They’re not looking for love...

Until love finds them!

On paper it just shouldn’t work. Jess is a bohemian artist who loves her life in the close-knit Martha’s Vineyard community while Jordan is a millionaire bachelor, CEO and a “bright lights, big city” guy. There’s no denying the attraction between them, but neither are in the right place for a relationship. However, fate and an adorable little girl entrusted to their care have other ideas...

NINA SINGH lives just outside of Boston, USA, with her husband, children, and a very rumbunctious Yorkie. After several years in the corporate world she finally followed the advice of family and friends to ‘give the writing a go, already’. She’s oh-so-happy she did. When not at her keyboard she likes to spend time on the tennis court or golf course. Or immersed in a good read.

Also by Nina Singh

Miss Prim and the Maverick Millionaire

The Marriage of Inconvenience

Snowed in with the Reluctant Tycoon

Reunited with Her Italian Billionaire

Tempted by Her Island Millionaire

Christmas with Her Secret Prince

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Captivated by the Millionaire

Nina Singh

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09079-7

CAPTIVATED BY THE MILLIONAIRE

© 2019 Nilay Nina Singh

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

HE’D ALWAYS PRIDED himself on being prepared. Overly prepared, in fact. But damned if he’d seen any of this coming.

Jordan Paydan stood in front of the glass wall of his Upper East Side Manhattan penthouse and stared at the paperwork that had just been delivered to him via special messenger. No detail had been left up to chance. Every “i” had been dotted; every “t” had been crossed. A slew of family practice attorneys had made sure to look over each piece of paper.

And now Jordan’s life would never be the same.

His stepmother hadn’t put up any kind of a fight; she’d simply waited for the funds to be transferred into her account. He grunted a laugh at the term. Stepmother. The woman was barely older than his own thirty-one years. She certainly didn’t appear to want to act like a responsible adult. He didn’t know her well at all, but that much about her was as clear as the sky on this bright New York afternoon. Considering the events of the past few months and based on the paperwork he currently held in his hands, his stepmother had no qualms about moving on after his father’s death.

Jordan uttered a small curse and threw the envelope and documents onto the mahogany desk behind him next to the couch.

Nothing to do now but to try and plan for the colossal changes that were about to overtake his very existence. None of which were his own doing in any way. He just had to figure out where exactly to start.

CHAPTER ONE
Six months later

JESSALYN RAFFI WAS completely engrossed in the mural she was painting on the wall. It was good. Really good, if she did say so herself. She’d spent most of the day painstakingly drawing and creating a detailed image of a majestic, ancient castle sitting atop a grand mountain. Fat, fluffy clouds floated above its towers. She’d even thrown in a few knights on steeds along its base.

Jess had no doubt the child about to occupy this room as a new resident of this house was going to love it. What child wouldn’t? To be able to walk into your bedroom and feel like you could be transported through time and space into an entirely different reality would seem magical to any youngster. She was certain of it.

As engrossed as she was, she didn’t even hear the front door open and close downstairs; nor did she hear the steady sound of footsteps as someone came up the stairs and approached the open door. It took her a moment to realize that someone now stood right outside in the hallway. So it was no wonder she shrieked as loud as she did when she finally understood she was no longer alone. A strange man stood staring at her. Out of sheer reflex, she threw the wet paintbrush she held directly at his chest like some sort of futile weapon, her aim finding its target straight and center.

“What the hell?” a deep masculine voice responded with outrage.

She realized her mistake almost immediately. But it was too late. An angry splotch of red paint spread and splattered across the newcomer’s shirt.

His clearly expensive, well-tailored silk shirt.

He was no intruder. In fact, if she had to hedge a bet, Jess would guess he was the new homeowner. And she’d attacked him with a messy wet paintbrush.

She rushed over immediately, grabbing her damp rag off the floor along the way. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. It’s just that you startled me.” But her attempts to try and wipe the paint off his chest only served to make matters worse. The splotchy stain simply spread across the fabric of his shirt into one big blob of bright red. The more she tried to mop it up, the messier things got.

“Please stop,” he commanded through gritted teeth, his hands clenched at his sides. No doubt he was willing himself to keep from forcefully grabbing her hands and pushing her away. To his credit, he didn’t.

