The answer was always the same. Yes. How could she not? Although she couldn’t separate Griff and Alix, she felt certain she loved the man apart from the child. She loved his depth of caring, his ability to laugh, his skills as a lawyer. She loved arguing with him over a case and agreeing with him on strategy. She loved his ability to parent and adapt to any situation. Whether or not he had brought a child with him, Chelsie would have fallen hard.
But the fact remained that he had. That Alix shared her blood, too, didn’t matter. Legally, the little girl lived with Griff. Until he believed he meant more to her than the package, he would never commit to an us. He would continue to wonder whether he could trust Chelsie’s feelings. Since there was nothing she could do to change that, she didn’t have to put herself through the pain.
An hour later, Chelsie shook hands with the man who had agreed to testify in an upcoming case and led him to the door. She glanced at her watch and realized she had fifteen minutes to spare before leaving for the airport. Drawing on all the reserve energy she had, she knocked once and entered Griff’s office.
He sat behind his large mahogany desk, looking formidable and imposing.
“Morning,” she said.
“How are you?”
“Fine.” She wiped her palms on her skirt.
“About ready for your trip?”
She nodded. “May I?” She pointed to the couch.
When he nodded, she lowered herself onto a cushion and motioned for him to join her.
He did, seating himself beside her. His thigh brushed hers. The familiar smell of his cologne warmed her and she closed her eyes, allowing herself a brief journey into the recent past before she opened them again. “Things weren’t all bad, were they?”
He shook his head. “After you got over the shock of agreeing to help out, I’d have to say things went fairly well.”
“Fairly?” She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and he gave an obligatory grunt. “I was one heck of a baby-sitter.”
He chuckled, letting her know he agreed. “What do you mean, were?” he asked, his voice sobering.
“This isn’t going to work, is it?”
He sucked in a breath.
“Don’t tell me you’re shocked.” She placed a hand over her heart, attempting to lighten the mood with humor. “You’re the one who told me you wanted a temporary arrangement. Alix is doing great now. You should be proud.”
“So should you.”
She shook her head. “All she ever needed was you. I was just your safety net. You thought she needed me and that helped you get through the tough times. But you did it on your own.” Her hand covered his and she tried to memorize its feel and texture. “You did your brother proud, too.”
Chelsie swallowed a convulsive sob, determined to get through this without a scene. She’d have plenty of time on the plane and in Florida to cry her heart out. “We agreed to agree when to end this arrangement. I think the time has come. I’ll make arrangements with Mrs. Baxter to see Alix during the day while you’re up here.”
Pain lurked in his eyes, but Chelsie couldn’t help him. He’d have to find his way on his own.
“We’re partners,” he said.
“I think I mentioned what a stupid thing it is to mix business and pleasure, didn’t I?” she asked with a fake smile.
His eyes clouded over and Chelsie knew that he, too, was recalling their times together, good and bad. She’d spent the week getting used to the idea, assuring herself that parting company was the only solution. Though Griff could add her to the list of women in his life who had abandoned him, she had the distinction of being the only one who hadn’t done so willingly. He wouldn’t let her in.
“Pleasure, huh?” he finally asked.
“Oh, yeah. But you were there, so you must remember.”
* * *
If only Griff could forget. So why couldn’t he let the good times be enough?
She glanced at her watch. “It’s time.”
Griff knew she meant more than just catching a plane.
“We’ll sort out the details when I get back, okay?”
He nodded, at a loss for words. How did you sort out two lives that had become one?
“Before I go, I’ll teach you how to make coffee. You need that cup of decaf in the morning. You’ll never survive on that mud your secretary makes. Left alone, you’ll overdose on caffeine.”
He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. At least she hadn’t pulled back this time. “Thanks for caring.”
“You know I do.” She rose from her seat. “No, maybe you don’t,” she murmured, shaking her head.
He let her statement pass.
“Have a good flight.” And a good life.
“Thanks.” Her voice was a mere whisper.
“ ’Bye.”
She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Knowing he was taking unfair advantage, he turned his face at the last moment so her lips met his. She sucked in a surprise breath before her lips parted, taking him inside. He drank in the taste of her, knowing that he’d never have her again.
When she lifted her head, tears shimmered in her eyes.
A car horn honked. She flashed him a brief smile, one he couldn’t return. She turned and walked out.
He stood at the window and watched her get into the waiting cab. She’d be back in three days and out of his life on the fourth. He had only himself to blame. Somehow, the knowledge made things worse.
* * *
The phone rang during Sunday morning’s breakfast. Griff dove for the cordless, lifting it on the first ring. “Chelsie?”
“Wrong answer.”
“Ryan. I’ll talk when you get here.” In no mood to deal with his friend, Griff hung up. Three days had passed in which he hadn’t heard from Chelsie. He hadn’t expected to, but he had hoped. Considering he didn’t know what he’d say to her should she decide to call, he ought to be grateful for her distance. He wasn’t.
He sat back down at the table.
“Pancakes?” Mrs. Baxter asked.
With a shake of his head, he declined. “Just coffee. After this endless weekend, I could use some.”
