"Did he have a part in it?" She lifted her head to meet his steady eyes. "The young lady would have known his reputation."
Her husband shrugged. "Doesn't mean she could be sensible and practical about it." His hazel eyes held hers. "I have to ask you something."
"All right."
He shifted his gaze to somewhere over her left shoulder, hesitating. "Were you ever in love with him?"
Sara-Jane's finely arched blonde brows lifted. "I had an enormous crush on him when we were in high school."
"Oh."
Wrapping her hands around his neck she kissed his lips gently. "Then I saw this confused looking geek from science club and felt myself falling. You ignored me in high school. I went away to college and was determined to make you notice me."
His expression was one of indulgent amusement. "I noticed you then but did not believe I ever stood a chance with you. I was quite intimidated."
"We wasted so much time." She leaned into him. "Thank God I took matters into my own hands."
His eyes crinkled. "Thank God, you did."
"Ready for bed?" Her look was very suggestive and had his blood stirring.
"Absolutely."
*****
He sat at the desk in the sitting room he had converted into an office. He had a top-of-the-line system. He knew his software, could finesse a program and have it running in minutes. He had always been smart. Never had to study. He knew four languages fluently and had a smattering knowledge of three others. He had a brain like a sponge and was very good with numbers. He was also well read. He preferred the classics because they fascinated him. During his travels, he had stayed six months in Paris, where he had lived off and on with a pastry chef. He had learned a lot from her. He could whip up a sumptuous seven course meal and make a pastry that melts on the tongue.
Surely, with all of that under his belt, he could turn a flagging publishing house around. His father had always reprimandedhim for not using his brain. Well, he was going to start doing so now.
And hopefully with time and effort, he would be able to forget. He was raw inside. It made no sense trying to explain to his family how deep his grief ran. He had been frivolous and carefree because he hated restrictions and thought deep inside he was doing no harm.
Most of the women he had taken to bed had enjoyed what he did to them. He was always careful not to make promises he had no intention of keeping and always, always protected himself. He was responsible enough to realize that someone would want to use a child to trap him into proposing. He had never been in love. Yes, there had been times when he had come close. That night five years ago when he had taken that young girl's innocence had given him a bad scare. There was an instant when he was in college. Sherry Gayle had captured his interest, but that had faded after a few weeks.
Now he was taking it easy and going solo. It would be a first for him, but he had to heal before thinking of being with someone. And he had to make this work. His sanity depended on it.
With that in mind, he booted up his computer and went to put on a pot of coffee. It was going to be a long night.
*****
Two days passed before Abigail started to relax. Her brother was right; she was obsessing over nothing. There was nothing to worry about. Besides, she had lots to do. She had taken on a lot over the years. In order to prove to her parents that she deserved to run the company, she had gone all out and made changes. Books & Toys was one of the most successful bookstores in the country and she liked to think that it was because she had taken them into the twenty-first century.
She had implemented several ideas. Book readings and signings. She had invited several local artistes to highlight their works – a move that had been wildly successful. They not only carried toys manufactured in China but leaned towards those made locally. Once a month, a book – a classic of course, would be chosen by the customers in a voting system and performed by children from the local schools. It brought parents out and encouraged them to shop at the same time.
For the month of November, they had baskets and giveaways for the needy. There were also competitions, reading and spelling quizzes with prizes awarded. Abigail was in charge of all of it and she would travel from store to store to meet with managers and staff to help with the setting up.
Their profits were soaring, and publishers were clamoring to place their bestsellers in their stores. Her parents were proud of her and were willing to leave everything up to her. Thepregnancy had been frightening at first and had set her back. But despite the sickness, the scare and the bewilderment, she had worked when she could.
When she had her daughter, she had spent a month at home with her and then come back out to work. It helped that she could take Zoe with her to work as that was one of the things that had been implemented as well. A daycare for staff members so they would not have to go through the awful separation period.
Abigail's days were filled with meetings, planning sessions, and constant interaction with her team. She thrived on the busy schedule, often finding herself energized by the challenge of keeping everything running smoothly. Even in moments of exhaustion, she reminded herself that her efforts weren't about boosting profits; they were about building a community and supporting the families who depended on the bookstore for both work and enrichment.
Now she had a corner office with a view of the spearing buildings of the busy city. And an assistant. Gloria Silver was a treasure. She was in her late fifties, efficient and no-nonsense. She was a widow who never had children. And was prepared to work all hours if she was given the chance. And she adored Zoe. The feeling was of course mutual.
Abigail valued her team deeply and made it a point to recognize their hard work. She organized regular appreciation lunches and encouraged open communication, fostering a strong senseof camaraderie among the staff. This supportive environment not only contributed to the store's success but also created a workplace where people genuinely enjoyed coming in each day.
She had made something of herself and was proud of her accomplishment. The stores were written up in various literary magazines all over the country with high praises for innovative ideas.
And she was happy. Over the years, she had also dated, had gone as far as sleeping with two of the men she had dated with the intention of the relationship turning long-term, but they had not worked out. She had to acknowledge to herself that the enthusiasm wasn't there. She was very pragmatic and realized that she would often miss dates because of some work thing or something to do with her daughter.
