by Elsie Davis
He flipped on the computer and spent the better part of an hour going through his emails, deleting the junk, and then answering the most pressing matters first. He opened the account to review the final copy of the flyer going out this week to well over one hundred thousand sporting enthusiasts’ countrywide to advertise World Sport Inc. It was a huge expense but a necessary one if they intended to get the word out. The flyer was well-designed. Eye-catching. And exactly why he was willing to gloss over some of the other issues she ran into.
Ryan clicked the X at the top right of the screen to close the program. He started to get up, only to sit back down and stare at the screen. A niggling of doubt struck him. Something didn’t seem right. He sat back down and reopened the file. He scanned the pages of ads, searching for what bothered him.
And then he saw it.
The dates for the special were wrong. As in last month wrong. The flyers would be trash worthy at best.
It was a critical mistake on Grace’s part. Ryan stared at the screen, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what he was seeing. This was far worse than adding up numbers incorrectly.
Ryan called the print company, hoping for a miracle. If they hadn’t started the order yet, he could make the changes and send them a new file. Problem solved. Except his call went to voicemail. The print office closed at six. He’d drive there personally if he thought it would help, but the office they used was in Colorado. Even a chartered company flight wouldn’t get him there in time.
Ryan leaned forward, his face in his hands as he rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the tension building. The investors and Jordon would be furious, seventy-five thousand dollars’ worth of furious. The cost for the wrong flyers and postage and the cost for the replacements. They’d want someone’s head on the chopping block, and Ryan knew exactly who it would be.
Grace. And the only way to be proactive to try and mollify them when they found out was for him to fire her. Ryan hated the position he was in, but this time, she’d left him no choice. The only question that remained was whether to wait until Grace came in tomorrow morning or to stop by her place tonight. Neither one was ideal.
Originally, he’d plan to visit her tonight to discuss their relationship and the kiss, but now, that discussion would be tabled. Permanently.
He’d always known relationships caused problems with work, and this situation with Grace proved his theory. No matter what he felt for her, he needed to end their business and personal relationship.
Everything he had was tied up in World Sport Inc., and unfortunately, Grace’s actions could be costly. And if the investors pulled out either because of the errant expenditures or a loss of confidence in his ability to manage his own people, he’d have no choice but to close the company’s doors and try to salvage what he could to start over.
Forty-five minutes later, Ryan pulled into Grace’s driveway. It had been a tough decision, but given her inability to find childcare, he decided it would make things easier for her all around if he dropped by her house for the conversation he was dreading. He slid out of the car and headed up the path, one foot in front of the other, his pace slower than usual.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Ryan rapped his knuckles against the front door.
Faith answered, Lucky by her side. “Hi, Ryan.” She glanced behind her, as if unsure whether to invite him in.
“Hey there. I need to talk to Grace privately if possible.”
Faith glanced behind her again before turning back, her brow scrunched in a deep frown. “This isn’t a good time.”
Ryan had come this far and had no intention of leaving without talking to Grace. “It’ll just take a few minutes. I know she’s having problems with the baby, but I need to talk to her.”
“You know about the baby?” Faith narrowed her eyes, her expression one of shock.
“Yes. Grace left me a note.” Something was going on, making him even more determined to see her. Just because they had to end all personal and business contact didn’t mean he didn’t care about her.
“Well, in that case, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Come on in, and I’ll go get her.” Faith pushed the door open and started to walk away.
“Thanks,” he muttered to her backside as she disappeared down the hall.
Ryan knelt to pat the dog while he waited. He could hear raised voices coming from the bedroom. It was a long minute before Grace appeared, her eyes puffy and red from crying. The sight broke his heart and made him rethink what he was here to do. She had plenty of trouble already and he cared about her enough not to want to make it worse. Except, the investors won’t care.
“If you’re here because I left early, I said I’m sorry on the note I left. I just couldn’t stay in the office anymore. I needed to be here.” Grace tackled the situation head-on, the same way she did everything in life. There was no backing down now.
“I understand, I really do.” If it was just leaving a few minutes early, he wouldn’t have cared. But this was about so much more.
“You do?” She looked up at him, hope in her eyes. It wouldn’t last long.
“I do, which is what makes this all that much harder. I’m sorry, Grace. I realize this might be coming at a difficult time, but my hands are tied. It’s just one thing after another with you, and this time, I can’t overlook it.” He shook his head, wishing he had better news to deliver. She looked as if she needed cheering up, not a kick in the butt.
“Are you firing me?” she asked, her tone incredulous.
“You left me no choice.”
“Because I left early?” Grace asked, her eyes wide with shock.
“No. Because the file for the flyers you sent to the print company had the wrong date. That’s a hundred-thousand worthless flyers being printed and mailed, and I couldn’t stop them in time. There’s a lot of things I can overlook, but that’s not one of them. This mistake will cost the company money we can ill afford, especially at the startup. This isn’t what I wanted to happen, and you know it.” There was nothing he could say to make this right or better.
Grace looked stunned. “Are you sure? I received an upsetting phone call and knew I had to get out of the office, but I swear I checked the flyer over one last time before hitting send.” Grace hugged herself tightly and started rocking. “I’m so sorry.”
