After Sebastian walked her to her front door, Gracie put the key in the lock, realizing this was a pivotal moment for the two of them. If she invited him in, she was pretty sure what would happen. And she didn’t know if she was ready for that. She didn’t know if she could forgo all of her misgivings about getting romantically involved with him.
This date tonight was a chance to get to know each other better. It was a way to find out who they both were. She wasn’t that mystery woman any longer. And he wasn’t her mysterious lover. That fantasy was over; she now had to deal with the real-life Sebastian. Was he someone she could let into her life? Her child’s life?
Tonight had been scary good. Sebastian had been a perfect gentleman, except maybe for the kiss on the dance floor. She had to be honest with herself, though—it wasn’t all his doing. She’d wanted him to hold her close, she’d wanted him to kiss her again. The emotion wrapped up in their encounter had been mind-blowing, so she couldn’t fault him for something she’d subtly invited.
“I had a great time tonight,” he said. “I hope you did, too.”
She spun around to face him. Oh, boy, her fifteen-year-old self would hardly believe she’d actually gone on a date with Sebastian Wingate. That he was actually pursuing her. But she wasn’t fifteen anymore. And things were different now.
“I did. It was...fun.”
He nodded, his eyes gleaming. “I want to see you again.”
She figured. And the idea wasn’t making her stomach ache.
He went on, “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I plan to be at The Eatery helping out. I’ll be doing the books.”
“Will it take all day?”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I have something in mind. Can you clear up your afternoon?”
“I...think so.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up at two. And dress casual, although you do look amazing tonight.” His gaze moved over her, a quick glint of approval, and a river of heat rushed down her body. “But tomorrow, just jeans and a jacket.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me what we’re doing?”
“No, you’re just going to have to trust me. Can you do that?”
She slanted him a look. “I’ll...try.”
“Great,” he said, leaning forward and giving her a little peck on the cheek. “Sleep well, Gracie.”
“You...too,” she murmured, somewhat dumbfounded. But before she could utter another word, Sebastian had already turned away and was walking to his car.
So much for worrying about putting him off. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. With Sebastian, her heart always warred with her head. But when it came down to their date, this was by far the best one she’d had...ever. But dating wasn’t the issue. She worried about blurring the lines between her deep attraction to Sebastian and doing what was right for the baby. It was something that still confused her, still caused her ill ease.
Half an hour later, after she’d had a luxurious soak in the tub, her cell phone rang. She threw her arms into the sleeves of her cozy pajamas and picked up on the third ring. “Hello.”
“Hi, it’s Sebastian.” The deep, sexy Texas drawl in his voice threw her off-kilter. Her heart began to pound.
“Hi.”
Was he calling to break their date tomorrow?
“Am I disturbing you?”
Always. Despite her caution and worry, she’d had him on her mind all evening. Her body still hummed from their date—from dancing in his arms, from laughing with him and kissing him and secretly dreaming of so much more. “No, not at all. Just got out of the tub.”
There was a long pause on his end. Dummy, why did she tell him that?
“I won’t say what I’m thinking right now.”
She chuckled. She deserved that. “Thank you.”
“Gracie, as I told you earlier, I had a great time tonight. And well, I could make something up, a reason for the call, but the truth is, I just wanted to hear your voice one last time before I turned in. Hope that’s okay.”
She was taken aback by his sincerity. “Yes, actually that’s very nice.”
“I told you I’m a nice guy.”
She paused. She knew it deep down in her bones, her instincts telling her so, but could she trust them right now? There was too much doubt and caution warring with the good stuff in her head. He could be charming, but he could also be quite ruthless. She wasn’t forgetting his ploy to hold back the sale of the estate to get what he wanted. So no, she couldn’t give him everything right now. A phone conversation, yes; other things, no. “You keep telling me that.”
“Maybe if you hear it enough, you’ll start to believe it.”
She chuckled again. “So that’s the strategy?”
“I wish I was that clever.”
“You’re not?” she asked.
“Not when it comes to you, Gracie. I’m actually a little...thrown off by you.”
She felt the same way about him. Only, he’d been throwing her off for years. He’d never shown an interest in her or given her even a little reason to flirt. She’d grown to believe she wasn’t in his league—he’d dated some high-profile women in the past—and had resigned herself to the fact that she just wasn’t up to his standards. It’d hurt her and made her feel less worthy. And so all of this sudden adulation was hard to measure. “I could say the same.”