Jess wanted to sink into the floor. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “What in the world are you doing here?”

He blinked at her, anger clouding his eyes. “This is my house. I should be the one asking you that question.”

Through her mortification, Jess finally allowed herself to look at the man’s face. Lordy, he was so utterly striking. Sandy-blond hair just dark enough that he couldn’t be described as fair. Just enough facial hair that added a rugged masculinity to his face. Piercing grayish-green eyes. He stood about a head taller than she did. Even in his annoyed state, it was impossible not to notice just how handsome he was.

“But I had no idea you were due to arrive,” she stammered through her embarrassment. “Marie told me you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow morning. She owns the contracting company you hired. Just so happens she’s a friend of mine. Throws me odd jobs here and there.” Now she was just blabbering. Get a grip. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I was just finishing up.” She pointed to the massive painting on the wall behind her.

He didn’t even glance at it. “None of that explains why you’re here at this hour. Nor why my front door was unlocked.”

She shrugged, tried to smile. It didn’t quite manifest. “I guess I lost track of time. Like I said, I was working on the mural.”

A momentary pause of silence ensued in which he simply stood and studied her. Jess turned away when she couldn’t stand the scrutiny any longer. “It’s a castle,” she unnecessarily informed him.

“Why?”

She turned back to face him as the single word hung in the air. “Why? Why what?”

He let out a long, clearly frustrated breath. “Why are you painting a mural in the first place? I asked my assistant to hire contractors simply to apply fresh paint through the house. They were given very specific instructions regarding color scheme. Instructions that I was told were relayed to the painters.”

Jess cleared her throat, trying not to get flustered. She had to keep her cool here. “Yes, I know. Eggshell white. Throughout the whole house.” How did he not see how utterly bland and boring that was? Eggshell white could hardly be considered a color scheme for heaven’s sake. She kept that thought to herself.

He gave one sharp nod. “Correct. Very simple. At no point was there any request for a medieval castle complete with towers and banners to be drawn on the wall.”

A lump had formed in her throat. “I realize that. But I was told this was to be the child’s room and I thought any little boy or girl would appreciate—”

He cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Regardless of what you thought, you took it upon yourself to do something that resulted in a delay to my schedule.”

She tried not to cringe. He sort of had a point about that. “I apologize. But it will only take me a few more minutes to finish up.”

He squinted at her, eyebrows drawn over tight, dark, piercing eyes. “The little girl who is to occupy this room is due to arrive in just a few minutes with her little pink pony air mattress ready to inflate. Thanks to you, she won’t be able to spend the first night in her new home in her new room.”

Okay. Another good point. But it wasn’t as if there was a shortage of rooms in the house. The place was a downright mansion for heaven’s sake. Another point she wasn’t going to bring up. “Again, I apologize,” she simply repeated. “I’ll just finish up really quickly.”

But he wasn’t listening. In fact, he had stepped aside and was motioning toward the stairs. “Please just leave.”

Jess swallowed past the lump that had now grown to brick size. Damn it. She wasn’t going to tear up and cry. Not in front of this cranky, rude stranger. She’d only been trying to do something nice for a small child. Without a word, she swiftly began to gather her things.

Like the saying went, no good deed and all that.

* * *

Jordan watched the young lady descend the stairs and make a beeline to the door. He thought for sure she’d slam it behind her but surprisingly, she didn’t. Just shut it slowly with a soft click of the handle. But there was no doubt she was in a hurry to get out of the house. Well, who could blame her? After the way he’d behaved just now, it was no wonder she wanted out. He’d almost called her back to apologize as she rushed down the stairs. Perhaps he should have. But it had been such a long day and all he’d wanted to do was check out the new house then take a long shower. Only to find a strange woman hovering about. He rubbed a hand down his face and grabbed his hastily packed overnight bag from the hallway where he’d thrown it. He’d just driven four straight hours, some of it through pouring rain, on the speakerphone for most of the time, dealing with a major proposal with an important investor. He could hardly be blamed for being a little short after finding an unexpected woman in his home upon arrival. Not to mention she’d ruined one of his good shirts. No, he couldn’t really be faulted for the way he’d reacted.

Could he?

