responsible. She’d let Daniel into their world, even when everyone told her to keep him out. She’d been naive and stupid. She’d been everything she’d never wanted to be. Princess Emma was a fool.
Mindy appeared at her door with a newspaper in hand. “Got a minute?”
“Whatever you’re about to tell me, whatever’s in that thing, I don’t want to hear it. Especially if it has anything to do with Stone’s or Daniel.” Her voice cracked. It might be a while before she’d ever be able to say his name again without wanting to cry.
Mindy walked right in and dropped the paper on Emma’s desk. “Pratt Institute. Student fashion show. We should go. Maybe we can get in on the ground floor with some promising new designers.”
“Look at you. Actually wanting the store to be successful.”
She shrugged. “I work best when everything is falling apart. I have no idea why.”
Emma skimmed the story while Mindy sat in an available chair. “Friday?”
“Unless you have other plans.”
Emma twisted her lips into an unhappy bundle. “You know I don’t have plans. I have no life outside of work. Just like before.”
“Precisely. We’re two peas in a pod. We could go out for a drink afterward. Flirt with handsome men. It’ll be fun.”
Emma blew out a breath through her nose. “The first part sounds okay. I don’t need to go out and flirt with anyone. I’m done with men.”
“Too soon, huh?”
“Yes. And you’ve only been broken up from Sam for a few days yourself. Are you really ready to start meeting people?”
“It’s easier when it’s the third or fourth time you’ve broken up.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “But no, I’m not really ready. I like to tell myself I’m ready. I’m not.”
“Okay. Good. I was starting to worry that I might be acting like a wimp.”
“You aren’t. I get it.” Mindy got up from her chair. “So Friday? Do we have a date?”
“Can I get back to you? I might not be up to it.”
Mindy waved her closer. “Come here. Give me a hug.”
For a moment, Emma wondered if she was in a parallel universe where Mindy was the caring, sensitive one. Still, she gladly took the embrace from her sister. The trouble was, the instant she was in Mindy’s arms, tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Mindy smoothed Emma’s hair and rocked her back and forth. “Everything will be okay. I promise. I know you were head over heels for him, but I promise you there will be other guys.”
She couldn’t imagine any man ever matching up to Daniel. He made her a stronger version of herself. She’d felt invincible with him. Probably why she’d been so convinced that their obstacles didn’t have to be a problem. “I don’t want another guy.”
“The cards were stacked against you two. Sometimes things happen that way. Too much family history. Too much money and business in the mix.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” Emma took in a deep breath, but she still wasn’t convinced. Hopefully, time would help her get there.
“You want to grab lunch?”
Emma stood back and shook her head. “No. I think I’m going to run back to my apartment and eat something there. I need some quiet.” What she really needed was time away from Eden’s, if only for a few hours.
“Okay. I’ll see you later this afternoon.”
Gregory drove Emma back to her building. She hoped that eventually it would again feel like coming home. Right now, it felt like a trap. She was terrified of running into Daniel. She didn’t want to fall apart. She wanted to be whole again.
“Ms. Stewart,” Henry the doorman said. “I’m wondering if you can give me Mr. Stone’s mobile number. He forgot to give it to me and his dog walker hasn’t shown up.”
“And he’s not home?”
Henry shook his head. “He won’t be back until later this afternoon.”
Emma dug her phone out of her purse but thought twice about it. It was silly, but she hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to the dogs, and she loved them. “I have a key. I’ll walk the dogs.”
“You sure?”
She nodded and smiled. “Yep.”
Upstairs, the dogs started to bark as soon as she put the key in the door. She scrambled inside and they ran around her, circling her legs and jumping “Shh. Shh.” She crouched down and showed all three some love. She was going to miss them. At least Daniel had some company. He needed that, all alone in the city.
She went to get the leashes from the hook but was drawn to step into the living room. She loved his place, possibly more than her own. It smelled like him. It felt like him. It was warm and cozy and made her feel secure and comfortable. Just seeing his sofa brought back memories of watching movies and laughing and not making it to the end before clothes started coming off. They’d been so consumed by each other that the outside world had mattered very little to her. That had been her solution for moving forward with Daniel—keep everyone and everything else out. But the forces of the outside world had crept back in.