“I never want to give you a reason to doubt me,” he admitted gruffly.
She didn’t know what to say to that. “Thank you,” she whispered, for lack of a better answer. Yet, she did still have doubts. And one late-night phone call wasn’t going to change that.
“Well, I’d better let you get some rest. Sweet dreams, Gracie,” he said softly.
“Good night, Sebastian.”
She had to admit, this man sure knew how to get what he wanted. He was chipping away at her resistance, slowly but surely.
Was he true-blue, or was it all a ploy to secure what he wanted?
Sebastian hung up with Gracie and sighed. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, the way she’d looked tonight, how it felt to hold her tight in his arms. She was so pretty, but pretty wasn’t enough. He was really trying to get to know her. She was the mother of his baby, for one. They both had an equal stake in this, but he wasn’t going to deny Gracie had the upper hand. Slowly, she was letting him in. It wasn’t fast enough for him; he wasn’t a patient man. He wanted more than one night with her. But right now, that wasn’t happening.
His cell phone rang and he glanced at the screen, puzzled to see his ex-girlfriend’s name come up. “Hello.”
“Sebastian? I’m so glad I reached you. I’ve been trying you for a few hours.”
He’d shut his phone down during his date with Gracie, wanting no interruptions or distractions. “Hi, Rhonda. How are you?”
He hadn’t seen Rhonda Pearson in over a year, but they texted from time to time. Her supermodel status had taken precedence over their relationship, and things hadn’t worked out between them. But it had been an amical breakup. “I—I need your help, Sebastian. Can we meet somewhere?”
“Now? It’s late. Can it wait?”
“It’s about L-Lonny.”
Sebastian’s nerves rattled, hearing Lonny’s name come up. There was desperation in Rhonda’s voice. “What about Lonny?”
She was raising her fifteen-year-old brother all by herself, and the boy seemed lost at times, not having the stability a teen needed. Sebastian had taken to the kid, and the boy looked up to him. Not staying in touch with Lonny was one of Sebastian’s biggest regrets. He’d planned to, but then Rhonda had thought a clean break would be better for the boy. Then Sebastian’s business had gotten into trouble and suddenly he was persona non grata. So he’d stayed away.
“He’s out of control. I don’t know what to do with him. I just need someone to talk to, you know? He’s always admired you. And well, you were really good with him.”
“Rhonda, I can meet you tomorrow night. I wish it could be sooner, but I’ve got a full day of appointments.”
“Tomorrow night is good. Thank you, Sebastian,” she said gratefully. “I want to keep this as private as possible. You know my life’s an open book, but not Lonny’s. I don’t want this to get out.”
“It won’t... I promise.” Damn, Sebastian had always worried about the boy. He should’ve stayed in contact with him despite his business woes. Despite Rhonda thinking severing ties would be best. That boy needed direction and focus, and Sebastian had let him down. “Come to my office at eight o’clock and we’ll talk. The place should be cleared out at that hour,” he said.
“Okay. See you then, Sebastian. And thanks again.”
The knock came precisely at two o’clock and Gracie was ready. She’d gotten home just twenty minutes ago and changed into a pair of skinny jeans. How long would she be able to wear them? Right now, the fit was perfect. She also wore a taupe ribbed sweater under a rust leather jacket and matching midlength boots.
She opened the door to Sebastian, who was dressed pretty much how she was—boots, jeans and a jacket over a tan shirt. He looked smoking hot. Her heart began to race and she mentally cursed. He hadn’t said a word yet and she was already losing it.
“Afternoon, Gracie.”
“Hi, Sebastian. You’re right on time.”
“Did you get your work done today?” he asked.
“Most of it. I brought some home to look at later.” She gestured to her attire. “Do I...need anything else?”
“You look perfect, Gracie. I have what we’ll need for the afternoon.”
She scrunched her brows, suddenly not feeling so sure about this. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
He smiled. “You’ll see. If you’re ready, let’s go.”
She locked the door behind her and he led her to his BMW. A minute later, they were heading toward the Wingate, uh, the Diaz estate. “What’re you doing?” she asked. She had no idea what he was up to.
“You are a curious thing, aren’t you?”
