Love & Hope: Mother's Day (Holidays In Hallbrook Book 5)

by Elsie Davis

  “Oh. Then you probably have something else to be upset with me about. Before I was fired, I’d put together a marketing plan I thought would help the company get some name recognition. Something fun. You weren’t around much the last few days I was there, so I couldn’t really talk to you about it.” More wasted money judging by his cluelessness.

  “Do I want to know?” He chuckled, which was the last reaction she expected to get.

  “Well, truthfully, I think it was a great idea. It was within my budget, so I didn’t need your approval for the expense.” Justifying it wouldn’t make it cost less, but it made her feel better about the decision.

  “Spill it, Grace. What did you do?”

  “I ordered ski hats with the World Sport Inc. logo on them.” She’d had to move fast to put the campaign in place and had simply taken control, positive it was the right thing to do. “I had them distributed to all the major year-round ski resorts and rental facilities. Any order that came in with the promo code got a free hat. And then I put out a contest to go with it. People had to send in a picture wearing the hat or doing some athletic activity at one of the resorts for an opportunity to win $1000 if their picture was picked as the best.” Ryan remained quiet the entire time she explained the plan, his silence making her more nervous.

  “That’s actually a pretty cool idea.” He nodded. “You say you put this into place last week?”

  Grace let out a sigh of relief. Ryan wasn’t upset with the expense or her. “Yes. The day you, umm, fired me. Why?”

  “Our numbers were up this week, and we weren’t sure why. We decided it was most likely due to residual sales from the first week and word-of-mouth referrals. But now I have to wonder if it’s your promo. Do you have it set up in a way we can track it?” Ryan’s excitement was contagious, lifting Grace’s spirits considerably. At least something appeared to have gone right.

  “Absolutely. When the customer uses the promo code, I can isolate those orders and check the percentage of sales and even the total dollar amount spent if we want to know average sales in conjunction with the promo.” Grace couldn’t take full credit for the idea as it was a common practice to give out freebies. The contest, on the other hand, was a unique twist she’d added.

  “That’s fantastic,” Ryan exclaimed. “I can’t believe you did this and didn’t tell me.”

  “I got fired. It wasn’t at the top of my list to tell you what I did that morning,” she teased. Grace still couldn’t believe Ryan was offering her job back. “But I’m glad you like the idea. There’s more you should know, however. Do you remember how you told me you’d be putting inventory at a handful of select resort facilities throughout the country for brand recognition?”

  “Yes. We haven’t been able to decide where to go so far, although we have a few ideas. Why? Where are you going with this?”

  Grace grinned, hoping he’d like this part as well as the rest. “Well, I put into place a way to help you make your selection. As part of the contest, I also let it be known to the participating locations that the top three sales facilities would be in the running for a full-scale review by World Sport Inc. for the next location to open a retail site. I thought it would be a great incentive for the facilities to get the word out to customers. It’s a huge drawcard for them to have access to the World Sport inventory at no expense to them, only revenue.”

  “Wow! What an incredible idea. I can’t wait to get back to the office to check those numbers. I’m sure it’s your promo that’s been driving up the numbers this past week. You’re a genius.” Ryan reached out and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

  Woof. Woof. Lucky seemed to approve the move, as did Grace.

  “Thanks. Let’s just hope you’re right.” It felt great to be in his arms again, but she needed to keep her feet on the ground. Returning to work for Ryan didn’t automatically mean a return to his arms. Her problem still existed, and it wasn’t anything she intended to share with him. Grace stepped back. “Oh, there’s a way you can even check now.”

  “There is?” he asked.

  “Check the website. There’s a link for promo photos. That’ll let you know whether the people doing the buying are interactive with the website, which in turn, keeps them in close touch with World Sport’s entire inventory.”

  Ryan grinned as he pulled up the website on his phone and clicked on the tab. “Check this out,” he said, holding up the phone for her to see. He scrolled through photo after photo that had been posted. “This is amazing! All the more reason to have you back on our team. Please, say yes to coming back.”

  “I accept.” Grace smiled, pleased she’d been able to do something to recover from her mistake. Going back to work for World Sport was the best solution, at least it would be once she told Ryan the truth.

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard yet this week. Now we have one other issue I need to discuss with you.” Ryan’s gaze locked with hers, the intensity more tangible.

  “What’s that?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Us. Our relationship. The one we barely started.” He took her hand again and drew her near.

  Grace resisted, not willing to fall into his arms automatically, but this time, Ryan held tight. “If I’m coming back to work, we probably need to leave that aspect of you and me alone. Neither one of us is good about crossing lines.” She had to make him understand it was better this way.

  “That’s not acceptable to me. I’ve missed having you at work, but most of all, I’ve missed having you and Holly around. I want you both in my life during and after work. I want to give us a chance to see what’s real. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and it’s the first time I’m willing to try. Please say you’ll give us a chance?” Every word he uttered would have been perfect if they were based on truth. Something Ryan was missing on a couple of accounts.

  Grace shook her head. “It’s not that simple. I care about you, too, you know that. But there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What is it? Nothing will change how I feel about you. I want you both in my life, personally and professionally. We owe it to ourselves to try.” Ryan tilted her head up, his thumb caressing her cheek as he gazed into her eyes, willing her to agree.

