expected it to grow. She
eventually grew, thanks to her own initiative. After the divorce she truly blossomed. But his inattention, his need to conquer the world and expect his family
to be just fine, nearly choked the life out of her. Now she was blaming herself for hooking up
with Ed. He couldn’t allow that.
When he felt her emotions were
easing, he pulled back from her. He
looked directly in her big, beautiful eyes. His friends said Grace was weak. His friends said Grace was dull. His friends said Grace didn’t live up to the standard of international
beauty that his other women easily lived up to. But Tommy knew those friends, well-meaning though they might be, were
wrong. In Tommy’s eyes Grace didn’t live
up to the standard, she surpassed it.
“It’s been a rough few days for both
of us, Grace,” he said. “I just left
contentious meetings in Vienna, and you just had to file for divorce from
Ed. Not to mention all the conniving
he’s been up to. It’s been rough. But the one thing we cannot do, and will not
do, is look back and blame. We have a
child to raise, companies to run, and lives to live. And don’t you worry about Ed. I’ll take care of that bastard.”
Grace knew exactly what he
meant. She’d never seen Tommy so
determined. Nor as concerned for her.
“In the meantime,” he said, “you and
Destiny will stay with me until my people track him down.”
Now Grace was concerned. “You don’t think he would harm Destiny, do
you?”
Tommy’s expression moved to a graver
look. “I pray not,” he said. “But it’s not a chance we can take.”
Grace nodded immediately. She understood that.
“I’m going to go downstairs and have
lunch with Destiny,” he said. “You
finish your work up here. And then,” he
said, rubbing her arms before letting her go, “we’re going home.”
Grace nodded her approval and Tommy
left.
She felt a chill as soon as he walked
away from her. But she felt enormous
warmth too. She wasn’t going to get her
hopes up. She didn’t feel she could ever
deserve a second chance with a man like him. Besides, she knew Liz was a shrewd woman. She was going to try to get Tommy back. And with her attributes, she might
succeed. But Grace wasn’t thinking about
that right now. She couldn’t afford to
think that way. Tommy wanted her and
Destiny with him. That was all she was
going to think about right now. That was
all that mattered right now.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was the strangest feeling in the
world for Grace when she walked into that home again. Tommy gave it to her, so that Destiny
wouldn’t be uprooted from her home when she married Ed, but Ed couldn’t stay
there. Too much of Tommy was in the air,
he said. So they moved to the
suburbs. But Grace remembered the home
as that welcoming place she lived in with Tommy and their baby. It had been the only true home she’d ever had
in all of her adulthood. But that was
before the divorce. Today was her first
day back in years.
Tommy was carrying Destiny when the
threesome walked through the door, and the uniqueness of Grace’s presence in
his home wasn’t lost on him either. He
sat Destiny down, but he kept his eyes on Grace. It was sad to him that she felt like a
stranger in her own home. And it was
still her home. When they first married,
he put her name on the deed. After the
divorce, her name remained on the deed. But she was as awkward as a fish out of water.
“Mommy’s in here,” Destiny said,
realizing the oddity too.
Grace smiled and took her daughter’s
hand. Destiny was a baby when she and
Tommy divorced. “It’s been a long time
since Mommy has been in this house. You’re right,” she said to her daughter.
“I’m in this house all the time,”
Destiny said.
Grace smiled. “That’s
eventually grew, thanks to her own initiative. After the divorce she truly blossomed. But his inattention, his need to conquer the world and expect his family
to be just fine, nearly choked the life out of her. Now she was blaming herself for hooking up
with Ed. He couldn’t allow that.
When he felt her emotions were
easing, he pulled back from her. He
looked directly in her big, beautiful eyes. His friends said Grace was weak. His friends said Grace was dull. His friends said Grace didn’t live up to the standard of international
beauty that his other women easily lived up to. But Tommy knew those friends, well-meaning though they might be, were
wrong. In Tommy’s eyes Grace didn’t live
up to the standard, she surpassed it.
“It’s been a rough few days for both
of us, Grace,” he said. “I just left
contentious meetings in Vienna, and you just had to file for divorce from
Ed. Not to mention all the conniving
he’s been up to. It’s been rough. But the one thing we cannot do, and will not
do, is look back and blame. We have a
child to raise, companies to run, and lives to live. And don’t you worry about Ed. I’ll take care of that bastard.”
Grace knew exactly what he
meant. She’d never seen Tommy so
determined. Nor as concerned for her.
“In the meantime,” he said, “you and
Destiny will stay with me until my people track him down.”
Now Grace was concerned. “You don’t think he would harm Destiny, do
you?”
Tommy’s expression moved to a graver
look. “I pray not,” he said. “But it’s not a chance we can take.”
Grace nodded immediately. She understood that.
“I’m going to go downstairs and have
lunch with Destiny,” he said. “You
finish your work up here. And then,” he
said, rubbing her arms before letting her go, “we’re going home.”
Grace nodded her approval and Tommy
left.
She felt a chill as soon as he walked
away from her. But she felt enormous
warmth too. She wasn’t going to get her
hopes up. She didn’t feel she could ever
deserve a second chance with a man like him. Besides, she knew Liz was a shrewd woman. She was going to try to get Tommy back. And with her attributes, she might
succeed. But Grace wasn’t thinking about
that right now. She couldn’t afford to
think that way. Tommy wanted her and
Destiny with him. That was all she was
going to think about right now. That was
all that mattered right now.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was the strangest feeling in the
world for Grace when she walked into that home again. Tommy gave it to her, so that Destiny
wouldn’t be uprooted from her home when she married Ed, but Ed couldn’t stay
there. Too much of Tommy was in the air,
he said. So they moved to the
suburbs. But Grace remembered the home
as that welcoming place she lived in with Tommy and their baby. It had been the only true home she’d ever had
in all of her adulthood. But that was
before the divorce. Today was her first
day back in years.
Tommy was carrying Destiny when the
threesome walked through the door, and the uniqueness of Grace’s presence in
his home wasn’t lost on him either. He
sat Destiny down, but he kept his eyes on Grace. It was sad to him that she felt like a
stranger in her own home. And it was
still her home. When they first married,
he put her name on the deed. After the
divorce, her name remained on the deed. But she was as awkward as a fish out of water.
“Mommy’s in here,” Destiny said,
realizing the oddity too.
Grace smiled and took her daughter’s
hand. Destiny was a baby when she and
Tommy divorced. “It’s been a long time
since Mommy has been in this house. You’re right,” she said to her daughter.
“I’m in this house all the time,”
Destiny said.
Grace smiled. “That’s
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