by Jill Sanders
“Hey.” Laura gripped Amy’s hand. “Don’t rush these things. But adoption is a wonderful choice. I know what it was like growing up around Simon. How he dreamed of finding a wonderful family of his own. Any child would be lucky to have you two as parents. If it’s meant to be… It will happen.”
“Thanks.” Amy wiped her face and sobered. “It doesn’t excuse Simon for abandoning you.”
Laura could tell that Amy had cleared her mind and was once again focused on Laura’s pain instead of her own.
“Did he break your heart?” Amy asked after they were seated in a tall booth in the restaurant.
“Yes,” she answered truthfully. “I haven’t trusted a man since,” she admitted.
Amy’s blonde eyebrows shot up. Laura could tell why her brother had fallen for the pretty blonde. The woman was not only beautiful outside, but inside as well. She was kind and very easy to talk to.
Laura could vaguely remember Amy from when they’d lived in Golden, before they’d moved away after their parents’ divorce. Amy and Logan had gone to school with one another. To hear Amy’s stories, her brother used to torment her all the time. To hear Logan’s side, he’d known back then that he’d love Amy.
As they ate lunch, she told Amy everything that had happened between her and Simon. How they had turned from best friends to lovers one night after a friend’s party. How they had been practically inseparable all throughout high school. They’d been the couple most likely to marry and still be together at all the school reunions.
“When Simon took off, and I was left to walk graduation all by myself, it devastated me,” she said over her last bite of tacos. “I remember thinking that he’d just… return. That he’d show up for graduation and surprise me and things would go back to how they were.” She closed her eyes as her heart filled with the memory of the pain she’d suffered. Still suffered. “Each day he didn’t return pained me more than the one before. I turned to my career and school.”
“I’m sorry.” Amy shook her head. “I can’t even imagine. I know that when your family moved away from Golden… I was so thankful when Logan came back into my life.” Amy suddenly stopped and her smile grew.
“What?” Laura asked, concerned for her sister-in-law.
Then Amy started laughing. “I have a wonderfully sinful idea about how to pay Simon back.”
Laura thought about getting the man back for all the pain he’d given her over the years and leaned forward. “I’m all ears.”
Chapter 4
Lunch with Logan Miller would have intimidated Simon years ago. He had, after all, always looked up to the man.
Now, however, sitting across from Logan was like sitting across the table from an old friend. Actually, Logan had, for the entire time Simon had been dating Laura, been like an older brother to Simon.
Considering Simon had never really known what a family could be like, his young mind had melded into the Millers as if they were his own. Looking back, he figured it was one of the reasons he’d never been adopted. He already had a family. One that he’d turned his back on the moment he’d gotten into trouble. Of course, back then it had been his only choice.
Now, he waited for their drinks to be delivered to answer Simon’s question about what he’d been doing with himself over the last five years.
The question should have been, what hadn’t he done?
At first, he’d run. Hid. Plotted a way back to Laura. Then, when it was made apparent that, if he returned, he would endanger the woman he loved, the family he’d adopted as his own, he’d taken off and traveled.
Using the small amount that he’d saved up for a wedding ring for Laura—he’d planned to ask her to marry him on graduation night—he’d moved around England instead. When he’d run out of money, he’d gotten a delivery job. When he moved on from England and hit the road once more, he’d gotten a different job. He stayed on the run because he knew that if he stopped, he would want to come back to the one place he couldn’t afford to. He’d come back to the family he’d always wanted.
As days continued to flow into months and years, the jobs got better, and his bank account grew. He never really settled down to one field of work, but three years ago, he suddenly found himself in Chicago purchasing a small defunct strip mall. He turned the place around and purchased two properties along the South Carolina coast that had been damaged by a hurricane the year before. After turning those properties around, he made his first million.
The following year was a blur of purchasing properties and flipping them into profits. He hadn’t known he’d have such a knack for it, but one day, he realized that he finally had enough power to overcome the obstacles that had kept him from happiness.
So, he’d turned his eyes back to Colorado and started his way back to Laura.
He’d never really lost track of her. Even during all his travels, he knew exactly where she was. What she was doing.
He’d come up with the idea for ReNewed Foster Care Facility back when he’d been shuffled from one foster home to another. The first thing he’d done was search for a property that would fit his needs.
Knowing that Laura was living and working in Golden had narrowed his choices down to the area. After discovering the quaintness of the small foothill town, he’d been thankful when he’d found the old red brick building. He’d had his employee call RMR to broker the deal in hopes of running into her back then.
In the past eight months, while construction was in full swing on the building, he’d traveled around the States and had tied up all his loose ends. He’d sold off the remaining properties so he could focus on his new projects closer to home.
He’d even purchased a home in the foothills, not far from Golden, sight unseen. When Kristen had backed out of working on the interior of the building because of her new baby, he’d gently suggested working with RMR since he knew the two companies worked close together. Actually, the close relationship was why he’d chosen Urban Development in the first place.
