His breath came heavy. “Amy, there would have been no need to worry about money, ever, if only you’d called me.”
She swallowed, feeling herself grow dizzy with nausea. “Audrey had everything she needed.”
“That may be true,” he replied softly, “but it would have been a lot easier on you.”
She felt a growing fear that she was going to vomit, faint, or embarrass herself in some other way. “Patrick,” she pleaded tearfully, “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Please.”
“You don’t look well,” he said without a trace of anger in his voice. “You may have forgotten it already, but you were injured in that accident, too.”
“I know,” she murmured. And she should have shut up then, but she felt it wasn’t possible to debase herself in his eyes any further. “But I need to pay next month’s rent. Believe me, I wouldn’t have left Audrey’s side for a second if I could afford it.”
“Fuck, Amy,” he swore under his breath and turned toward her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why didn’t I tell you?” she repeated. “Do you really think I would ask you for money under the current circumstances?” She sniffled, shivered, and threw him an anxious glance. “I have my pride, too.”
“But you also have a daughter who needs you,” he contended in a surprisingly calm voice. “Forget your pride for her sake. We’ll never mention it again if you do. Promise.”
“That’s not fair, Patrick,” she murmured. “You know Audrey means more to me than anything else in the world.”
He nodded earnestly. “That’s why you should be in the hospital with her. She wants her mommy.”
After a tiny moment of hesitation, she nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
His green eyes searched hers with genuine curiosity. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, before he cleared his throat. “Listen, Amy, we should talk about what we’re going to do once Audrey’s released. It could be as early as next week.”
She sensed what was coming next, and it frightened her terribly. She’d known that, sooner or later, he’d want to talk about their divorce. And the question of where Audrey would grow up. But Amy hadn’t expected this conversation to take place in a taxi.
Before she could say anything however, he sighed heavily. “I’d like for Audrey to come to Connecticut for a while. She could recover in peace, and there are a lot of specialists in New York who could take care of her follow-up care. It would also give me a chance to get to know her better.”
“I … I don’t know,” Amy said, flabbergasted. “She’s only five. Without me, she’d be—”
“I want you to come too, of course,” he interrupted, looking almost vulnerable all of a sudden. “Amy, I just can’t leave her again now. And in Connecticut, she could—”
“Okay,” she interrupted him in turn, nodding. “Okay. We’ll come to Connecticut.”
Chapter 7
It felt like déjà vu.
Amy stood outside the airport in New York, looking at the awaiting limousine with mixed feelings. On the one hand, she felt trepidation about being back in this city and preparing to go back to Connecticut. But, on the other hand, Audrey’s excitement was rather contagious. Everything else paled in the face of seeing her daughter cheerful, smiling, and bright-eyed. Amy could hardly believe that only a month ago, she’d been afraid Audrey might not ever be well again.
In the last few days, the all-encompassing panic that had consumed her since the accident, despite Audrey’s successful operation, had slowly died down. The doctors were greatly satisfied with Audrey’s recovery and had released her with lots of encouragement for her parents.
For Audrey, that meant nothing stood in the way of her trip to Connecticut. But Amy had felt sick with nervousness, even though she kept telling Audrey how much she’d like her daddy’s house and all that. For Audrey, the prospect of seeing her dad’s home and meeting the rest of the family was very exciting, but for her mother, it was more like a nightmare.
She hadn’t left six years ago without reason. Though she’d loved Patrick more than anything in the world, they simply hadn’t fit together. She’d felt terribly out of place in his world, and at some point, she’d started to wonder whether Patrick was comfortable married to a woman his friends and family saw as nothing but a gold digger. Most people didn’t even hide their disdain.
Of course, she’d never told him that she’d found out what people said about her. Or that she’d learned he’d become the laughingstock of his business circles for marrying a woman he hardly knew without even demanding a prenup.
