Her gaze met his, but it was like a wall had gone up between them because he was no longer able to read her thoughts. “What are you sorry about? That I overheard part of your conversation? Or sorry that I found out you’d already made up your mind to tear down the building?”
His eyes pleaded with her. “I’m sorry about all of it. But you know that our agreement lasts until Christmas Eve, right?”
She shook her head. “It ended last night. I’m not going to let you make a fool of me, especially not with her.”
“If you mean your stepmother, I... I was just trying to get her to move right away—to make things easier for you.”
Alina’s bloodshot gaze met his. “Nothing can make this easy.”
“Listen, if you’d hear me out, you’d understand that the building is beyond saving. It failed too many inspections and needs too many repairs.”
“What I hear is you making excuses to push through your plan to build your tower here.” Alina got to her feet. “I don’t think we have anything else to discuss. You need to go. I have your things packed. They’re downstairs.”
He got to his feet, too. “Alina, don’t do this to us.”
“Why?”
His mouth opened but wordlessly it closed again. Silence filled the air as his eyes begged her to forgive him. “Is this really what you want?”
She nodded. “I can’t be with someone that isn’t honest with me.”
“But I didn’t lie to you.”
“It feels that way. You said you’d wait until Christmas Eve and yet it’s days before it. And then to overhear you tell my stepmother, of all people, that your mind is made up about my home, about the home of people that considered you their friend, people that went out of their way to make sure you had the best Christmas party.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “Go.”
Her words were like rocks being thrown at his heart. He hadn’t stopped in that moment with her stepmother to realize the mistake he was making. He’d merely acted rashly to solve a problem—the way he did things in the office—figure out a solution and then act accordingly. Only this wasn’t exactly an office problem, it was something much more important.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he said, “if you’ll let me.”
“Does that mean I get to keep my home—the homes of my friends?”
He couldn’t make that promise because he was already obligated to his board and so many other people. And he had a feeling even if he said she could have the building that things wouldn’t go back to the way they used to be between them.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He’d never been sorrier in his life.
He moved out the door with a heavy heart. All the while, he felt as though there were still things left unsaid. But when he paused and turned back, the door swung shut with a resounding thud. She obviously didn’t feel the same way.
On the elevator ride downstairs, he told himself it was all for the best. He knew that marriage and business didn’t mix. He’d witnessed enough arguments between his parents.
They might have remained married but he wasn’t sure it was for the best. Neither of them seemed happy. And he didn’t want to make Alina as miserable as his mother had been. Alina would be better off without him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
IT WAS OVER.
It was all over.
And Alina had never been more miserable in her life. She was about to lose her home and she had no idea where to move. And with this being Christmas week, there were no real estate agents to help her.
Graham said his company had already contacted some people and would be forwarding information about available units by the new year. But she didn’t want to wait that long. If she had to move, she just wanted to get it over with—the sooner, the better.
She was never one to just sit around and wait for things to happen, she liked to take the lead, but for the moment, she had to work. Even though some people were able to take off for the holiday, she was previously scheduled to work up to and including Christmas Eve.
It was the day before Christmas Eve that Alina stopped by Merryweather’s apartment. She’d realized that she’d forgotten to give him the shawl that went with the beautiful gown she’d worn to the Snow Ball.
“I’m really sorry for not returning this sooner,” she said as she handed it over. “I... I don’t have a good excuse. I forgot.” The truth was she’d been so upset with Graham and the fact she’d let herself fall for him that she hadn’t thought of much else.
“It’s all right, my dear.” Merryweather studied her. “You haven’t been sleeping well, have you?”
Was it that obvious? She’d have to start using more makeup to hide the shadows beneath her eyes. She didn’t want anyone else questioning the reason behind her restless nights.
“I’m okay.” Liar. Liar.
“I’ve noticed that Graham hasn’t been around since the party.”
She swallowed hard. This was why she’d been avoiding people, but she’d have to explain to them sooner or later. “Our arrangement is over.” The breath hitched in her throat as she prepared to tell her friend the worst of it. “And...and Graham has decided to go ahead with the demolition of this building.”
For a moment Merryweather didn’t say a word. His face didn’t give away his thoughts, but she knew he had to be as devastated as she felt. After all, this was his home, too. She wasn’t quite sure how long he’d lived here, but he’d been here her entire life and then some.
“I’m sorry.” She felt like she’d let down everyone in the building—the people she cared about, the people she thought of as family.
“Are you sure about this? He seemed like he really liked it around here.”
“I’m sure. I overheard him talking to my stepmother at the ball.”
Merryweather’s bushy white brows rose. “I’m surprised he’d bother with her.”
“I am, too.”