The older woman smiled and handed him a cup. “Decaf.” Her eyes twinkled with delight. “Miss Russell said to make sure you stayed away from the hard stuff.”
If she didn’t intend to stick around, why the hell did Miss Russell care what he drank? Rationally, he realized his anger at Chelsie made little sense. He’d driven her away and caused her to break up the partnership. This morning, however, he wasn’t feeling particularly rational.
Alix was in a rotten mood. The little girl whined, cried, and acted out in every way imaginable. She hadn’t stopped asking for Chelsie. For Mommy, he silently amended. The word had been on the child’s lips morning, noon, and night. And Griff knew without question that this time she wasn’t referring to Shannon. Alix wanted Chelsie. And she wasn’t the only one. After an entire weekend without a break, Griff’s nerves were shot. He needed some peace and quiet.
“Milk,” Alix said, pointing to a plastic cup on the counter. He handed her the cup, which Alix immediately knocked over. Milk spilled over the high chair onto the floor and splattered on his jeans and shirt. Frustrated, he opened his mouth to yell, but Alix beat him to it screaming at the top of her lungs.
“I’ll handle it. Go for a walk. Take a break or something,” Mrs. Baxter said. “You haven’t let me earn my keep the entire weekend. Whatever you’re running from, it’s bound to catch up with you sometime. Why not deal with it now?”
Griff left the room without a word. Now his housekeeper was offering unsolicited advice. What next?
Ryan caught up with him on the driveway. “Excuse me for stating the obvious, but you look like hell.”
“Thanks, Ryan. It’s always a pleasure. How’d you get here so fast?”
He patted his jacket with his Samsung S5 peeking out of his front pocket. Squirt’s been tough?”
“Life’s been toug
her.”
“And I’m sorry for my part in it.”
Griff shrugged.
Ryan squinted against the bright rays of the sun. “You’re one pathetic bastard, you know that?”
“Yeah. But you know what they say. It takes one to know one.”
“True.” He straightened, leaning toward Griff. “What’s that on your shirt?”
“Milk,” Griff answered without glancing down. The wet spots had already seeped through to his skin. He’d have to change before the odor of dried milk became offensive.
Ryan nodded. “What do you think Deidre would do if she saw you looking like this?”
“I think she’d take the first cab—make that limo—back to her ritzy apartment and shower, just in case the smell interfered with her perfume.” Despite himself, Griff couldn’t suppress a grin and a full-blown laugh.
“I guess it’s a good thing she dumped you.”
For the first time, Griff agreed. “True.”
“So I guess the next woman’s got to love kids.”
His laughter suffered a sudden death. “Cut the pop psychology.” Telling Ryan about his breakup with Chelsie had been a mistake. After a few beers, Griff had let Ryan pump him for information, forgetting that he’d regret his revelations the next day.
“What the hell is it with you? The first one doesn’t like kids and the second one loves ’em. Neither can win.”
“Don’t compare Chelsie to Deidre,” Griff said, taking offense at how his friend had lumped Chelsie with the most selfish woman he’d met. Next to his mother, of course.
Ryan shrugged. “Why the hell not? You have.” Ryan started towards the house, stopping to add, “I’m going to visit with my favorite squirt. I’ll see you when you’re feeling human again.”
“Watch her temper. It’s lethal.”
“Takes after her uncle,” he called over his shoulder.
Griff leaned against his SUV. The weather was rapidly changing. Fall would turn to winter. Griff would go back to being a solo practitioner. Cold and lonely. He wondered if he was referring to the season or to himself.
A light breeze blew cold air through his cotton shirt. His skin felt chilled, especially where the milk had settled. A few months ago, he would have been riding in his convertible, top down and probably heading to work, even on Sunday. He’d have been wearing at least a sport jacket, if not a suit and tie. One thing for sure, milk stains wouldn’t be anywhere near his designer clothing.
When had he stopped missing his old lifestyle? The days of living for money and the luxuries it brought no longer appealed to him, and he knew for certain it wouldn’t have appealed to Chelsie. Time with her had taught him that she was like her sister. Neither valued things above people. Shannon had left her parents’ wealthy lifestyle behind to marry his brother.
Chelsie, too, had chosen her own way, just as he had. After his brother’s death, Griff had automatically assumed the role of guardian without thought to how his life would change. But it had.
Some changes he’d always regret. The absence of his brother and sister-in-law, for one. Though the pain hadn’t subsided completely, he was learning to live with the loss. Hopefully, as he dealt with his grief, he would teach Alix how to live with hers.
Just as Chelsie had done. He couldn’t fault her for attempting to bridge the gap with her parents. She had little enough family in her life.
He pressed a hand to his temple and thought of their common bond. Of Alix. Griff had lost his brother, but gained a daughter. He really didn’t consider Alix anything less. How could he regret the little girl who had changed his life? She made him more human. She made him have fun. She made him capable of love.
Alix was a part of him. And so was Chelsie.
Griff could no longer remember the man he was before Alix entered his life on a permanent basis. Chelsie had known that other man only by reputation—the one who lived for his work, who didn’t care much about anyone or anything other than having fun and making money.