With all the gossip, and the pressure he’d been under at the time, Amy hadn’t held it against him that he was beginning to regret his decision to marry her. She had become a burden, and he’d shown her his regret by working longer and longer hours, giving her less and less of his attention, and arguing more and more often. In the beginning, Amy had told herself the nights he came home late were simply a phase that would pass. But after a while, she’d had no choice but to face reality.
They shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. Their infatuation had quickly deteriorated into impatience and incomprehension, simply because they came from utterly different backgrounds. And Amy had not been willing to wait until Patrick’s irritation developed into disgust.
Sure, she’d made mistakes, too. She knew she was partly responsible for the failure of their marriage.
“Mommy?” Audrey’s whisper broke Amy’s reverie. “Is that Daddy’s car?”
Amy nodded weakly and imagined what her daughter’s amazement would be once she saw her father’s house. Compared to their tiny apartment, Audrey would think Patrick’s mansion a fairy-tale castle.
Six years ago, her mother had felt the same way.
A few minutes later, Patrick tucked Audrey into the back seat of the limo. She looked around, wide-eyed, as Amy climbed in next to her. Audrey nestled against her mom, exhausted from all the excitement. In her squeaky voice, she commented on each new discovery as the limo pulled away from the airport. She looked out the window in amazement, never tiring of letting her dad explain everything she was interested in.
The drive to Connecticut seemed to last an eternity.
Amy spent it looking out the window as well, taking in the beautiful countryside and listening with amusement to the father-daughter exchange. The two of them had become thick as thieves after only a few days, and by now, they acted like they’d known each other all their lives. To her great relief, Amy saw that Patrick could hardly be any more affectionate, sincere, and attentive toward Audrey. Spending lots of time together in the coming weeks would be good for the two of them. And, of course, it would be better for Audrey to recover from the strain of her operation and long hospital stay in a beautiful house in the countryside, pampered and taken care of 24/7.
She stroked Audrey’s back lightly as the girl leaned closer to her dad to look out the window on his side. They were driving through the tall entrance gate that marked the Ashcroft property. Just like Amy had six years ago, Audrey opened her mouth in amazement.
“Are we going through a park, Daddy?”
“No, love.” Patrick chuckled good-naturedly. “It’s not a park, it’s our garden.”
“I’ve never seen such a big garden! Do you have to mow the lawn by yourself?”
Shaking his head, Patrick laughed. “No, I don’t have to do that alone. Luckily, I have some help.” He gave his daughter a generous smile.
“I can help, too,” Audrey offered eagerly. “When Mommy cleans the apartment, I always help.”
“That’s good to know.” Amused, he pulled Audrey onto his lap so he could point out particular trees, flower beds, and finally the imposing house itself.
With a lump in her throat, Amy covertly studied the pair next to her. She saw her daughter’s delighted expression as she snuggled up to her daddy, but she also looked at Patrick, who had one arm around Audrey as he pointed out the window with the other hand. It wa
s obvious these two belonged together—not just based on their shared hair color, identical green eyes, and facial expressions.
“Daddy, look!” Audrey called out excitedly. “There’s Grandma!”
Eleanore had just stepped from the house and was coming down the front steps. Patrick’s mother had left Chicago two weeks before, apparently in order to prepare a great surprise for her granddaughter. Amy could only guess what that might be, but she was extremely grateful that her mother-in-law was going to such lengths to make Audrey feel welcome.
And Audrey did feel welcome, which was obvious when she jumped out of the car and eagerly embraced her grandmother. “Grandma! I was in a plane! And they gave me two pillows! And they gave me juice and pretzels!”
Amy smiled and got out as well, glancing up at the imposing façade of the mansion that had been her home for a few short months. She took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, Audrey continued to provide her endless, colorful descriptions of the exciting trip here. For a child who’d never ventured beyond Chicago, this trip had been an exceptional adventure.
As Audrey told her grandmother about the number of clouds she’d seen from the plane, Amy, who was standing behind her daughter, saw someone else come out of the house and down the front steps.