“Yes, when my sanity is at stake.”
“Believe me, you’re going to like this. And no more questions. Deal?”
Was she ready to make a deal with Sebastian? She already had, really. She’d bought his house, and was having his child. What was one more? “Oh, all right. Deal.”
He grinned, bringing the sexy lines around his mouth out to play. She turned away from him to look out the window. She didn’t want him to know how much he tested her sanity, for real.
He bypassed the mansion and drove a little farther to stop at the stables. She gave him a long look.
“Horses,” he said. “We both love them. How would you feel about a ride?”
“I would love it.” Gracie hadn’t been atop a horse in a long time. She missed it, and missed being around the stables. Technically, she was on her own property, though escrow hadn’t gone through yet. But she’d promised not to displace the ranch horses and had kept on the wrangler and his one-man crew to oversee the stables.
“My horses are still here,” Sebastian said. “Duke and Duchess.”
“I know them. They’re beautiful animals.”
“I thought we’d give the royal pair some exercise, let them know they haven’t been forgotten.” It was also part of the sale of the house, that Sebastian could board his horses here until he could find another home for them. There were six other riding horses on the property, as well.
They got out of the car and walked over to the corral. Sebastian whistled, the sound perking up all the horses’ ears, but it was Duke, the dapple gray gelding, and Duchess, the bay mare, who trotted over and hung their heads over the fence.
Sebastian patted them each between the ears, his low, deep voice resonating with the pair, who seemed to be taking his love and giving it right back. “Oh, hey, I’ve missed you two.”
Gracie walked into the stable, filled a bucket with carrots and apples, just like she’d do when her father was working here, and strode back to the corral. Within seconds a huddle of horses began eating out of the palm of her hand.
“Well, look at you,” Sebastian teased, “stealing my thunder.”
“Food will win them over every time,” she said, happy to be among the animals. It only reinforced her desire to one day breed and raise horses on the property.
“True,” he concurred, walking over to her.
After the horses had their treats, Pete, the wrangler, walked out of the stable and greeted them. “Give me a minute or two, and I’ll have them saddled up and ready to ride,” he said.
Sebastian peered at her, and she nodded. “I think this time, Pete, we’ll do it ourselves.”
“Fine by me. I’ll be in the office if you, uh, need me,” he said, looking from Sebastian to her, perplexed. As if this whole arrangement was above his pay grade. She couldn’t blame him. Things were a bit confusing around here, since she was the one signing his checks now.
After Pete walked off, Sebastian brought out both sets of saddles and tack, one at a time. Gracie hadn’t forgotten how to get a horse ready to ride. She enjoyed every second of it, until it came time for her to lift the saddle onto Duchess.
“Whoa, there, Wonder Woman,” Sebastian said. “I’ll do the honors. This sucker is heavy.”
Before she could say a word, Sebastian hoisted the saddle atop Duchess. She didn’t mind one bit seeing his muscles bunch and his neck strain. There was something innately sexy about Sebastian in this setting.
Once the horses were saddled up, Gracie tried to slide her left boot into the stirrup, and as tall as she was, she still couldn’t quite manage without a little help. Sebastian gave her rump a push up, his hand lingering a bit longer than necessary on her butt cheek. “Watch it, bud,” she said lightly.
“Oh, I am. Trust me, I am.”
Gracie peered into his twinkling eyes and shook her head at his shameless attempt at flirting. Once fully seated, she grabbed the reins.
“Something’s missing. Give me a sec,” Sebastian said.
He marched to his car and came back with two hats and a duffel bag. He mounted Duke and guided him toward Duchess. “Here you go,” he declared, plopping a tan hat on her head. “Cute.” Immediately, her eyes were shaded from the sun.
He didn’t look cute in his hat. Mesmerizing was a better word, but then she’d always had a bias when it came to Sebastian. How often she’d gaze at him from a distance, the tall handsome Wingate twin saddling up his horse, riding out onto the land he owned. She’d often daydream about this very thing, riding out with him. And now here she was.
“What’s in the bag?” she asked.
“Snacks.”
She flashed him a grin. “Wow. You think of everything.”
“This is our second date. There’ll be no skimping.”
“Good to know,” Gracie said, making a clicking sound and encouraging the mare to get going, which Duchess did right on cue.
