Unexpectedly, the sense of loss Merry had been battling for days now hit her, more powerful than ever. Her eyes filled, and she shook her head.
“Aw, honey.” Her mom pulled her in for a quick hug, seeming to understand that Merry couldn’t talk about it at the moment. “I’m sorry.”
Drowsy though Alex was, he still found the energy to talk about his evening with Grace during the car ride. It drove home to Merry that she and Carlisle would have to find a way to be friends for the sake of their children.
It might be one of the hardest things she’d ever do.
12
During a meeting with his team the next day, Carlisle found it difficult to concentrate. His mind kept going back to the night before. Had everything gone wrong because he’d pressed on when he should have eased back?
But that kiss. He had certainly not imagined that. Somehow, he had to find a way to fix things between them, help Merry see they were right for each other. Find a way they could be together while still fulfilling their family responsibilities
“Did you even hear, Carlisle?” Nia asked, giving him a nudge. “We think this is it.”
“Sorry. Rough night.” He forced himself to focus on the here and now. “How long before we can begin testing?”
“As you know,” one engineer said, “we must do the different tests in various locations and circumstances. We’ve been talking with the resort team, and they’ve provided a list of suggestions on where to begin. It’s close enough to Christmas that we’re not likely to get our prototypes built until late January.”
“You’ve done outstanding work,” Carlisle said.
“In a perfect world,” Nia said, gathering her things, “we’ll never have to use them.”
“Right,” another team member added, and the meeting broke up.
“Do you have your tux ready for the Christmas Ball?” Nia asked when they were the only ones left in the conference room.
Carlisle groaned inwardly. Would Merry not wish to attend with him now? He’d been so looking forward to dancing with her, to holding her in his arms.
“Why the frown?” Nia asked, worry coloring her voice.
“I told Merry how I feel about her, and it wasn’t well received.” Carlisle rubbed his temples against the sleep-deprived headache.
“I don’t understand. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”
“She has obligations which require her to remain here.”
“Like what?”
Carlisle explained about Linda.
“What if you stay here?” Nia asked.
“My grandfather may be a demanding man, but he’s also the only father I’ve known,” Carlisle said stiffly. “If I marry again, my wife must support me in this.” He explained about the estate.
“Ah, so that’s why you keep going back to England,” Nia said, looking thoughtful. “I get the family loyalty thing, but you’re not even his heir. Why are you getting stuck with this?”
Carlisle hesitated. He didn’t normally speak of family problems with anyone outside of it. But, if he couldn’t help Nia understand, how could he convince Merry?
“I believe you’re aware of my father’s history,” he began tentatively.
“Drunk who killed himself by wrapping his Porsche around a tree?” Nia nodded.
“Well, my uncle isn’t much better.”
“He’s the heir, right?”
“Yes. He’ll be sixty this year, but he still spends his time being the playboy.”
