“No. I want you nearby, at my convenience. I feel that the situation may shift quickly. But I agree that you’ll be hounded by my granddaughters. What if I moved you to the guesthouse?”
“That would be perfect.” He exhaled, satisfied with his effort to keep his distance from Fiona.
“I think you’re believing too quickly that you’re in control of the situation between you and my granddaughter.” Grace had a way of turning up the heat under Leo’s collar.
“Excuse me?”
“Fiona is a stubborn and proud woman. I don’t know why you broke up. Don’t bother denying that you were together. Don’t need to know the details. But I will say that she may not be so resolute about the separation. I sense a softening in both your attitudes. As long as my priorities don’t cross with yours or hers, then I won’t have to send you packing back to Grayson, Buckley and Tynesdale.” From soft to hard, Grace’s edict dissolved all things warm and fuzzy.
“I think that is enough of an incentive to keep my focus.”
“Good. Now here is the information that I’ve just shared with you and additional details that should help with the search.” She handed him a thin file. “And now, I’m off to go for my morning walk with Henry.” With that, Grace exited the room.
Leo ignored the cold coffee close at hand and retrieved a fresh cup. He still wasn’t interested in the Danish pastries. What had he stepped into with secrets, potential scandal and hopefully a happy ending for this family?
Where did that leave him when his mission had been accomplished? Would he be the hero reuniting Fiona with her brother? More important, did he want another chance to be with her? This case might push him faster than he’d ever imagined toward Fiona. On the other hand, the family’s newly revealed history hadn’t changed the fact that she’d dumped him.
“Fiona Reed, how am I to avoid you?” Leo gazed out the large bay window that overlooked the backyard with its garden and pool. The woman on his mind was visible outside, lounging in the shade with her e-reader. “You are bound to be my temptation.”
His traitorous body flushed with desire. He was older and had better be damned wiser around her. His climb up the career ladder had been swifter than most and he liked his view. Work was even more of a priority. Anything else, Fiona included, would have to be treated like a strict diet plan. Avoid her as much as possible. If that didn’t work, run as fast as he could from temptation.
Fiona tried to focus on the book on her e-reader. She tried to stick with the story to figure out who’d committed the crime. But her thoughts wandered without restraint to the point that she was merely staring over the top of her e-reader. That was when she saw her grandparents walking together, completely absorbed in their animated conversation without noticing her. It took only a second to make the decision to seek out Leo. To satisfy her curiosity, nothing else.
Even if she didn’t find out why he was here, she wanted to know what he’d been up to. Her conscience needled her for her desire to catch up on his life. She didn’t deserve the privilege—that was more than likely what he thought. Her rationale was a bit kinder, that it could be the open door to regenerating a friendship between them.
Besides, finding out any juicy bits would shut down her cousins’ silly plans to push Leo at her for debriefing. Seeing him in the flesh did bolster her openness to this second chance. The young man who had once interned at Meadows Media had morphed into a self-assured, handsome sight. His nerdy, boyish charm had evolved to well-dressed sophistication with a bit of old-Hollywood confident sex appeal.
Immediately, his intense, dark brown eyes fixed on her. She didn’t look away. Couldn’t. Too much to admire, from his beautiful brown skin to his clean-cut features that showed off the bold contours of his face to the tall, lean lines of his body gifted with the right muscle tone.
Stepping aside to let him focus solely on his career had been the hardest thing to do. But right before her eyes, she could see today that her decision to let him go had been for the best. Damn if it still didn’t hurt like hell, though.
Seeing Leo rattled her. Although she’d anticipated his arrival, when he got out of the car, she hadn’t expected the dizzying rush of emotions to race to the surface. Then seeing him in the house with only a few feet between them had had her almost hyperventilating. Outwardly, he looked unscathed by her earlier actions.
Not that she wanted to see him broken or bitter. The last image of him before they separated, as if her decision had dealt a physical blow to his gut, had become her lasting image of him.
New chapter, new beginnings—maybe that would be the theme for the reunion. Fiona stayed preoccupied, contemplating a strategy about picking up where they’d left off. Truthfully, she didn’t think her attempt would be difficult, especially if he wasn’t in a relationship. But after seeing him in person, the doubts weighed in her belly.
Looking into his face, those eyes staring boldly at her, she sensed the difference in him. No sign of the shy smile or tentative attitude. His cool regard of her resonated like an echo in his demeanor, expression and body language.
If it weren’t for the persistent nudging from her cousins, she’d have ground out the flicker of hope and worked hard to scrub the memories of their times together once and for all.
Clicking off her e-reader, she tucked it against her chest and headed indoors. Time to get started gleaning what she could from her ex-boyfriend.
Fiona stepped inside and went on the hunt. No one was immediately in sight, although she heard activity coming from various parts of the house. As she walked down the hallway toward the staircase, she noticed luggage sitting in the middle of the entryway. Leo appeared and stopped near the parked garment bag and suitcase.
“Done with your super-secret mission? Leaving?” Fiona tried to sound nonchalant and not disappointed.
“I’m moving out to the guesthouse.”
“Really? What are you up to?”
Denton entered and Fiona waited until Leo was done talking to the handyman. The guesthouse was within walking distance, but another part of the garden separated the two houses. Maybe Leo’s staying off-site could be used to her advantage. He’d be out of Grace’s watchful gaze. Slightly beyond her cousins’ annoying interference.
“Are you going to work now? I noticed that my grandmother is off doing her own thing.” Fiona motioned toward the back of the house with her chin.
“I’m going to head into town to buy a few things.”
“Oh, great—I’ll come with you.”
“Why?”
She stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Fiona Reed.”
He stared at her hand and then up at her face, his confusion printed in his wrinkled forehead. “Hello, Fiona.” Finally he took her hand, gentle and unsure. “I’m Leo.”
“Good to meet you, Leo.”
“Why are we doing this?”
Fiona didn’t have a clue, was just going with her gut. “That’s how I greet new friends.”
He slowly nodded, releasing her hand. “But we’re not new friends.”
“If you start from the beginning of something, it’s new. Or you can fast-forward and continue with barely a ripple.” She tried with every bit of effort to keep up the facade that this was a casual conversation. “Circumstances have brought us together. Figured that we can be civil, all friendly-like, as we’ll be sharing the same space.”
“Sounds logical.” His doubt in her perspective poured out of his tone.
“I