“And that’s when you heard he was going ahead with his plans to put the new tower here?” Merryweather didn’t seem to want to believe what she was telling him and she couldn’t blame him. It was a lot to take in.
“Yes.” Her gaze lowered to her laced fingers. “I just thought...” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
“You thought what? That he’d changed his mind? You thought you’d opened his eyes to just how special this place was with such friendly and caring people?”
She lifted her gaze to meet his. “That’s it exactly. And then to find out that he confided his plans to my stepmother, of all people.”
“You thought he should have talked to you first?”
She nodded. “Don’t you think so? I mean, we did have an agreement.”
“But did he promise you that he would speak to you first?”
“No. I just assumed that since it was our deal, I’d be the first to know.”
“And did he say why he told her first? Was it possible he’d uttered the words in the heat of the moment?”
She thought back over the tumultuous confrontation at her apartment. She’d been so hurt—so devastated—that she hadn’t given him much time to explain himself.
Her stepmother knew exactly how to press people’s buttons. Was that the reason Graham had said something to her? Had he found out that her stepmother and stepsisters connived to make her miss the ball? Would he have cared enough to come to her defense?
The possibilities raced through her mind. Had she not given Graham enough credit? Had she just jumped to the conclusion that he would let her down like the other people in her life had done? Had she judged Graham too quickly?
She gave herself a mental shake, trying to clear her head. “I don’t know what to think.”
“You won’t know until you ask. But I did happen by Dorian’s place this morning on my way to Joe’s apartment to drop off a book he’d asked to read and im
agine my surprise when I saw her door open and the apartment empty of furniture. No nothing.”
“They’ve moved out already? Even with the bonus for an early move out, we don’t have to be out of here until after the beginning of the year.”
“I don’t know but something sure got them moving fast.” There was a twinkle in his eyes as though he knew something he just wasn’t saying. “You might want to give Graham another chance. There might be more going on here than either of us knows.” His gaze moved to the plate of sugar cookies she’d placed on the end table. “Would those happen to be for me?”
She glanced over at the plate. She’d totally forgotten that she’d brought them for him. “Yes, they are. But they won’t be as good as the ones Graham brought you.”
“Don’t be so sure. Things baked with love always taste the best.”
Tears stung her eyes. She blinked repeatedly. “You always know just what to say.”
“Now stop wasting time here. Go find Graham and this time listen with your heart.”
She pondered his words as she walked to the door. She honestly didn’t know what she was going to do where Graham was concerned. She hesitated to go see him, as much as her heart urged her to do so. She still didn’t know if she could love a man who destroyed her home and took away her family.
She hadn’t said anything to Merryweather because she hadn’t wanted to upset him, but she was convinced that this would be their last Christmas together.
* * *
Nothing had gone according to plan.
Not one single thing. And Graham had no one to blame but himself.
Before Alina had entered his life, he was driven by one thing—success. He’d told himself the most important thing was proving himself to the board, but deep inside he knew he had to prove to himself that he was capable of stepping into his father’s shoes.
He’d been in awe of the man growing up. After all, his father was regularly in the paper for making one successful deal after the next. And he’d been named Man of the Year by one of the most renowned financial publications. His father was certainly well-recognized and well-respected in the business world. To live up to his memory was a daunting task.
And then to learn that his father’s successful career was in part a charade. In later years, the company had been in trouble, had been playing a shell game, trying to hide its deficiencies.
There was nothing harder than stepping into a new job and finding nothing was as it seemed. And just when he’d been about to turn it all around, Alina stepped into his life. She was all spunk and determination. And she was the roadblock to his success. But at the time, he hadn’t realized she was exactly what he needed to open his eyes to the fact that there was more to life than business and success. A happy life isn’t about the big things that happen now and again, but rather it’s about the little things you do on a daily basis that bring a smile to someone’s face.
She’d also showed him how much family meant. Alina clung to her apartment because it was the last tangible link she had to her parents. And she was willing to do whatever it took to hang on to it.
And yet here he was standing on his pride, unwilling to admit that his mother might have made some good points about making room in his life for both business and family. She’d been so sure he’d end up like his father and he’d gone right ahead and proved her right.
But it wasn’t too late to change. If he wanted to be the man Alina deserved, he needed to do more than talk the talk, he needed to walk the walk.
He grabbed his phone. Before he could talk himself out of it, he dialed an old but familiar number.
The phone rang once. Twice.
“Graham, is that you?”
“Yes, Mom. It’s me.”
It wasn’t until then that he realized how much he missed hearing his mother voice. And he was surprised to find that she didn’t sound mad at him. She didn’t bring up their last argument or throw his words back in his face. She was just genuinely happy to speak to him.
He couldn’t believe he’d put this conversation off for so long. “Mom, I’m sorry it’s been so long since we talked.”
