Page 145

“Ah,” Dad said, not even allowing her to answer. “Listen, honey, I’ve got another client calling. I really need to take this.”

She barely heard his words, her heart numb. “Sunday,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t have time to go home first?”

Home. Home wasn’t in New York. It certainly wasn’t with her parents. In truth, she would be leaving the only place she’d ever really felt like she was home. She would be leaving the only person she’d ever felt at home with.

“No,” Dad replied. “the deal is for you to arrive in Chicago by Sunday.”

She nodded in silence.

“Winnie?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I tell them to expect you on Sunday?”

Sunday. That meant she had to leave tomorrow morning.

Leave? So that was it? She was just giving in?

A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she didn’t bother to wipe it away. What was the point? She would just shed more anyway. That much was inevitable with her leaving Foxwood.

She didn’t have any other choice. She’d stood up to Dad once before, and he’d sold Goldilocks to retaliate. She’d only tried to tell him now that she wanted to stay at Foxwood, and what had he done? Manipulated her until she’d agreed to leave.

She knew his actions were controlling. She knew they were wrong. But he needed her help. Maybe if she did this one thing for him, he would be satisfied. Grateful. Maybe even proud. Then she could create some distance between them, live out her life the way she wanted to.

“Winnie,” Dad said, his tone strained. “I need an answer now.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “I’ll be there on Sunday.”

“Ah, that’s my Winnie,” Dad responded in a distracted tone. “I’ll let them know. Thanks a bunch, honey. Your mom and I have to fly out to Florida tomorrow, but we’ll stop by Chicago on our way back to Utah next weekend when we’re done. That way we can catch up and see all your progress.”

Winnie didn’t bother saying anything back. He was done listening.

“Anyway,” he continued. “Got to run. Love you, honey. See you soon. Bye.”

Slowly, Winnie lowered the phone, staring out the window at the landscape of Foxwood that she’d grown so accustomed to. The green fields. The wild, tangled trees. The flags from the festival.

How could things change so suddenly? A few minutes ago, she was planning a future at Foxwood. And now? Now she was replacing those dreams with images of a life in Chicago, tethered to Kris & Sons. Tethered to consultant work for companies she didn’t care about. Tethered to Dad with no hope of escape.

No hope and no joy, that’s what awaited her outside of England.

That’s what awaited her without Matthew in her future.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Matthew pulled back another arrow on his bow, lined up his shot, and released. The arrow whistled in the air for a split second, then thwapped straight into the bullseye of the target.

He smiled with satisfaction at his three arrows centered on the board nestled in a crook of trees seventy feet away. He was having the round of his life, and he knew who to thank for it.

Winnie’s gray eyes appeared in his mind, and he smiled. She should be here any minute, then the two of them could finally chat.

But chat about what? Oh, he didn’t care, really. So long as it involved them speaking about her future at Foxwood, him sharing his true feelings for her, and his desire to have their relationship finally out in the open.

All this sneaking around was amazing, but honestly, it was getting a little old when all he wanted to do was hold her close, stare into her eyes, and kiss her until they were both senseless. That was precisely what he had planned for that evening, and he couldn’t wait for it.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to for long, as Winnie’s footsteps sounded behind him only a few minutes later.

He shot another arrow, this one hitting just outside the center before he turned to face her.