She couldn’t stay in his apartment any longer. It simply hurt too much. She hooked up the dogs and got them downstairs and across the street. The sky was clouding over and rain was threatening, so she quickly started on the shortest of Daniel’s routes, the dogs leading the way. Even the park no longer held the allure it once had. It would always make her think of him—their first real kiss, the moments of getting to know each other, the instances when she’d felt like he might be the only thing she ever needed. Of course,
that wasn’t true. That wasn’t reality. She needed her family. Her sisters.
A raindrop fell on her nose. And another. She looked up, to find gray storm clouds swirling. “Come on, guys, we need to get going.” They walked double time as the rain began to fall softly.
“Emma!” The voice was somewhere behind her. The press had tracked her down in the park. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with. She started to run, but between her heels and Jolly’s little legs, she could go only so fast.
“Emma! Stop! Please!”
She ground to a halt, the dogs just as surprised as she was, looking back at her. She turned around and there was a vision she’d feared she’d never see. Daniel was running toward her. She stood frozen until the dogs took off in his direction, Emma following along, clutching their leashes.
She and Daniel were both out of breath when they got to each other. The rain was coming down hard, but it was warm, and he was such a heavenly sight it made her heart flutter.
“Your dog walker didn’t show up,” she said. “I didn’t want them to destroy your apartment.”
“I know. Henry told me. That’s why I came looking for you. We need to talk.”
She fought back the optimism that wanted to walk through the door he’d just opened. “Is there anything left to say? I don’t want us to torture each other.”
“I quit my job.”
She blinked back the rain that was starting to roll down her forehead. “You what?”
“I quit my job. I refused to sign the lease. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t hurt you like that.”
Thunder clapped overhead. “We need to get out of the rain. You’ll ruin your suit.”
He shook his head and took her hand. “You think I care about this thing? I don’t. I only care about you. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you’re thinking.”
Her heart was heavy right now. She appreciated his sacrifice, but it wasn’t right. “I don’t want you to give up your family because of me, Daniel. That’s not what I wanted.”
The raindrops had weighed his hair down in the front. He dragged it back with his fingers. “I didn’t give up my family. I gave up my job so I could do a better job of being in my family. It wasn’t working. I need to be a son, not an employee.”
She took his hand and led him under a tree to shield them from the rain. She was still struggling to understand what he’d done. “You did all of this to apologize?”
He didn’t let go of her fingers, just held on tighter. “Apologize. Make amends. Turn over a new leaf. I don’t want to go another minute without you, Emma. I don’t think I can move forward until we see where this goes.” He swallowed so hard she could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down. His face was dotted with raindrops. His suit was drenched. “I love you, Emma. I think I loved you from the minute you walked up to me and made me laugh.”
Her heart was now flying circles in her chest, but she had to know one thing. “I told you I loved you the other day and you didn’t say it back.”
“I know. I was stupid. The words were there, but I wasn’t thinking straight. But I realized this morning that the most important thing to me has always been loyalty. And loyalty is so much more than an act. You have to have it in your heart.” He stepped closer and set his fingers on Emma’s chest, right at the base of her throat. “You have the most loyal and generous heart I have ever known. I need you in my life. Will you take me back? Will you give me another chance?”
Emma scanned his handsome face, her heart pounding. What was she waiting for? He was everything she’d ever wanted, everything she’d once only dared to wish for. “You were brave enough to tear down the wall between us. I want nothing more than another chance. I love you. That’s not going anywhere.”
“Good. Because I’m not going anywhere, either.”
“What about London?”
He smiled and tugged her closer. “What about it? I can visit it anytime. But for now, as long as I have you, my home is in New York.”
All she could do was wonder if this was real. The only thing that was putting her in the present was the rain and his eyes. They told her that Mindy was right. Everything would be okay. It had to be. She’d come too far for it not to be. “I thought you didn’t really like it here.”
“I know I said that, but I met the most incredible woman and she makes me see things in a whole new way.”
“She sounds awesome.” Emma smiled.
“She’s better than awesome. She’s a princess.” He gathered her into his arms, and Emma pressed herself hard against the solid plane of his body. She kissed him without hesitation and he did the same. There was no more wall between them. He’d torn it down. This was their new beginning. Even in the rain, his warmth poured into her, or maybe that was love that made her feel so wholly content, from head to toe.