“I hope whatever is wrong, works out for you. If you’d like, I’ll collect your things and bring them by in a few days. I thought it would be easier to tell you here, out of the office, considering we have another issue we should discuss.”
Grace’s chin rose a notch as she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “That would be fine.”
“On a personal level, is there anything I can do to help? You look—”
“A mess. I know. But, no, there’s nothing you can do. Given the circumstances, however, I think it best if you and I forget what happened the other night and stop thinking of what to do about it. Officially. It’s better to leave no doubt in our minds.”
Ryan had been ready to say the same thing but hearing her say the words out loud was unsettling. Final. “I agree. I really like you, Grace, but I think we’re at different places in our lives. This would have never worked.”
“At least we can agree on one thing. Now, if you don’t mind, I think we’ve said what needs to be said, and I need to get back to Holly.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Ryan said. It was out of his mouth before he could stop it. The idea of severing all connection didn’t sit well, even if it was the right thing to do.
“Doubtful. And I appreciate the offer to drop my things by. It’ll make it easier for me.”
Ryan turned to leave and walked out the front door and down the sidewalk even slower than when he’d arrived. It felt as though a piece of his heart had been ripped out and scattered on the sidewalk like crumbs on a path.
But in this case, those crumbs wouldn’t lead him back to Grace.
Chapter Fifteen
After Ryan left, Grace couldn’t have stopped
the tears rolling down her face any more than she could have prevented a volcano from erupting. Even Faith steered clear, playing with the baby in the living room. Only Lucky braved the torrent of her tears and offered comfort, curling up alongside her on the bed. Grace was tired of fighting everything that seemed to be working against her in the universe.
What made it worse was knowing Ryan had every right to fire her. Anyone in his position would have done the same thing. She’d messed up and cost the company tons of money. I failed him.
Even a good excuse on her part didn’t make the situation better. Clearly, the adoption agency knew what they were doing and had been right to reject her application. As a single parent, she wasn’t capable of handling everything without something going wrong. In this case, it had been her job. But what if her shortcomings had affected Holly? Grace wasn’t fit to be a single mother, and God knew that far better than she did.
“I take good care of you, though, don’t I?” She hugged Lucky, needing the connection.
It was over an hour before she resurfaced and went to find her sister. It was time to pick up the pieces of her life and move forward. “Faith, there’s no reason for you to stick around. Now that I don’t have a job, I won’t need a sitter. And with Karen coming Friday, it’s a moot point anyway.”
Faith shook her head, her gaze steady on Grace. “Are you sure? You seem like you might need me to hang around. Moral support and all.” It would seem some good had come of everything; her sister had grown up almost overnight.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I’ll still pay you through the week. I know you need to get your car fixed, and a deal’s a deal. I’ll pack up Holly’s things and drive you home.” Grace only had a few days left with the baby. Maybe it was a selfish thing to do, but she wanted the baby all to herself. At least Holly wouldn’t ask questions if the waterspout of tears turned on again, which was bound to happen.
“Okay, If you’re sure. I’ll be ready to leave in ten minutes,” Faith said hesitantly, coming to her feet and heading down the hall to the room she’d stayed in.
It was more like twenty minutes before they were out the door. Which was still record time for Grace. It figures she’d finally started to figure out how to get her and the baby ready to go somewhere with some degree of efficiency just Holly was about to go home.
Holly gurgled and blew bubbles all the way to Lancaster, keeping the sisters entertained. By unspoken mutual consent, they avoided any conversation that had to do with the elephants in the car, mainly World Sport, Holly, and Ryan.
She dropped Faith off, not bothering to go inside. Her mother would demand answers if she took one look at Grace’s face…answers Grace wasn’t prepared to give just yet. Faith would fill her in, and then it was only a matter of time before she’d have to face her mother. But until then, she’d bide her time in silence.
On the ride back to the house, images of Ryan flitted through her mind. Fun times. Family moments. Maybe she’d been premature in walking away from the relationship. She was the one who demanded they keep business and personal separate and then she’d gone and lumped them all together. But then, it’s not like Ryan said a thing about the kiss, so it didn’t matter.
In fact, he’d almost seemed relieved when she’d made it clear they would be nothing personal between them.
For the next two days, Grace spent every minute playing with the baby, taking hundreds of pictures, or reveling in the joys of parenthood, watching every new thing Holly learned. Sounds and pointing had increased Holly’s ability to communicate, making the time together even more special. Grace remembered when she was a child and played house with her dolls at the age of seven. All fun, only now, it was with a real baby who ate, drank, wet, cried, and laughed.
Her phone rang Thursday morning, and Grace checked the screen and saw Olivia’s name. She immediately hit the button to answer, worried something was wrong. Olivia worked the day shift and wasn’t allowed the luxury of phone calls. But she also knew Olivia’s sister had blown into town, expecting to be entertained. At least that’s the impression Grace had from the last couple of texts her friend had sent.
“Hey there. What’s up?” Grace asked, picking Holly up and moving her to the high chair while she was on the phone.
“Aside from my sister driving me insane and work sucking the life out of me? Nothing.” Her friend laughed, easing Grace’s tension.