He’d read an article a few years back on how the two companies had worked on a large project together. He’d also known about Kristen and Amy’s friendship, as he’d seen them together in wedding pictures that had been posted on the social media pages for the companies.
“So?” Logan asked again. “Five years… You must have thought to come back around long before this?”
“More times than I want to admit,” he replied.
“What kept you away?” Logan asked, leaning forward. “Why’d you leave in the first place?”
“That’s not as easy of a question to answer as to why I’m back.”
“We’ve got an hour. I’m all ears,” Logan said, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms over his chest.
Looking at the man, Simon knew there no way around giving Logan some answers. He had hoped that Laura would hear his reasoning from him. She deserved hearing it directly from him.
“Do you remember that I grew up in foster care?” he asked.
“Yes,” Logan answered. “It’s one of the reasons I agreed to put Laura on the project full time with you. It’s something we’ve both been passionate about because of growing up around you.”
“A couple weeks before graduation”—Simon took a deep breath— “I turned eighteen and everything changed.”
As he filled Logan in on his desperate and crazy past, the man sat silently listening. Simon could see the anger and the pain flood his eyes. How he’d tracked down his real parents and opened a portal to the hell he’d ended up running from.
“What do you need from us?” Logan asked when he was done with his story.
Simon hated concerning the man, or anyone else around the business, but he figured that someone needed a heads-up that there might be a crazed madman lurking around the corners and sending goons after him.
“I think things are under control. Finally.” He sighed. “Which answers your other question of why I’m back now.”
“Yeah, so, you think it’s rea
lly safe?” Logan asked.
“For now.” He nodded and felt the weight that had held him down for years lift slightly.
“Okay.” Logan shook his head. “Laura would have understood. We all would have. You may not have known this, but when you left, you not only broke her, you broke our family. We all pretty much looked at you as ours. Even our mother was heartbroken.”
Simon felt his chest tighten and reached up to rub the spot as he swallowed. “Yeah, leaving was the only way I could ensure everyone’s safety.”
At this point, they had both already finished their burgers and fries.
Logan was quiet for a while more and then shook his head. “We’d better head back.”
“Until I have time to talk to your sister and tell her everything I just told you, I’d appreciate keeping this between us,” he said as they walked out through the snow to Logan’s truck.
“Sure, it’s your story to tell, not mine.” Logan shook his hand. “I’m sure glad you came back, and I’m excited for my sister to work on the project with you, but…” Logan pulled Simon closer and narrowed his eyes slightly. “If you break her heart like you did last time”—his hand tightened on Simon’s— “I won’t be so forgiving.”
Simon smiled. “I always looked up to you like a big brother. I wouldn’t expect anything less than a threat like that. Actually, I’ve been waiting for it since the moment I first contacted you about working together.”
Logan laughed and released his grip. “Now that the unpleasantries are over, we’d better get back so you can get to work. I hear you’re trying to get this done before Christmas?” he asked after they climbed in the truck.
“Yeah, it would answer a lot of Christmas wishes. Some of the old facilities are not up to quality standards. It’s the best present I can think to give the kids.” He shrugged. “Besides families of their own.”
“Damn.” Logan sighed. “If my sister doesn’t fall for you all over again, I’ll adopt you myself,” he joked, causing Simon to smile.
When Simon walked back into Laura’s office, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her. Her hair was slightly damp from the fresh snow falling outside. She still had her jacket on and was busy reading something on her computer.
When she sensed him, she turned her chair around slowly and glared at him. “You neglected to mention that you’re the owner of ReVision Development.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t keep it from you on purpose.”
“Didn’t you?” She crossed her arms slowly over her chest.
He removed his coat and took his time shaking the snow from it and hanging it up on the hook by the door.
“What else have you kept from me?” she asked.
He smiled. “I’ve only been here for three hours,” he reminded her as he sat down. “Besides, you made it very clear this was a business relationship.” He waited and watched as she debated and struggled with having her own words thrown back at her.
“Fine.” She turned back around.
“I was thinking of heading to the job site. It would be good for you to come see everything for yourself. You know, get a vision of what I’m thinking.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Fine,” she said and turned back around.
“I’ll give you some time to look over the plans first.” He motioned to the monitor where she had pulled up Urban Development’s diagrams of the facility. “We can head out in about an hour?”
“Sure,” she said over her shoulder at him.
“If you have any questions…” He moved to stand behind her again.
“Hm,” she answered as she scanned the plans.
“Did you have a nice lunch?” he asked, deciding the change of subject would throw her off or at least shake her up slightly.
She glanced up at him and shrugged. “It was fine. How about yours?” Her eyes scanned his, and he knew instantly that she was looking to see if her brother had scolded him.
“Good. Your brother and I had plenty of time to catch up. Something I had hoped you and I could do. Say, after we head over to look at the facility?”