Her brother-in-law had grown up in the past six years. He was wearing a respectable suit and had lost his boyish features. Just like his older brother, he was tall, broad-shouldered, and attractive. When their eyes met, he narrowed his.
She was still in his bad books, then.
Eleanore, who had just given Amy an encouraging wink, turned to her younger son. “Stuart, look who finally left the hospital to come visit us.”
Stuart grinned at the sight of the girl, which Amy registered with relief, and squatted in front of Audrey. “Hello, Audrey. I’m your uncle Stuart. Grandma already told me a lot about you, and your dad sent me some photos. How are you doing?”
Her daughter gave him a charming smile. Amy already feared Audrey would be quite popular with the boys when she got older. But her heart swelled with motherly pride when Audrey declared, “I’m already feeling a lot better. I was in a plane with Mommy and Daddy, and the lady gave me as many pretzels as I wanted.”
“That sounds great,” Stuart replied softly. “But not as good as this.” The young man was well-prepared. He pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, and Audrey took it with genuine delight.
She unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth, smiling happily.
Her uncle tilted his head to one side. “What do you say to you and me going on an adventure together sometime? There’s a great zoo nearby. I can show it to you when you feel up to it.”
It seemed Audrey could hardly believe her good fortune. She beamed at her uncle and nodded fiercely. “Oh, yes! Please! Do they have fish too? Do you know what I love more than anything? I love Ariel, the little mermaid!”
“If you prefer fish, we should visit the aquarium.” Stuart stood, patting his niece’s head. “Maybe we can find a mermaid there.”
Audrey was practically bursting with excitement. “Mommy! I’m going to visit the fishies with Uncle Stuart!”
“That’s great, my darling,” she said, glancing at her brother-in-law and offering him a tentative smile. “Hello, Stuart.”
He didn’t answer, merely gave her a searing look before abruptly turning to Patrick. “I need to go back to the office,” he informed his brother in a chilly voice. “Call me this evening, as soon as you can.”
“Stuart,” Eleanore said, displeased, but her son merely shook his head and, without another word, marched over to where a black sports car was parked.
As he pulled away, stepping rather heavily on the gas, Amy concluded that she was going to find quite exactly what she’d expected.
***
“I’m going to get lost, Mommy,” Audrey said, but she didn’t sound at all intimidated. “I’ve never seen a house this big.”
Amy smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head. “Hands up,” she demanded gently.
The five-year-old obeyed instantly, letting her mother pull the nightdress down over her head. She sat on her new bed and looked around the room, as if she couldn’t really believe this was her room now.
Eleanore had really outdone herself, renovating, furnishing and decorating a bright room on the second floor so beautifully that Amy had felt tears welling at the sight of it. Never before had Audrey had such an amazing room—and it was decorated with a mermaid theme. The walls were covered in artful pictures of fish, seashells, and mermaids, and the wooden furniture had been painted white and adorned with carvings of waves and seashells. Real shells on the closet, dresser, bed, and a small table and chairs, together with countless new toys and gauzy, billowing curtains, had turned the room into a veritable paradise for any little girl.
Audrey felt like a princess. It was written all over her face.
Amy swallowed at the sight of the slowly fading scar on her daughter’s small, round belly and told herself that her daughter deserved all of this splendor. She tugged the hem of the nightshirt down, tenderly stroked Audrey’s chubby arms, and then hugged her to convince herself the girl was doing just fine.
Contrary to her mother, Audrey seemed to have all but forgotten the long stretch in the hospital. “But what if I do get lost?” she asked curiously.
“I don’t think you will,” Amy said with amusement, pulling away slowly. “But I’m sure Daddy will show you all the rooms in the house, if you ask him nicely.”
“Where are you sleeping, Mommy?”
“My room is right across from yours.” Amy picked up a soft hairbrush and began to brush her daughter’s long curls. “I’m going to leave the nightlight on, darling, so you don’t have to be afraid. If you need me, you can just walk across the hall, just as I showed you.”