  “Holly isn’t my daughter.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “What do you mean?” Ryan asked, Grace’s words sinking into his brain and throwing him into total confusion.

  “I should have told you this sooner, but the whole situation got out of control. I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around her midsection, as if unsure of herself. This was a Grace he wasn’t used to seeing. “Holly is my cousin’s daughter. Not mine. I’m looking after her, but I’m not her mother.”

  Her explanation explained the who, but not the why. “But—”

  She held up her hand to silence him. “Let me explain, and then you can ask questions. The day before I met you, Karen, my cousin, showed up on my doorstep and wanted me to watch her daughter for three weeks. I know I shouldn’t have said yes because I was starting a new job. But I was able to line up my sister to watch the baby while I worked, and suddenly there wasn’t a reason to say no. I get that it wasn’t the smartest decision, but I’ve cherished the time I had with her, and in the end, I can’t regret it. But I do regret not telling the truth.”

  He walked to the sink and then back, needing space to think this through. It was a lot to take in. “You just said a mouthful and I’m a little slow piecing it together. What was so important to your cousin that she left her daughter for three weeks?”

  “She wanted to go to California to tour with her band.” Grace winced as she said the words.

  “That sounds irresponsible and immature,” Ryan grimaced. Grace had already told him the father wasn’t in the picture. Holly’s mother was all the little girl had and she wasn’t putting her daughter first.

  “There’s more to it than that and it’s not so cut and dried. But Karen’s story isn’t what’s important and deba
ting her choices will get us nowhere.”

  Grace was right. “I can’t believe you would say yes under any circumstances. That’s a lot to take on.”

  Her chin rose in defiance. “It’s simpler than you realize. I’ve always wanted a baby, and this was my chance to have one.”

  Ryan raised an eyebrow, not buying into her explanation. “But then, why lie about it to me?”

  Grace shook her head. “I didn’t lie. I never once said she was my daughter. I might not have been clear and let you assume she was, but I never said the words.”

  He frowned. This was so unlike the Grace he thought he knew. There had to be more to it and Ryan was determined to find out the truth. The whole truth. “That’s splitting hairs and you know it. Why would you want me to believe Holly was your daughter?”

  Hands on her hips, Grace glared back at him, unwilling to back down. “Because it was my first day on the job. I thought you would be more forgiving if you thought I had childcare problems rather than the truth, which was that I willingly took on Holly’s care and brought the entire mess down on my shoulders. And then I was going to tell you that night at O’Malley’s, but you got that call and had a woman fired for her excessive personal problems.”

  He remembered the call, but he also remembered explaining it to Grace afterward. The two weren’t on the same level. “That employee’s situation was totally different.”

  “I couldn’t take the chance of losing my job. I thought if you knew I was just babysitting, you’d fire me on the spot because Holly wasn’t my responsibility, and yet, I’d taken her in without regard to my new employment. Which isn’t exactly true, because I did have childcare set up before I agreed to Karen’s request,” Grace rattled on. Her determination to make him see it from her perspective was most impressive. And it was working. She might have missed her calling and should have been an attorney.

  “Not that it helped me in the end anyway. Like I said, it was a chance to have a baby in the house, and I couldn’t say no. Holly was just… I mean, it just meant a lot to me. And I thought I had it covered.”

  There was still one piece of the story he didn’t understand. “Apparently, you thought wrong, at least at the time. If you want a baby so badly, why don’t you just have one? Lots of women have babies on their own. Or just get married and start a family in the more traditional sense.”

  Grace visibly flinched. “It’s not that simple.” She looked away, fumbling with the belt of her robe.

  “I don’t condone lying, but what’s done is done. Holly is a sweet baby, and I can understand you wanting her around. Still, for our working relationship to work, I need you to be truthful with me. At all times.”

  Grace looked up at him. “Agreed.” The light in her eyes had faded and he wondered at the cause. He’d forgiven her, and yet it hadn’t brought back the smile he wanted to see. None of this changed how he felt about Grace.

  “Now back to the subject of us.” Ryan moved to stand next to her, taking her hand. “You’re telling me Holly isn’t a part of the package with you. Am I right?” It was the only difference between what he’d asked for and what she could give as far as he could tell.

  “That’s correct.” Grace nodded, looking away.

  Ryan didn’t understand what was going on. Why it felt like she was pulling away. He reached out to turn her face back toward him, letting his hand cup her face gently. “I care about Holly, but you’re what’s most important to me. I want to give us a chance. And, yes, I care for Holly more than I ever expected to care for any child. You’ve shown me that I’m capable of loving children and of wanting a family of my own. And if you and I go the distance, we can have that one day.”

  Grace started to cry, the tears slipping down her face. He brushed them away as they fell, more confused than ever. They weren’t happy tears. She grabbed his hand and pushed it away, stepping back.

  “There’s more you need to know. First, Karen’s picking up Holly sometime today. I got the message on Monday, which is why I fell apart at the office and had to leave early.” Grace took a deep breath and exhaled.