Jordan gave a shake of his head. What was done was done. He couldn’t take it back now. There was nothing for it. What was he supposed to do? Find out exactly who she was from the contracting company then try to contact her to apologize? He didn’t have that kind of spare time. And trying to catch up to her now was just downright silly. So why was he entertaining the notion of doing just that? He had to shake off the useless thoughts.

And anyway, Elise was due to arrive with little Sonya in a few minutes and he’d be too busy getting everyone set up for the night in the new place. He barely had time for a shower at this point.

Despite the press of time, Jordan turned to the painted wall of the mural she’d been working on. Now that he was truly looking at it, he had to admit what a work of art it was. Walking over, he studied the painting further, for that was what it truly was—an artistic painting. Full of detail and color, down to the tiny knights on horseback climbing the side of the mountain. She’d done all this freehand. The level of detail was breathtaking. And he’d chastised her for it.

Perhaps an attempt to find her and apologize wasn’t such a far-fetched idea after all.

Despite the overwhelming paint smell, he’d gotten a small whiff of her subtle lilac scent when she’d brushed by him as she left the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d noticed a woman’s scent. He recalled the uncomfortable silence and tension in the air as she’d gathered her things, biting her bottom lip no doubt to try and hide the trembling. That thought had his shame growing.

There was no denying he’d behaved like a complete bastard. No excuse would change that fact. Yet more proof that he didn’t have the temperament or the patience to be the sole guardian of a little girl. But he’d had no choice, had he?

His father’s words echoed through his mind. You have to take her, Jordan. Her mother doesn’t want her. I know how much I’m asking of you.

Well, Martha’s Vineyard was a small island, the major reason they were moving here. The sort of place where everyone frequented the same establishments. Chances were probably quite high that he’d run into the artist again at some point. When he did, he’d be sure to make a genuine and heartfelt apology.

No use beating himself up about it right now.

* * *

By the time he dried off, Jordan had convinced himself even further that he’d be able to make amends. He was bound to run into the young lady one way or another. Not only would he apologize, he would also make sure to compliment her on her clear artistic talent. Maybe he’d even get a chance to explain that he dealt with curt, cutthroat business people every day in his professional life. Sometimes, that curtness spilled over into his own behavior, particularly on days like the one today had been.

The notion of being able to explain himself served to bolster his mood. And it absolutely had nothing to do with the prospect of running into the artistic painter at some point in the future.

He heard the front door open downstairs followed by Elise’s feminine voice announcing their arrival. After throwing on a pair of sweats and soft cotton T-shirt, he made his way downstairs.

“You found the place okay, then?” he asked the nanny, who was in the process of helping Sonya out of her bright pink hoodie.

“Yep.”

“Hey, sport,” he said as he tousled the little girl’s hair. She responded with a simple wave and a small, shy smile. Not that he’d expected it, but a part of him still reeled at the lack of a verbal response. Since slowly and gradually losing her ability to hear, the child had become less and less willing to speak. It was tearing him up inside, despite what all the experts said about such a response being common and expected.

He leaned down to her height and signed that he was happy to see her. That earned him a toothless grin. They were both just recently starting to get the hang of using sign language. Though barely six, Sonya was a quick and motivated learner. In fact, she was picking up on the skill faster than he was.

“She looks tired.” He stood, addressing Elise.

“And hungry. It was a long ride. Though Sonya did enjoy the ferry from the Cape.”

“I saw a pizza place not too far away on my ride over. Hope they deliver.”

“If they don’t, I call ‘not it’ on driving to pick it up. I’ve had enough traveling.”

“Fine,” he relented. “Then after that we’ll get her settled and into bed,” he said out loud but made a cupped hand sleeping motion to Sonya. She nodded in response.

“She’s excited to see her new room,” Elise said. “Can I take her up for a quick look before dinner?”

“There’s a surprise waiting for her there.”

Elise raised an eyebrow with curiosity. Jordan held his hand out to Sonya. “Let’s go see,” he told her, not sure how much she would hear him but knowing she’d understand.

Once they got there, Sonya’s eyes grew wide. She clapped in pure joy when she saw the castle painted on the wall. Another pang of guilt slammed through Jordan’s chest. The beautiful painter had been right all along. Sonya was delighted with the image. She ran over to the wall to take a closer look. Elise had started recording the little girl’s reaction with her mobile phone. Sonya paced along the wall, taking in every detail, smiling in delight.

