The fact he named an ice cream flavor after me blew my mind, but finding out he donated such a staggering amount of money so New Yorkers who can’t read can learn to lose themselves in a great story turns my insides to mush.
This grump is a cuddly teddy bear in disguise.“I can’t believe you did that.”
“I’ve told you before, Goldilocks, you made quite the impression.”
I… I’m speechless.
“The larger part of the winnings went to charities that support wounded soldiers across the country and New York first responders.”
“You donated over a billion dollars to charities.”That’s fucking wild.I shake my head. “Unbelievable.”
“The money landed in my lap. I want for nothing.” He shrugs. “Those charities will put the money to good use.”
“Like I said, you’re an intriguing man.”
He holds my gaze for a few heartbeats, and I have to press the back of my hand against my warming cheeks.
He strokes his chin dusted with a 5 o’clock shadow. “The event is coming up in late September, during the pre-season for the New York Blazers at Madison Square Gardens, and I want that to be the focus, not this post-divorce drama. Since I started this charity, this is the first year my grandmother won’t be the MC…” Pain flickers in his beautiful blue eyes.
I place a hand on his forearm, my heart breaking for him like it did the day I read the shocking headlines.
“Nana Saoirse was the mother I never had,” he says.
“I was devastated when I saw the news, Kaz.”
“It didn’t feel like I had lost my grandmother. It felt like I had lost my right arm. Her death broke me.”
“I’m sure there’s a special place in Heaven for heroes like her.”
He nods. “From the day she graduated from the Police Academy, she vowed to serve and protect. That’s what she did as a police officer. That’s what she did when she got promoted to captain of NYPD’s Missing Persons Squad at thirty-five until the day she retired. And that’s what she did on that faithful day. She had no idea that when she walked to the park for her morning ritual, she’d never make it back to the Upper West Side house she shared with four other grandmothers who wereall friends. The woman was eighty-two, and only terrible winter weather or a storm could stop her from hitting her ten-thousand steps a day.”
Kaz holds my gaze, and I bite my lower lip at the sadness emanating from his blue eyes.
Such a tragic story.“Your grandmother’s death wasn’t in vain.”
“Yeah…” He lets out a pained breath. “The cruel irony is that she got hit crossing the street by a vehicle driven by a predator who had kidnapped a little girl and was trying to escape the police. The impact of my grandmother’s body against the speeding vehicle…”—he swallows—”and the chaos that ensued put a wrench in the lowlife’s plans, giving time for the police to corner him like the rabies-infested dog he is and save the traumatized little girl.”
My heart weeps.
“Nana was a tough woman—she had to be in order to be respected by the men who served under her. Even at home, she always called me out on my bullshit, whereasmygranddadwould let it slide. When I was a kid, I used to call her Super Nana because to me, she was as badass as a superhero.”
There’s no denying the love he had for his nana. “If God gives out medals of distinction in Heaven, I’m sure your grandmother received one when she passed the Pearly Gates.”
He ponders on my words for a beat. “I like that.”
Seven months ago, as the tragic story surrounding Kaz’s grandmother was unfolding while my good for nothing family was involved in an unimaginable fucked up situation, I still caught wind of this story that all of Manhattan mourned. Even though the energy between us during our first encounter was as sizzling as a hot skillet, reaching out to extend my condolences felt gauche because I was his ex-stepson’s ex-girlfriend.
I snap back to the moment. “During the months leading tothe annual Way Home charity game, you want to make sure the focus is on how far the money so generously donated goes. Not on Devlyn Frostburg’s rich girl drunken tirade and pitiful excuses as she exits one of New York’s priciest restaurants. The charity your grandmother started reunites missing kids with their parents. That’s fucking important. What comes out of Devlyn’s mouth shouldn’t overshadow such a worthy cause. Basically, you want to silence the incessant gossip around a woman who’s as shallow as an empty whiskey barrel. Did I get it right?”
He nods. “The Way Home Initiative should be in the spotlight.”
Waitressing was never a vocation. It was a way to survive.
When I owned With A Flourish Floral Design, I used to leap out of bed, unable to contain my excitement. Until the day I figured out Ellen and Qi had conned me, I felt the same way about Silk Blooms Flowers.
What Kaz is offering is more than a job. I’d have a purpose as I rebuild my life.
Chapter 12