  “What is it, Grace?” he asked, seeing her bite down on her lower lip as if trying to find the right words. “We need to be truthful with each other if we are to have a fighting chance at making a relationship work between us.”

  “You’re right. It’s just that… The thing is, there won’t be a family if you and I go the distance, as you call it. That’s why I believe it’s better to leave things alone, rather than pick up where we left off only to be hurt and disillusioned in the end. I can’t have children, Ryan,” Grace said, her voice raw with emotion.

  Ryan reached out and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly against his chest. Huge sobs shook her body as he held Grace. Her words had come as a shock, but they also explained so many of Grace’s actions over the past three weeks. The desperation to watch Holly when all reasonable adults would have declined. The distress at learning Holly was going home earlier than planned. Ryan was finally understanding the issue. But Grace’s inability to have children was something they could weather together.

  “Grace, whatever’s meant to be, will be. We can adopt. Take in foster children. Do anything we want to do. What’s most important is if you and I are meant to be together, the rest will fall into place. What you said isn’t enough to make me walk away.” Ryan realized it was the truth. Sure, he’d only just come to know he’d like a family, but Grace would be his family, and beyond that, it would be up to them to decide as a couple.

  Grace stepped back, brushing away her tears with the sleeve of her robe. “You’re a good man, Ryan. But it’s not fair to you. I’ve seen you with Holly, and you’ll make a great dad. What if you change your mind? I’ve lived through a couple of breakups for this very reason. Men who say it’s okay and then later, it’s not.” She folded her arms across her chest as if to ward off the ache surrounding her.

  “Any child we would have together, no matter how they come into our family, would be loved. And loving you is what will keep me from changing my mind. I just want us to have a chance to explore what’s between us. I feel it here,” he said, tapping his heart. Ryan had to make her see the truth and to believe. In him.

  “The adoption agency already turned me down once. I’m not sure I could handle another rejection.” Grace shook her head, and he could feel her pulling away from him.

  “But you were single then, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, we’d be in it together. Besides, we still haven’t officially dated or declared our love, or talked about marriage. Suffice to say, I’m good going forward as long as I have you. Say yes, and let’s see where this relationship takes us. Full disclosure though, I’m pretty crazy about you already.” He grinned, pulling her back into his arms. He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t resist.

  “I’m pretty crazy about you, too,” she said, a new light shining in her eyes.

  Ryan leaned down to seal the deal with a kiss just as a few baby sounds came from the monitor.

  “Hold that thought, mister.” She grinned. “Duty calls.” Grace set the monitor on the counter before heading down the hall.

  Ryan knelt, petting Lucky. “Looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other, girl.” Lucky licked his face, catching him off guard. He laughed, wiping his sleeve across his cheek.

  “Good morning, sweet angel. Did you have a good night’s sleep? Let’s get you out of your wet diaper and into something dry.” He could hear Grace talking to Holly through the monitor. Holly’s attempts to talk in response, warmed his heart. Babies were so darn cute.

  “There you go. Nice and dry. Ryan’s here, and I’m sure he’ll appreciate you not soaking him. I think the poor man has had enough pee and vomit to last a lifetime.”

  Holly cooed, and minutes later, Grace came back to the kitchen with the baby in her arms.

  Spotting Ryan, Holly held out her hands to him and his heart swelled with love. “Hey, swe
etheart. I’ve missed you.” He took the baby from Grace, holding her close.

  A knock at the door interrupted the reunion. Grace paled.

  Ryan handed her Holly. “I’ll get the door,” he said, giving her the extra time she needed to compose herself.

  Grace nodded silently.

  “Hi there. You must be Karen. I’m Ryan Walker. Come on in.” The woman’s pink and green hair, tight leather pants, exposed midriff, and high-heeled spikes took him by surprise as he held out his hand to welcome her.

  “Hi. I didn’t know Grace was seeing anyone. And such a hot one at that. Where’s she been hiding you?” The young woman laughed, shaking hands with him.

  Unsure how to answer the question, he chose not to. “Grace and Holly are in the kitchen.”

  Karen shrugged and then followed him. “Hey, Grace.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, Karen. I’m glad things went well for you on the tour, but I bet you’re glad to be back.” Grace was struggling, but there was nothing Ryan could do to help her through this. Except be there when Karen left with Holly.

  “The band rocked the tour.” The young woman’s eyes were lit with excitement as she stepped forward and reached for her daughter. “How’s my little girl?”

  Holly pulled back, burying her face into Grace’s shoulder.

  “I’m sorry.” Grace looked uncomfortable. “She’s grown attached. It’s okay, Holly. Mommy’s home. Wouldn’t you like to give her a hug?”

  Holly snuck a peek at her mother and then looked back at Grace, flinging her arms around Grace’s neck and holding even tighter if it were possible.

  Karen shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Don’t worry about it. After three weeks, I’m probably like a stranger to her. Give her a few minutes.” It was an odd reaction for a mother to have, not that he knew much about women and children, but something seemed off. “We need to talk,” Karen added, glancing first at Grace and then at him.

  “You’ve met Ryan. He’s my…my boyfriend, and it’s okay. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of him. If it’s okay with you, that is.” Grace glanced at Karen for confirmation.