“And where does Daddy sleep?”
Amy swallowed. The knowledge that she wouldn’t be sleeping in her—their—bedroom anymore, but in a separate room, a guest room, had hammered home the fact that everything had changed. “Daddy sleeps at the other end of the hallway,” she patiently told Audrey. “Didn’t he show you his room earlier?”
“Yes, he did,” the girl mumbled. “But what if I forgot?”
“You didn’t forget,” Amy objected with a smile, brushing out Audrey’s curls before braiding them for the night. She listened to Audrey gush about the spaghetti they’d had for dinner and the peanut-butter-and-banana dessert they’d had after. Everyone in the house was going to great lengths to make sure Audrey felt comfortable. And Amy had no words for the relief she felt at that.
Finished up her braid, Amy infused her voice with mock cheerfulness as she reminded Audrey, “The only thing left now is your medicine.” She grabbed the little bag she’d placed on the nightstand earlier.
“Mommy, I don’t like those pills.”
“They’re important, Audrey,” she said firmly. “You have to take them so you won’t get sick again.”
“Okay,” Audrey whispered with the air of a martyr. “Will you read me a story then?”
“Of course.” Amy handed her the pills and a glass of water. She watched Audrey swallow them without making a fuss and then scoot under the covers. Amy put the brush, glass, and medicine out of reach and picked up Amy’s favorite book. The bed was big enough for them to lay comfortably beside each other, with space leftover, but Audrey nestled closely against her mother, resting her head on Amy’s chest and wrapping an arm around her waist.
Before Amy could begin reading the story about a little girl with magical abilities, Audrey emitted an exhausted yawn. And they were still on the first page when there was a soft knock on the door.
Patrick stuck his head in, and Amy’s heart started to race.
“Honey,” he called softly, and his daughter responded with a sleepy gaze. “I wanted to kiss you good-night.”
Amy watched with conflicted feelings as Patrick came in, gave Audrey a tend
er smile, and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. In doing so, he was suddenly so close to Amy that she didn’t only breathe in his scent but also felt his body heat. She stared at his black hair for a queasy moment, unable to fight the sudden yearning that arose within her.
“Sleep well, love,” he murmured, stroking Audrey’s cheek.
When he lifted his head again, his eyes met Amy’s, and they held each other’s gaze, closer than they’d been in a long time. At least without fighting. The child between them was already dozing off as she put her thumb in her mouth and mumbled, “Good night, Daddy,” which made them both smile, gazes still locked.
They shrank back at almost the same time.
Patrick cleared his throat and stepped back from the bed. “Did she take her pills?”
Amy nodded. “Yes, she did.”
“Alright, I … I’m heading to bed then.” Amy watched him walk toward the door.
“Good night,” she whispered, but he didn’t reply.
Chapter 8
“Thompson is competent enough to do the same work I would, Peter,” Patrick growled into the receiver as he paced his room. “Why are you meddling in my project anyway? Let me remind you that you no longer have anything to do with Asia.”
His friend’s frantic voice trumpeted in his ear. “My department’s speculating on a merger with the Pearson Corporation—a British company whose subsidiary is in China. If you—”
“If you’re so anxious about this deal, you should call Thompson, not me,” he cut in harshly. “It’s entirely in his hands.”
“But he doesn’t have the right kind of experience. He can’t negotiate a proper deal!”
“Then let him run into a wall and learn something! The next time—”
“The next time?” Peter’s voice sounded incredulous. “Do you actually want to screw up this deal?”
“I want to fix my daughter’s breakfast,” he replied candidly, for he was fed up with Peter’s constant phone calls. Just because Peter didn’t have a life outside of his job didn’t mean Patrick had to do the same—sitting in his office day and night on nonstop video conferences with Asia or wherever. “I was supposed to start the pancakes ten minutes ago, but your call is keeping me from that. You know I’ve taken some official time off. So figure it out with Thompson.”
Just one kiss (The Ashcrofts Book 1) Page 21