“That’s amazing,” Elise said behind him. “How thoughtful of you to commission someone to do such a thing, Jordan. Someone obviously very talented.”

If she only knew. An image suddenly flashed in his mind—of a dark-haired beauty in paint-splattered overalls trying desperately to control her trembling bottom lip. Sonya ran back to him and hugged his leg in delight. He could only rub the top of her small head.

“Ank oo,” she said in a tiny, strained voice.

Jordan cursed under his breath as he bit back the sudden choking feeling at the base of his throat. Sonya’s attempt at speaking was such a rare occurrence these days.

Yeah, he owed someone a heck of an apology.

* * *

The little girl was ignoring her. Or she was playing a little game of sorts. One thing was for certain; Jess wasn’t familiar with the child at all, had never seen her before here at the Vineyard Vine’s Children’s Center. Or anywhere else on the island, for that matter. The center provided a central location for all sorts of activities and classes, including child care and creative arts for young children, as well as athletic pursuits such as gymnastics and swim lessons in the regulation-size pool behind the building. Jess had been teaching painting there part-time for the better part of three years. And she loved every minute of it. Perhaps she had a new pupil. The girl’s mother was probably in the office right behind them signing her up for classes.

Jess realized her mistake as soon as she approached the child. She hadn’t been ignoring her at all. The clearly startled expression on her face when Jess reached her side told her she hadn’t heard when Jess had said hello from behind her.

She had a hearing impairment.

Jess had enough experience working with small children that she had a rudimentary knowledge of sign language. Crouching down to eye level with her, she signed hello.

The child’s response was a wide smile and a small wave.

My name is Jess.

The little girl spelled out her name in ASL. Sonya.

Hello, Sonya. I’m so happy to meet you.

That earned her another smile.

Jess pointed to the bulletin board the girl had been staring at when she’d come upon her. Specifically, her gaze seemed to be focused on a flyer announcing the summer play. Jess and a couple of other teachers had volunteered to help the children put together an elementary performance of Mother Goose.

If the girl was new in town, the play might be a perfect way to get her acclimated to her new community. Jess pointed to the caption on the flyer that read Parts Still Available. Then she pointed to Sonya’s chest.

“Would you like to be in the play? There are still spots open, and we’ve only just begun rehearsals. I’m one of the teachers in charge. And we’d love to have you.”

Sonya seemed to understand at least the gist of what Jess was asking her. She tapped her finger on the flyer once more. The little girl’s eyes widened as she pondered the question.

Her impairment wouldn’t be a problem at all, Jess figured. They could certainly adapt a part that would work for her easily enough. At this age, the children were so young, none of them were actually saying many lines anyway.

“What do you think?” Jess asked. “Would you like to be in the play?”

The glass door of the office opened just then and a harsh male voice suddenly boomed behind her. A somewhat familiar voice, at that.

“What in devil’s name?”

She turned to find the last person in the world she’d been expecting here. The cranky grouch from the other night. The one who’d yelled at her about her castle.

Hard to believe, but he seemed even more upset with her now than he’d been then.

* * *

Jordan’s surprise at seeing the young artist again quickly turned to ire when he realized what she was up to. Had she really just asked Sonya to be in some sort of preschool performance? What could she possibly be thinking? To think for a split second, when he’d first seen her out here in this hallway, he’d actually felt grateful at the prospect of being able to apologize for his behavior the other night. As if.

She straightened at his question. “What are you doing here?” she demanded to know, her eyes shooting daggers his way.

Not that it was any of her business, but he responded to her question, the one she’d asked with scorn and derision clear in her voice. As if she should be the one to be outraged in the current scenario. “I’m signing her up for swimming classes.” Jordan wanted to get the errand out of the way first thing after they’d settled in. The L-shaped pool in his new backyard was deep enough to be concerning. Not to mention the Atlantic Ocean a stone’s throw away.

He didn’t really have time to stand here and answer her questions. The woman was a repetitive thorn in his side and he didn’t even know who she was.

It was his turn to demand some answers. “What exactly were you asking her?”

Sonya stood staring at them from one to another. She appeared to be smiling at the exchange.

“First of all, please check your tone. Secondly, I was merely asking Sonya if she wanted to participate in the preschool play. Hardly an unforgivable offense.”