“I’m sorry, too. I should have tried harder to understand how important the business is to you.”
“Are you saying that you now understand?”
There was a pause. “I didn’t want to, not at first. Your father always told me when he retired he’d make more time for us—that we’d travel the world. And then we lost him—and his promises died with him. I was so angry that I blamed the business. And because I loved you, I didn’t want to lose you to the business, either. But I pushed so hard that it’s exactly what I did.”
“I should have been more understanding. I’m sorry. I was so caught up in proving to myself that I was good enough to fill Dad’s shoes that I didn’t realize what you were going through.”
“And now?”
“Now, I have the biggest dilemma of my life.”
And so he told her about Toliver Tower—tying the past to the future. It was meant to be Graham’s mark upon the company, pulling him out from behind his father’s shadow. And then he mentioned how it was destroying his relationship with the woman he loved.
Yes, he loved Alina. The problem was he’d figured that important bit out a little too late.
“If you love this woman as much as you say you do, you’ll find a way to work things out,” his mother said.
It wasn’t the solution he’d been hoping for. In fact, it wasn’t a solution at all. It left him in the same position he’d been in at the start of this conversation.
“I’ve been trying to find a compromise to make everyone happy, but I don’t think there is one.” He’d barely slept for days, trying to find a way to fix things with Alina. “No matter what I decide, people are going to be disappointed and angry.”
“Then it sounds to me like you might as well follow your heart.”
Or follow Alina’s heart. If she were to know all of the details of the Stirling’s physical condition and the projected plans for the new building, would she make the same decision?
He wasn’t sure, but a plan was starting to form. “Thank you, Mother. You’ve been a huge help.”
“Can we get together over the holidays?” she asked with a hopeful tone in her voice.
“I’d like that.” He thought of Alina and hoped she’d be a part of it, too.
“Graham?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for calling. It means the world.”
“I’m just sorry it took this long.”
And he meant it. He’d let his pride get in the way of their relationship. It wouldn’t happen again.
Now, he had a very serious decision to make. Because through it all, he’d learned that he was a better man with Alina in his life. She made him see the bright side of life even on the darkest day and she made him laugh, even at himself. He needed her. He just hoped she needed him, too.
So his big decision really wasn’t such a big decision, after all. It didn’t matter how many times he considered the proposal, he’d choose Alina every time.
And it wasn’t just Alina that he’d grown fond of. It was also the people of the Stirling—well, most of them. Thankfully he’d given Alina’s stepmother and stepsisters a strong enough incentive to move out. Hopefully they’d moved far away.
So how did he make Alina and the Stirling residents happy? By keeping their building standing. But even if he wanted to do that, there were problems. The whole building needed to be replumbed, rewired, new windows...the list went on. It would cost more to fix than to rebuild.
But the more he thought about it, the more he felt certain his plan would work. He rushed to grab his coat on his way to the door. He didn’t care how late it was. He started dialing his employees. He had a plan and he needed their help. This couldn’t wait.
&n
bsp; CHAPTER TWENTY
SHE’D MISSED HIM.
Alina didn’t know that it was possible to miss someone so much, but she felt the loss from her life clear down to the depths of her bones.
Amid her misery, Christmas Eve arrived in a flurry of activity. Everyone was making plans to move out. Moving boxes had been piled in the hallways, waiting to be filled so that Graham’s people could move them to either storage or their new apartment.
Alina hadn’t packed one solitary item. Just the thought of it turned her stomach. Instead she’d taken every single shift available at the café. She’d had to stay busy. It’d been the only way to get through the pain of losing Graham. And that was why she’d agreed to take over someone else’s shift on Christmas Eve.
The café was about to close early when the front door opened. Alina turned to tell whoever it was that they were closed, and her gaze met Graham’s. Her words hovered at the back of her mouth and then dissipated. What was he doing here?
Alina stared deeply into Graham’s eyes, drinking in his very essence. But was it possible to move past everything that had happened? Could she truly love a man who took away her home—the place where her most precious memories lived?
Her heart pounded out its hope. It wanted Graham back at all costs. But her mind said to move cautiously because he’d hurt her once and she didn’t know how she’d live through another heartbreak.
She continued to stare at him as he approached her. She dug deep and found her courage. She swallowed hard. She hoped when she spoke that her voice didn’t give away her nervousness.
“Why are you here?” she asked as they stood in the middle of the Christmas Café. She hadn’t seen him since he’d returned her shawl.
“I had to come. There’s something important you need to see.”
Her eyes widened. “Has something happened? Is it the building?”
“Calm down, Alina.” Graham went to reach out to her—to comfort her—but then he hesitated and lowered his arm back to his side. “It’s nothing like that.”
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