“Yet Ellie is thriving,” Olivia pointed out, angry on Connor’s behalf. “Clearly he grew up fast.”
“I suppose he had to. But we worry.” Sarah looked around the room. “I mean, look at where poor Ellie is living. No maternal influence, just a horribly disorganized father who works in a small bistro that is never going to pay him enough for him to afford a decent mortgage. We’re hoping he’ll find himself a lovely woman who can make up for his shortcomings.”
They hadn’t been quizzing her to see if she was suitable to settle down with their son. They’d been trying to persuadeherto settle down withhim. For the sake of their granddaughter.
“I hope he finds someone he loves and who loves his daughter.” She fought to control her temper but knew her voice was too sharp for a cozy chat with her boyfriend’s parents. “As for his shortcomings, we all have our faults but the fact Ellie is such a balanced, happy young girl is surely proof that Connor is doing everything right as far as she is concerned. You must be very proud of him.”
Figuring if she said anything more, it would be along the lines ofWhy the hell have you made him think he’s not good enough, she stood up. “I’ll go and help Connor with those drinks.”
She turned and walked toward the kitchen, only to find Connor, tray in his hand, stunned expression on his face, blocking her path.
“Not a word,” she muttered under her breath, grabbing at the mug of coffee she knew he’d made her because Connor noticed details like that. He knew she never drank tea. He knew she’d be taken aback by the inquisition, hence his messages to her. “I’m going outside to check on the treasure hunt before I end up strangling one or both of your parents.”
Connor watched as Olivia walked past his parents to the French doors and slipped outside. A trim figure in slim black trousers and a simple beige sweater. Simple but, from the soft feel of it, cashmere. Not the outfit of choice for most women at a kids’ party. And yet she’d fit into the day so easily. This morning she’d helped blow up balloons, set up the treasure hunt, and even sorted out the computer link so Ellie could talk to Amy after she’d finally answered his dozen messages and confirmed she was around for a video call.
“That one’s a keeper,” his father remarked as he took the tray from Connor.
“I know.”
But it was impossible to keep someone who didn’t want to be kept, and he didn’t know where her heart or her head were at. She didn’t want a family, yet it was clear from her trip to the indoor playground, the way she fought him to give Ellie her riding lessons, and her excitement around this party that she adored his daughter. Olivia didn’t want anything to interfere with her career, yet despite knowing that dating him had put her promotion dream in jeopardy, she hadn’t ditched him. He could only hope that as she spent more time with them, she’d realize what he already knew: She could have her careerandbe part of a family.Hisfamily.
He ducked into the hall to grab their coats, then stepped outside and found Olivia leaning against the side of the house, coffee mug in hand, watching the girls.
Wordlessly he handed her coat, which she accepted with a smile that looked... sweet? Sad? He wasn’t sure. She put the empty mug on the ground, shrugged the coat on, and stepped into him.
He wrapped an arm around her. “Thanks. For earlier. What you said to my parents.”
“You don’t need to thank me for saying what should be blindingly obvious to them.”
He smiled. “I like having you on my side, but they’re not all bad. I did some stupid stuff when I was young.”
“And you’ve beaten yourself up over it ever since.” She looked up at him. “Ellie is greatbecauseof you, not in spite of you.”
Emotion balled in his throat and for a long moment he couldn’t reply; everything felt too tight—his chest, his lungs, his windpipe. “What did they talk about,” he said eventually, “that sent you rushing to my defense?”
Her breath came out in slow exhale and she shifted closer—with anyone else, he’d call it snuggling. “They told me you needed a woman who could make up for what they saw as your shortcomings.”
He kept his eyes on Ellie, watched as she laughed with her friends as they continued to chase the clues. “Which are?”
“Disorganization and lack of a decent career that would enable you to get a big house.”
He concentrated on his daughter and on keeping his breathing slow and even. “Not being irresponsible?”
“Oh, we covered that earlier.”
Silence stretched, and it slowly began to sink in. “So they were sounding you out, hoping you’d see how much Ellie needed a mother. Preferably someone a lot better at parenting than me. And who earned a lot more money.”
“Pretty much, yes.”
Anger punched through him, along with a hefty dose of humiliation.
Olivia’s fingers smoothed his cheek. “They’re blinkered, Connor. They can’t see past the boy you were to the man you’ve become.”
“Yeah, but they’re not wrong about Ellie needing more than me.”
“They are. She’s perfectly content with her life.”
“Now, maybe, but as she gets older?” He sighed. Words tumbled out of him as he admitted the thoughts that kept him up at night: “How can I help her as she makes the transition from girl to woman?”