“She doesn’t. She’s not interested.”

Her eyes narrowed on him and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Shouldn’t she have any kind of say in the matter?”

“She’s barely six. Why would you even ask her to make such a decision?”

“Because I teach a class here and also volunteer to put together the annual summer play.” She extended her hand. “I’m Jess. Jessalyn Raffi.”

Jordan shook the hand she offered and introduced himself, reflexively and out of sheer common courtesy, despite his impatience.

The introductions seemed to somehow only further increase the awkwardness.

She cleared her throat before continuing. “Your daughter seemed interested in the flyer and—”

He cut her off. “Sister.”

She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“She’s not my daughter. She’s my sister. And she won’t be acting in some play.”

“She’s your sister?” She sounded incredulous.

“Half sister to be totally accurate.” Jordan rammed a hand through his hair in frustration. Again, none of this was any of her business.

“I see,” Jess responded. “Why?”

Was she serious? “Why is she my sister?”

She gave a small shake of her head. “No. Why don’t you want her to be in the play? I think it would give her a chance to get to know other children. I know you’re new to Martha’s Vineyard.”

If she couldn’t guess why, he wasn’t going to explain it to her.

Between Sonya’s difficulties with her hearing and her reluctance to speak, being involved in a play could open her to all sorts of taunts from the other children.

Damned if he would put Sonya through such exposure and embarrassment.

Not after all that she’d already been through.

CHAPTER TWO

JORDAN WAS FEELING like a heel once more. And Sonya had made it clear she thought he’d acted like one during the entire ride back home from the community center. Perhaps he’d overreacted back there. Again. But something about the woman seemed to be making him act like a curmudgeon whenever he saw her. He couldn’t explain it.

It probably had something to do with the way she’d assumed his sister would want a hand-drawn immaculate castle on her bedroom wall. Or that she’d get some sort of social benefit from participating in a community center children’s play.

But it turned out she was a teacher. So she probably knew quite a bit about school-age children. More so than he did, certainly. Now he could only watch as Sonya was frantically relaying what had transpired at the center to Elise, using hand gestures and a writing pad. When she was done, they both turned to give him glaring looks of disapproval.

He threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, look. I admit I could have handled it better. Especially considering I already chewed her out our first night here.”

They both looked at him in shock. “What are you talking about?” Elise demanded to know.

Damn it. He hadn’t meant to let that slip. Jordan stared up at the ceiling as he explained. “It just so happens, she’s the artist who’s responsible for the castle on the wall upstairs.”

His little sister’s mouth formed a surprised round O. He continued, “Only, I wasn’t expecting to see anyone here at that hour when I arrived and I sort of communicated my displeasure about it.”

Elise swore in some unknown dialect. She was fluent in three languages and he never knew which one she was speaking when she did that. “And you admonished her again today? Simply because she asked Sonya about participating in a play at the children’s center?”

Well, when she put it that way... “Why would Sonya want to be in some silly play?” he asked what he thought was a fairly obvious question under the circumstances.

Elise rammed her hands on her hips as Sonya continued to glare his way.

“Why wouldn’t she?” Elise asked.

Were they really going to make him come out and say it?

He could only glance from one small outraged face to the other adult one. Finally, after several tense moments of silence, Elise spared him from having to answer. She tousled Sonya’s hair and signed for her to go upstairs to wash up before her afternoon snack.

“Look,” she began once the little girl left the room. “I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but you can’t be so overprotective of her. It’s not good for anyone, least of all Sonya.”

She was the only one who dared to talk back to him in such a manner. Not even his merciless business colleagues came close. “After what she’s been through, how can you blame me?”

“The accident was months ago, Jordan. And the doctors keep telling you it had nothing to do with what she’s dealing with in terms of her hearing.”

“But it may have triggered it.”

“They said that’s just a theory. In either case, you’ve upended your whole life with this move in response.”

He shrugged. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help her get through this.”

“Including letting her grow up like any other little girl?”

“But she’s not.”

“Oh, Jordan.”

This was a useless conversation. He was responsible for Sonya now. Damned if he would allow her to be hurt any more than she already had been. Especially considering her suffering may be in part his fault.

“I have work to do,” he told Elise in clear dismissal.