Sebastian caught up with her, and they were quiet for a while as the horses moved in sync with each other. She glanced over at him every now and then, watching as he took command of the animal, of the land. His jaw firm, his eyes focused, he made her jittery inside while the rolling landscape and beautiful scenery calmed her. The contrast wasn’t lost on her, And yet, there was peace here. And sanity. She concentrated on that.
“How’re you holding up?” he asked, breaking their silence.
“I’m loving this.”
“I thought you would.”
She quirked a brow. “And you knew this because of our conversation the other day?”
“Only partly. I used to see you with your dad, the joy on your face whenever you’d come back from a ride. I figured this might be something you’d enjoy.”
“Those were good days,” she admitted, feeling a little nostalgic. “I would look forward to those rides. They didn’t happen often enough for me. Dad was a stickler about work, and only once he was caught up would I get to mount up with him. But oh, it was fun.”
Sebastian smiled. “How adventurous are you feeling today?”
“Why?”
“There’s something I want to show you. But it’ll take us another thirty minutes to get there.”
“And you’re not going to tell me what it is?”
He thought about that a second. “It’s a secret place I’d go with Sutton. There’s an old shed my brother and I turned into a clubhouse. There’s a running stream nearby. It’s been years since I’ve been there. Don’t know if it’s still there. What do you say? Are you up for it?”
“Sounds like fun. Sure, I’m up for it.”
“Great.” Sebastian pointed west. “That way.” He reined Duke in that direction and Duchess followed.
In less than thirty minutes, they reached a clearing, coming upon a rustic building erected several feet from the banks of a rushing stream.
“Would you look at that,” he marveled, taking it all in. “It’s still standing.”
She imagined the twins playing in there as boys, laughing, raising a ruckus, telling scary stories. It wasn’t a total wreck—the structure seemed relatively sound—yet the wood planks that served as protection from the elements were severely weathered. “It sure is.”
The stream was gurgling, the water flowing by and catching sunlight. It appeared narrow enough to wade through on foot. Lush green trees beyond served as a verdant backdrop. It was truly a lovely spot.
“Let’s dismount and check it out,” he said.
He was off his horse quickly and then came around to Duchess. Gracie lifted her right leg over the saddle and held on to the saddle horn as she slid down the mare’s left side. Sebastian caught her around the waist and guided her down the rest of the way, until her boots hit solid ground. She swallowed a deep breath as his hands applied slight pressure. He didn’t back away...wasn’t letting go. “Gracie,” he whispered in her ear from behind.
Their connection sizzled, and as she turned around, she was fitted snugly in his arms. Hot desire arced between them. Her breathing grew heavy. There was a look of unmistakable hunger in his eyes. And when she lowered her gaze to his mouth, a rumbling groan rose from his throat.
At the sound of his restraint, something sparked within her. She couldn’t figure out why all of a sudden she was okay with this, but she was. More than okay. Her body ached for him, for a release of the tension he provoked every time he walked into a room.
“Sebastian,” she whispered.
And then his lips crashed down on hers, tasting, devouring, making her head swim in crazy delight. Beyond reason now, she pushed aside her misgivings. All she knew was that she wanted Sebastian.
Desperately.
Gracie poured herself into the kiss, tugging on his neck and squeezing closer to him. His body radiated heat and energy, warming every inch of her. Duchess shifted, becoming impatient, and stepped away from them, snorting. Her move left them both to realize they were out in the middle of a clearing, with no shelter other than a broken-down, cobwebbed clubhouse.
Sebastian hugged her to his chest for one last moment, then broke their connection, pulling away. “Seems Duchess has more sense than I do.”
“Does she?” she asked.
“Don’t tempt me, Gracie. This isn’t easy.”
“What’s not easy?”
“You’re gonna make me say it?” he rasped.
She nodded. She wanted to hear everything he had to say.
“I want your trust, Gracie. I don’t want to mess this up by rushing you into anything. I lost my head for a moment, but more than anything now, I want to get to know you better. I want to build a bond with you.”
“So you’re on your best behavior?”
A sly grin crossed over his face. “You’ve already seen my best behavior.”
“Ah,” she replied, catching his meaning. The night of the masquerade ball immediately came to mind. The way he’d danced with her until they’d needed much more than casual touching. The way he’d whispered in her ear to leave the dance floor with him and the sizzling hot tingles that had her nodding her head. The way he’d made love to her that night had been nothing but the best. “But this is a close second?”