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help.” Apparently, they were both in need of a pick-me-up.
“There is. You can go to the movies with me tonight. Help me escape this madness.” It was something they liked to do frequently for girl’s night out, but while she was taking care of Holly it wasn’t an option.
Any other time, she would have jumped at the idea. The movies were always a good escape, even if they were only temporary fixes. “I can’t. I’ve got Holly and I took Faith home. And well, Karen is due to arrive tomorrow. I want to spend every minute I can with the baby before she leaves.”
“I thought she wasn’t coming until the middle of next week. What happened?” The concern in Olivia’s voice didn’t surprise Grace because her friend knew exactly what having Holly around had meant to her.
“I don’t know. Karen called from an unknown phone number and left a message about arriving Friday. I’ve not heard a word since then.” Grace let out a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Tomorrow was Friday, and she hadn’t been able to stop it from coming.
“Typical Karen. Still irresponsible. How you holding up?” Olivia asked, getting straight to the point.
“Not good. It’s been a rough week. But Holly made it better. We’ve been having a grand time together. I got fired, you know.”
“Fired? You’re kidding. Those jerks have no idea—”
“It was justified. I messed up. Ryan did what any other boss would have done.” Grace filled Olivia in on what had transpired, even managing to touch upon the subject of the kiss and the official breakup with Ryan, even though it had been an unofficial relationship.
“Wow. That is bad. But the job should have nothing to do with any personal feelings you have for each other.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But I wasn’t all that keen on a relationship anyway, and you know why. I’ve seen Ryan with Holly, and he’s got daddy material written all over him. If he ever gets past his own relationship issues, he’ll want children, trust me. And knowing I can’t have any, it wouldn’t be fair to start anything, so I ended it.”
“Sounds premature. Business aside, maybe you should tell Ryan the truth and see how he feels. I can tell how much you like him.” Olivia knew her all too well, but it didn’t change the facts.
“And risk going through the pain of rejection again? I can’t do it. Besides, it’s not like he put up any resistance to me ending whatever it was that hadn’t started between us. Better to stick with men who don’t like kids, and Ryan is not one of them.” It’s what she’d been telling herself ever since she’d watched him drive away. He wasn’t worth the risk. She still hadn’t managed to put him out of her mind, but over time, it would happen. She was sure of it.
“We need to talk. Tonight. I can see why you don’t want to leave Holly, but it doesn’t stop me from needing some girl time with my best friend. Danny offered to watch the twins, and I’m not letting the opportunity to go off duty slip by. And I can avoid my sister. It’s like a double-bonus night, whether it’s out on the town or at your place. I’ll be over at six. A couple of Disney movies and popcorn sounds like a great alternative to spending the night listening to my sister bemoan her silly troubles as a model.”
Olivia was in take-charge mode, and Grace was in no condition to argue. In fact, it sounded like a great way to spend the evening. “That bad, huh?” Grace winced, feeling guilty she hadn’t been there for Olivia to help her deal with her sister troubles.
“You have no idea. Besides, I’d love to see Holly before Karen takes her away. She’s the sweetest baby.”
&n
bsp; “Tell me about it.” Grace smiled, gazing at Holly, who was rubbing her eyes. Naptime was right around the corner.
“You’ve gotten too attached. I was worried about this when you told me you’d agreed to help your cousin.” Olivia had warned her, and the outcome had been inevitable, but not worth fighting.
“Attached is an understatement. I love Holly to the moon and back. It’s my own fault. Honestly. After she’s gone, I’ll deal with the fallout.”
“There’s nothing wrong with loving a child, but it sounds like you took it too far. Even this Mother’s Day affair you pictured was over the top. You’re not her mother, and pretending you are, if even for a day, is not good. Remember, I know you. Self-preservation doesn’t usually entail taking one’s secret inner desires and turning it into a temporary event. You need to be kind to yourself.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that now, since Holly won’t be here. Maybe you’re right, and it’s for the best.” Olivia was trying to keep her grounded, and Grace appreciated her friend’s efforts. It just didn’t make life fair or any easier to accept in the end. Motherless was motherless.
“We both know this is more about you wanting a child than it is about Holly’s mom coming home early. You forget how well I know you.”
“Maybe.” Olivia was probably right.
“Hang in there and I’ll see you at six.”
Grace hung up the phone, a fresh set of tears rolling down her cheeks. She only had a couple of hours to pull herself together before Olivia got here. Tonight needed to be fun, not a cry session.
* * *
Three days. Six interviews. Zero hope. Ryan sat back in his leather chair, massaging the back of his neck. Even with Grace’s shortcomings, she was head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates who’d come in to apply for her job.
Ryan shook his head as he thought of the woman who’d just left. He was astounded at how inexperienced some of the applicants had been, considering he’d told the agency he wanted someone with a minimum of two years’ experience in ad design. This woman had been straight out of college with no practical application of what she’d learned in school. She’d assumed her looks would trump experience, and had managed to giggle, bat her eyelashes, and nod in agreement with everything he’d said. What the woman hadn’t known was that Grace was way ahead of her in both looks and originality.