Luckily, she didn’t push, just silently turned away and moved toward the kitchen to prepare Sonya’s snack. But the rigidity of her back made it clear exactly what she thought of Jordan Paydan at the current moment.

Great. Now he’d gone and made three females upset with him, including two who lived under the same roof. That was going to make for a very long dinner and evening.

As far as Jessalyn Raffi, it appeared now that a mere verbal apology would no longer suffice given the repeat offense. Good thing he’d noticed a florist shop near the local pizza place. Looked like he’d be giving it some business in the very near future. In fact, he figured it would probably be wise to order three bouquets considering the total number of females currently upset with him.

* * *

Jess was running late again. Her summer children’s art class she taught would be starting in about half an hour. She wasn’t even inside her classroom yet. Given that some of the children always arrived a little early, she needed to get going already.

But her night had been restless and fretful, full of fanciful dreams that had taken her by surprise. Dreams that involved a dark, tall, enigmatic man with grayish, hardened eyes. It made no sense. But she was torn between outrage at his attitude toward her during their meeting and a strange feeling of intrigue.

Uh-oh. Jess didn’t dare follow this path again. She’d already had her fair share of experience with an overbearing man who was all too quick to dismiss her opinion.

Still, she couldn’t seem to dampen her curiosity. Who was Jordan exactly? Why was he here? Wealthy tourists and seasonal residents flocked to the island every year during these summer months. Everyone from Hollywood megastars to political elites. But not many folks made the vineyard their permanent home. What had made Jordan decide to do so?

And why was he his little sister’s guardian?

Though she only taught part-time, Jess had been around enough children to know that families came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But Jordan and Sonya’s particular scenario definitely had her curiosity piqued.

Right. As if she could actually deny the real reason she was so curious. Something about him called to her in a way she couldn’t explain.

She pushed open the door to the class building and nearly ran into Clara, the center’s director.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come in!” the older woman declared as Jess fought to retain her balance before dropping all her art supplies. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Who’s the mystery man?” Clara asked.

Had she sent Clara a text or email in her sleep during one of her Jordan dreams? The mere possibility of the absurd thought had her horrified.

“Mystery man?”

“Let’s go to your classroom,” Clara simply stated without clarifying anything about what she was referring to. She’d definitely walked into some sort of unexpected mystery this morning. One she didn’t really have time for, Jess thought, glancing at the industrial wall clock hanging above the door.

It all made sense once they arrived in the classroom she usually taught in. An elaborate display of colorful, exotic flowers adorned the entire surface of the long supply table that sat next to her easel.

“Who are they from?” Clara wanted to know.

Did she dare hope? That was silly. Why would Jordan Paydan send her flowers, and such elaborate ones, no less?

“They must have cost a fortune!” Clara declared.

“I—I don’t know.”

Clara gave her a disbelieving look. “Well, go on. Take a look at the card, then.”

Jess slowly set down her paints and charcoal pencils and walked over to the centerpiece—a tall glass vase with a large elegant red bow at its base. A delightful scent of lilies, orchids and lilacs tickled her nose as she approached. The sender must have bought out half of Bower’s Flowers in the center of town. She removed the card and pulled it out of the envelope. Shockingly enough, the flowers were from Jordan. Her mouth went dry as she read the tiny font.

Please accept the flowers along with my apologies for my inexcusable behavior.

Jordan Paydan

She read it again, the words slightly blurred now as her hand was shaking for some strange reason. Simple. Direct. But she couldn’t help but feel touched. He’d gone out of his way during a no doubt stressful and busy move to take the time to send her flowers. Most men would have simply called or waited for an opportunity to present itself. The man she’d been briefly involved with during college probably wouldn’t have even done that much. In fact, she could count on one hand all the times she’d been sent flowers from a man.

Though Jordan had certainly overdone it. A simple bouquet would have sent the same message. A single rose would have, in fact. Jordan was clearly the type who spent an exorbitant amount of money to make a simple apology. An uncomfortable sensation tingled at the base of her spine at that thought.

“Well?” Clara broke into her musings. “Don’t keep me in the dark any longer. This is so exciting,” she said and clapped her hands in front of her chest.

Clara was in for a disappointment. “It’s nothing to be excited about, I’m sorry to say.”