She’d been a part of his transformation. They’d practically raised the little girl together these last few months. If his own life and feelings were forever intertwined with his niece, why did he expect Chelsie to feel different?
She said she loved Alix, and not just as the little girl’s aunt. She also said she loved him. How could she separate the two? Love one and not the other? The answer was simple. She couldn’t.
Chelsie had accused him of running scared. That much had been true. He had been afraid she’d abandon him. Then, when she pledged her love and promised to stay, he questioned the depth of her feelings. If he continued to lump her in the category of Deidre and his mother, he would always have an excuse to push her away. The old Griff would have done that. The man Alix had taught how to open his heart would not.
So which Griffin Stuart would control his future? The answer was just a start. He had joined the list of men in Chelsie’s life to shatter her trust and let her down. Would she believe anything he had to say?
Even if she accepted his words, after watching the scene with her ex-husband, Griff had his doubts about whether she’d put the past behind her completely. She still had one more hurdle to face, though he doubted she was aware of it yet. Considering he had done all the taking so far—her help with Alix, the partnership and the clients she brought in—he could offer this one thing in return. More than an apology was necessary to make Chelsie believe in him. He only hoped he didn’t destroy their future in the process.
* * *
Heat and humidity hit her as she exited the West Palm Beach airport. Chelsie turned her face toward the sun, grabbing a minute’s reprieve before climbing into her rental car and heading for her parents’ home. She began her drive with fists clenched tight around the steering wheel, her tension mounting with each passing mile.
They expected her arrival, but she had no idea what to expect from them. Having gone most of her childhood without strong support on the home front, she knew she didn’t need anything from them in order to survive. But her self-imposed exile, combined with her sister’s death, had taken its toll. She might not need anything, but she wanted more than she’d received so far.
With Griff all but out of her life in the ways that mattered most, her heart was fragile, her nerves near to breaking. She desperately needed the warmth and understanding only loving parents could provide. Hers had rarely come through. She was here to change things between them before it was too late.
Life’s lessons had been hard won for Chelsie. Family was important. She had let hers disintegrate, but she wanted to pick up the pieces. Once she and Griff officially dissolved their partnership, her time with her niece would be more limited than before. She had to make it count. She couldn’t offer Alix much, but she could give the child the benefit of relatives who cared and the warmth of family. Mending the ties that remained was also the one thing she could do for herself.
When her parents’ exit came up on the turnpike, Chelsie was surprised. She’d passed half an hour lost in thought. She turned into the gated community, slowing, as she approached the guardhouse on the left.
“Name?” an older man dressed in white asked.
“Russell.”
He checked his clipboard, then raised the electronic gate and waved her through. She was expected, but was she wanted?
She drove down the tree-lined peripheral road that circled the golf course and adjoining homes. Her parents’ new sedan sat parked in their driveway. Chelsie’s stomach rolled in nervous reaction, reminding her of the day she’d tried her first case. She hoped this experience would turn out better.
She grabbed her bag and stood by the car, glancing at the large, patio-styled home her parents had purchased last year.
“Chelsie?”
She turned at the sound of her mother’s high-pitched voice, in time to see the older woman step outside. She hadn’t seen Ellen Russell since the day of the hearing and was surprised to see her well-groomed mother in walking shorts and an
oversized shirt, looking… human. She couldn’t help but wonder if grief had done what nothing else could.
Chelsie went toward her, and when her mother’s arms opened wide, her walk turned into a run.
* * *
The morning sun streamed through the kitchen window. Chelsie blinked into the Florida sunlight. For the first time in years, she felt at peace in her parents’ home. Although they’d put off the harder discussions last night, one thing had been clear: the rift between them had closed.
She picked through the basket of assorted rolls on the kitchen table and settled herself into a wicker chair. She popped a piece of blueberry muffin into her mouth and wondered when the last time was she’d taken the time to sit down to breakfast to relax and stop running to work, to meetings, to appointments, to Alix… and from life. Setting things in order now not only felt good, it felt right.
She only wished she hadn’t had to lose Griff in order to reclaim the rest of her life. With one daughter gone, her parents had obviously taken stock. If they remained understanding and not judgmental, she’d finally have two loving parents, and Alix would have grandparents who cared and role models to emulate. The mother who’d taken up gardening was far removed from the socialite who had tried to mold both Chelsie and Shannon as they grew up, an emotionally contrite woman who wasn’t the same person who had tried to bribe Griff a few months earlier.
The whoosh of the sliding glass door signaled her parents’ return from their morning walk. She washed the dry muffin down with a sip of orange juice and turned. “Hi.”
“Morning.” Her mother, still out of breath, joined her at the table. After grabbing two glasses and pouring juice, so did her father.
“How was your walk?” Chelsie asked.
“Refreshing.”
Chelsie laughed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t recognize either of you. You two look like a television ad for vitamins or something.”
“Instead of one for Tiffany Jewelers?” her mother asked. The older woman didn’t join in the laughter.
Time for honesty, Chelsie thought. No matter how hard or what the results. She glanced at her mother. “Well, now that you mention it, yes.”
Perfect Partners Page 17