“Only if I’m winning you over. ’Cause believe me, if I had my way...” He shot her a hot glance that made her entire body twitch. She had no words.
He sighed and took her hand. “C’mon. Let’s have something to eat.”
He pulled a lightweight blanket out of the duffel and spread it a few feet from the creek. “Have a seat.”
She sat cross-legged and he came down to face her.
She looked inside the bag and found all kinds of snacks. She helped him pull out a small loaf of bread and chunks of gourmet cheese, fresh apples, tortilla chips and two oversize chocolate cookies from The Eatery. “Hmm, I think I recognize these,” she said, still tempering her heated body.
“Lauren’s best,” he murmured.
“I agree.”
Together they munched on the snacks, Gracie totally aware of Sebastian. She liked the way he chewed, the way he swallowed, the way his eyes stayed focused on her even though there was beautiful scenery all around them.
“It’s peaceful here,” she said, taking a bite of the cookie.
“My brother and I would come here often when we were kids. It was our secret place, or so we thought. Turned out your father knew about it, too. We found out years later that he would come out here and make sure the building was kept up and solid, free of spiders and webs. Did he ever tell you about it?”
“No, never. But that sounds like something my father would do.” She stared at the structure, picturing her dad making a point of stopping by every so often to make sure the boys were safe. “Dad was always good with horses, but he was also a softy when it came to children. Thanks for telling me, Sebastian. It makes this place special to me, too.”
He nodded, giving her time to reminisce.
She appreciated that. No wonder she loved the estate; it was a part of her parents’ lives as much as it was her own. She’d loved everything about the Wingate property—the land, the house itself. And now that she owned it, she realized there wasn’t anything she wanted to change about the place. It was perfect. She’d always thought so.
When they were through eating, she started cleaning up and putting things back into the duffel bag.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, a question in his eyes.
“Aren’t you?”
He stood up and reached for her hand. “Take a walk with me?”
“Oh, uh, sure.” Guess he wasn’t ready to go, and honestly, neither was she. She was having a good time getting to know Sebastian better. As she placed her palm into his hand, he held it firmly in his grasp. There was something possessive in that gesture, which said, You’re with me. It was thrilling and almost too good to be true. Did she deserve all of this good fortune? It was a question she often asked herself. It was hard for her to accept the way her life had changed, when in her heart she was still that same young girl who’d been on the outside, looking in.
They walked along the stream and she put her head on Sebastian’s shoulder. It was a bold move, yet it felt right. He relaxed his shoulder and stopped walking to give her a delicious kiss.
It was perfect and easy and so natural.
“I’d love to see you tonight. For dinner,” she added, surprising herself. When had the pursued become the pursuer?
Sebastian smiled, his eyes gleaming bright, but then his lips curled down into a frown as he seemed to remember something. “I’d love to take you up on that. But I can’t tonight.”
“Is it work?”
“A meeting. I’m afraid I can’t get out of it.”
He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. That simple gesture and the caring look in his eyes moved her to distraction. “How about tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said softly, immediately. “I accept.”
He smiled, taking her hand, and they headed back to the horses.
Sebastian poured himself a rye whiskey from the small bar in his office. If he didn’t have this meeting with his ex-girlfriend, he’d be with Gracie now and he’d be one step closer to getting what he wanted. He couldn’t believe she’d actually asked him on a date.
And he’d had to refuse her.
Her trust was important to him, but he just couldn’t bring himself to tell her about this meeting tonight. He’d promised Rhonda that he’d keep this meeting private. He understood her motives. She wanted to spare Lonny any more grief. The teen’s problems didn’t need to make the ten o’clock news. And Sebastian was a man of his word, so he’d told a little white lie to Gracie about what he was really doing tonight.
Rhonda Pearson, famous supermodel and his ex-lover, made headlines around the globe. Her photos had graced more than a dozen magazines, and she had a long list of accomplishments in the modeling industry. And all during that, she was trying to raise her much younger brother.
He took another swig of whiskey, and at precisely 8:00 p.m., he opened the door of the Wingate offices to Rhonda.
She smiled, but her eyes didn’t reflect anything but sadness. “Sebastian, thanks for seeing me.”