She turned back towards him. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?” He smiled down at her. “Afraid?” He knew that she had always risen to a challenge. There had been only a few times he hadn’t been able to get her to agree to something without challenging her first.
Once again, he watched her struggle to come to a final decision.
“Show me your facility first, then we’ll talk.” She turned back to the computer and continued to scan the plans.
It was the most he could hope for. A chance. He knew he didn’t deserve a second chance with her, but finally, this was his chance at happiness. His chance to win her back. To show her exactly what she meant to him.
Chapter 5
There were so many things that Laura wanted to say to Simon. She needed him to know the pain he’d put her through. All the years she’d wasted waiting for him to return. And now he waltzed back into her life and expected to pick things up as if he’d never left.
Over lunch, she and Amy had come up with a plan to pay him back. Not that she was totally behind it, but she had remembered hearing Amy talk about how she’d paid Logan back for all the hell he’d put her through as a child. The fact that they had ended up together made her realize even more how perfect they were together.
Part of her wanted to pay Simon back, while the other part wanted to ignore him and hope that he’d go away again. Just being in the same room with him stung.
“Ready?” Simon said, breaking into her thoughts.
Since she’d been daydreaming for the past half hour, she figured it was no use stalling.
“Sure.” She locked her computer and pulled her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk. When she glanced around for her coat, she realized she was still wearing it. Every time she returned from lunch, she was always chilled. She’d debated getting a small space heater for the room but hadn’t had a chance to buy one yet.
Pulling on her gloves, she followed him outside and stopped in front of a new black Porsche SUV.
“It appears you’ve done well for yourself over the past five years,” she said sarcastically as he opened the door for her.
Instead of answering, he shut her in the car and walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.
“It’s a lease,” he said finally.
“Not even able to commit to a car?” she teased.
“I would expect that the fact that I’m starting a long-term facility for wayward children is proof enough that I’m back to stay.” He pulled out of the parking lot.
“Businesses can be run from anywhere. But you know that. I hear that ReVision was born in Chicago. Tired of the windy city?”
He smiled and glanced over at her. “You can say there was little there to hold my interest for long.”
He was deliberately being charming, and it was driving her a little crazy. They had never really kept secrets from one another, but now, it was as if she didn’t know who he was. Not really. Not anymore.
She couldn’t lose sight of exactly whose fault that was.
“So then, you’re back to stay?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Yes. I’ve purchased a home in the hills.” He motioned to the hills surrounding Golden.
Her eyebrows arched up. “So, you’re at least able to commit to a home…” She smiled. “Don’t let your car hear that. It might get jealous.”
He chuckled and she realized just how much she’d missed the sound of his laughter. It too was intoxicating, almost as much as his deep blue eyes.
She had barely been paying attention to where they were going since she knew the old Coors building that he’d purchased. She’d driven by the massive thing for years when she’d returned to town to visit their old home. However, since it was on the other side of town, she hadn’t driven past it in the past few months.
Now, as they approached it, she reali
zed that so much of the building had changed. The outside was almost completely renovated. How had no one in town been talking about this?
Surely, someone in the small town would have mentioned it before now. Then again, she’d been so busy with work that she hadn’t really had a lot of time to come up for air.
“They’re almost done.” She motioned towards the building.
“Yeah, they’ll finish the grounds next spring. It’s hard to plant grass when there’s a few feet of snow.” He parked next to a few construction vehicles. “We’ll head in the front doors. I’ll tell the foreman we’re here.” He reached behind him and pulled out two hard hats. “Safety first,” he joked.
“Right.” She took the hat and climbed out of the SUV and followed him to the front of the building. Already, she could see the amazing work that had been done to transform the old storage facility into a friendlier, warmer home for children and teens.
“Tell me what your vision is,” she asked as they pulled on their hard hats.
As they stepped inside, he started talking about a warm reception area with large family meet-and-greet areas just up the wide staircase on the second floor. As they passed the foreman, Simon mentioned that they would be walking through the facility and answered a few questions the man had about several issues that had come up.
They continued the tour down a long hallway, where he showed her where the library and cafeteria would be. They walked by a massive gymnasium. “There are boys’ and girls’ showers in the back.” He motioned. “There’s even a bowling alley and an indoor swimming pool.”
“What can I do around here?” she asked.
“For these common areas we’re wanting warmth and comfort but sturdy furniture.” They made their way towards a large arched staircase.
“This is amazing.” She ran her fingers over the new wood banister.
“We had to turn the massive, gutted building into three floors of space. The main floor is for common areas. The second floor is learning and family meeting areas, and the third-floor houses all the bedrooms and private areas,” he told her as they stepped onto the second-floor landing. “This floor will be more of the same as far as decorating goes. Upstairs is where I’ll want to personalize things a little more.” He motioned towards the next set of stairs. She followed him up. At the top of the stairs, there was a small area that led off to two separate hallways. “Just like Harry Potter, the boys’ dorms are to the left, the girls’ dorms are to the right.” He smiled.