“Can we go inside now?” she asked.
“I thought you’d never ask. I’m dying to get you out of those wet clothes.”
Epilogue
Emma looked out the airplane window at the stretch of pale sky and wispy clouds. Far below was the deep cobalt churn of the Atlantic. “How much longer until we get there?”
Daniel finished off his glass of champagne and shook his wrist to consult his watch. “An hour? We should be starting our descent soon.”
He took her hand and she looked down at their entwined fingers. Her heart was galloping just like it did every time she started to think about what was waiting for them when they landed—Daniel’s mother and father. He wanted the unthinkable to happen. He wanted Emma to spend time with his family.
He’d only recently started speaking to his mother again. He’d let her cool off for a good two months after quitting his job. But now that she had unofficially halted any plans for Stone’s New York, he wanted to begin the process of mending fences, and that apparently meant pulling Emma into the family fold. Hence the trip to London. On the family’s private jet, no less. She hoped that was a sign they might accept her. It seemed doubtful you’d send a plane for someone you didn’t like, although Emma was still getting used to the funny things rich people did. Even though she was one herself.
“What if they don’t like me? What if your mother kicks me out of the house?” She’d asked him these questions several times over the last week or so, but once more didn’t seem excessive.
“We’ve been through this. You’ll win her over.”
“I hope so. It means a lot to me to have her approval.” Emma didn’t want to pin too much on this trip, but it was another test. There was no doubt about that.
“If you don’t, it doesn’t matter. I love you and I approve of you and that’s all that matters.”
“If you say so.” She sucked in a deep breath, reminding herself that everything he said was true. “She’s going to ask about Eden’s, isn’t she? Should I tell her we aren’t doing well? That the store is teetering on the brink?” The loss of Nora Bradford had been a big one. Sophie was worried, but she was also focused on her wedding. Mindy was strategizing, while trying her hardest to stay away from Sam. Emma was busy keeping things moving forward, and she wanted to do exactly that with Daniel.
“You tell her the store is doing great and you change the subject.”
“She’s going to ask about the menswear line.” This was Daniel’s new venture. He’d curated everything in the men’s department at Stone’s over the last several years. That was part of the reason it was their most successful department. “She’s going to want to know where you plan to sell it.”
“And I’ll tell her I don’t know yet. Plus, this is a test run for me. It might flop.”
As if anything Daniel ever did could be considered a failure. “Or it might be a huge success.”
“One can only hope. If not, I’ll look into something else. I have plenty of ideas up here.” He tapped his temple.
Emma leaned over the center armrest and kissed him softly. “Such a handsome place to keep ideas.”
He smiled, his eyes half-closed. “I try.”
Sometimes when she looked at him, she needed someone to pinch her. Being with him was still so much like living in a dream. “Do you think she feels like you’re trying to push her?”
“If she does, it’s only because I am. I never imagined that quitting would finally get her to truly pay attention to what I want, but it has.”
Daniel had double-downed on his love for Emma when he’d left his family’s company. He’d been the one who made the big sacrifice. Yes, his job had been making him crazy, but she knew very well that it hadn’t been easy for him to walk away, even though he tried to make it seem as if it had been the only logical course of action. He could have taken the situation in any number of directions, but he’d chosen the one that led back to her, and she couldn’t be any more thankful.
But it bothered her that she hadn’t found a way to make a similar overture. A grand gesture. Yes, she’d moved into his apartment, but that was only because the dogs were more comfortable there and he had an even better view. Otherwise, she’d had to do very little other than love him, which was impossibly simple. It was so easy it was like breathing.
“Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“Do you believe in fate?” Emma had wondered a lot about this over the last few weeks while she’d been mulling a way to show Daniel just how much she loved and adored him. She had a question tumbling around in her head, but she worried how he would react. They’d been together for only three months. Plus, there were certainly things about Daniel that were old-fashioned, or at the very least steeped in tradition. She didn’t want to push him too far outside his comfort zone. He’d been pushed around plenty.
He sat back in his seat, seeming deeply contemplative. “I never really thought about it. I mean, I know now what it feels like to be with the right person, and it does seem like awfully good luck that we met, but there was some other force at work when you walked up to me at Empire State and struck up a conversation. Especially considering that I’d been a complete ass to you the day before.”