“Rhonda, come in.”
He returned a smile, noting that his former flame hadn’t changed since they’d dated. She was the same gorgeous, leggy blonde-haired beauty she’d always been. Rhonda had a natural grace about her, and yet, it hadn’t been enough for him. She’d been too much in the public eye, too much into herself, to be the kind of woman he wanted. In the end, he’d allowed the press to believe she had called it off with him, so she could save face amid her fans. Sebastian had made the right decision in breaking it off with her. He hadn’t once regretted their breakup, except for losing touch with Lonny. He’d been like a father to Lonny, a mentor of sorts, and then it had all ended. Sebastian hated that he hadn’t fought harder to keep that relationship going.
He led her through the lobby and into his office. The staff had all gone home now, and he offered her a seat. She sat down on the sofa. “Care for a drink, something to eat?” he asked.
She glanced at his whiskey glass, not quite empty yet. “I’ll have what you’re having.”
He lifted a brow and nodded. “That bad, uh?”
“That’s why I’m drinking, but why are you? Is the company still having problems?”
He sighed as he walked to the bar to pour her drink. “Some. We’re not fully out of the woods yet, but we’re getting there. It’s hard to gain back a reputation, you know?”
“I do know. That’s why I try my best to stay away from scandal.”
He poured whiskey into a tumbler and handed it to her. Then he took a seat at the other end of the sofa. “And yet here you are, in the sinful Wingates’ den of thieves.”
She chuckled at his theatrics. “I never believed it.”
“That’s what people say now that we’ve made it over the hurdle. But you’re not here to talk about me. Tell me about Lonny.”
And for the next half hour she filled him in on what was going on with her brother. Sebastian had always known that losing his parents at such a young age had affected Lonny, but now apparently it was causing the troubled teen to spin out of control. Rhonda told him Lonny was acting out whenever he could, getting in with the wrong crowd at school, to the point of almost being expelled. She had used all her powers of persuasion and superstar status to save him from the expulsion. The principal was giving her brother one last chance to change his ways—or face the consequences—and Rhonda was at her wits’ end.
“I’ve already turned down more work than I’ve accepted, in order to be home more. If Lonny gets expelled, it’ll be a black mark that will travel from school to school with him. He doesn’t understand that, or he doesn’t care. Either way, I have to do something with him. I threatened him with boarding school, and all he said to that was he always knew I wanted to get rid of him. Sebastian, I don’t know what to do.” She sipped her whiskey and sighed, tears welling in her eyes.
“You’re not a bad sister, Rhonda,” he said softly. She was just out of her element raising a young boy while trying to maintain a career. “As I recall, you put that boy first as much as you could. Has he seen a therapist?”
She gestured with her free hand, putting up fingers. “Three of them. He doesn’t give an inch, won’t open up. That’s why I’m here, Sebastian. When we were together, he was the happiest I’ve seen him. He bonded with you.”
“Yes, but he was younger then. I’m no therapist, but...”
“He’ll listen to you. I know he will.”
He shook his head. “No, that boy doesn’t need a lecture.”
“But will you try to talk to him, Sebastian? Will you come over and see him?”
Sebastian had a lot going on in his life right now, but he couldn’t refuse helping a distressed young boy. Lonny just needed a chance—Sebastian knew that in his gut—and the way he’d let the boy down before still gnawed away at him. That was why he was so adamant about working things out with Gracie. He couldn’t stand to lose another relationship with a child, his child this time.
His baby.
“I’ll call you and set up a date. But it shouldn’t look like we planned it. That’ll turn Lonny off for sure.”
“You mean we should accidentally run into each other?”
He nodded. “Something like that.”
“Thank you,” she breathed. “I feel better already.” She put down her glass and rose. Sebastian took her elbow and walked her outside to where her car was parked. He opened the door for her, and before he knew what was happening, Rhonda kissed him, planting a grateful smack on his lips. Because he’d been with her for two years, he knew the difference between passion and gratitude. The kiss was purely innocent, but she’d landed it right out in the open. And a sudden pang of guilt hit him as Gracie’s image came to mind, but he shoved that aside. The two situations, the two women, were totally different.
He glanced at his watch. It was quarter to nine. Not too late to visit Gracie.
He hoped not, because he didn’t have it in him to stay away.