Her smile faded. “But these are gorgeous. It’s such a romantic gesture.”

Jess shook her head. “Hardly. They’re simply meant as an apology.”

“An apology?”

“That’s right.”

“From whom?”

“There’s a new family on the island. They’ve just moved in.” She paused, trying to find the right words to explain how this all came about. “Our first couple of meetings didn’t exactly go well.”

“I see.”

“I’ll have to find a way to tell him all is forgiven,” Jess said, glancing at the card once more. “I think he signed the little girl up for a swimming class the other day. We might have their contact information.”

“Who is it? I did most of the recent sign-ups myself.”

“Jordan Paydan.”

A flash of recognition crossed Clara’s face. “Jordan? Why didn’t you say so?”

“You know him?”

“Most of the locals do. Well, they know of him anyway.”

“They do?” Jess had only lived on the vineyard for about three years. Compared to some of the families who had been here for generations and lived here year-round, she was considered a newbie—barely more than a long-term tourist.

Clara explained, “Jordan’s mother was born here in town and grew up not too far from the center, in fact. She used to take classes as a little girl. Mostly athletics. Quite the gymnast.”

“I had no idea.”

“She left as a young lady and made quite a name for herself as a successful fashion model in New York City. Such a shame what happened.”

Clara definitely had Jess’s full attention now. But she didn’t get a chance to ask as several of her pupils entered the room. Class was due to start in about five minutes.

Clara motioned toward the bouquet. “So nothing romantic behind this at all?” she wanted to know as one child waved to them both and took her seat.

“Not even a little.”

The disappointment that settled behind Clara’s eyes was as clear as the vivid colors of her bouquet. “What a shame. But such a nice gesture on his part.”

Jess simply nodded. Nice. Yes, that was all it was. Jordan was being apologetic and conciliatory by sending her flowers, as beautiful and expensive as they were. Who knew, perhaps he’d run their encounters by a girlfriend or even a wife who’d admonished him and urged him to apologize.

That possibility sent a tightening sensation in the center of her gut. How silly of her. She’d met the man exactly twice under less than cordial circumstances both times.

But she couldn’t deny how intrigued she was by Jordan and whatever his story was. Not many newcomers moved here permanently in general. Though VIPs ranging from politicians to movie stars to famous authors had property throughout the island, not many of them stuck around permanently after the summer months. What had made Jordan come? Why was he taking care of his sister by himself? What had happened to her parents? To his parents? Curiosity about the possible answers dug at her.

More than she cared to admit.

* * *

Jordan had to get out of this blasted study and get some air. Or food. Or something. Though his home office was large and expansive, he was starting to feel a bit stifled. This room was a far cry from the Manhattan high-rise office building he used to occupy. He was successful enough as a venture capitalist now that he could do most of his business out of any office he chose with a few trips into the city throughout the month to meet face-to-face with colleagues as the need arose. But moving to a New England coastal island was still going to be quite the adjustment. He’d done it for Sonya’s sake and he was still convinced that getting her out of New York City was the wise choice.

But now he was feeling restless. What was there to do around here in the middle of the day?

A pair of bright hazel eyes and silky brunette hair flashed in his mind. Had she received the flowers yet? He wondered what her reaction had been when they’d arrived. Did she like the arrangement? He couldn’t count the number of times he’d sent flowers to women throughout his adult life. Never before had he wondered about their reaction.

Truth be told, he couldn’t blame her if she’d taken one look at the card and thrown them out the window. Given the way he’d treated her, it would serve him right. Something told him she wasn’t the type to do such a thing. No, she was more the sort who would give them away to a girlfriend if she didn’t like the flowers.

He’d just been taken by such surprise when he’d walked over to find her asking Sonya about participating in a play. It had nothing to do with his shock at seeing her again. Right. If he repeated that enough, he might somehow convince himself. Damn it. He didn’t seem to know how to act around her. What the hell was his problem? Jordan sighed and stood up abruptly from his desk. His focus was shot; may as well take a walk.

He wasn’t terribly shocked at where he found himself several moments later—outside the red-brick building that was home to the community center. He could see her through the first-floor window. Jessalyn Raffi. She’d introduced herself as Jess at first. Jordan watched as she walked around from table to table, assisting various children with their projects. Even from this distance he could see the splatter of paint on her smock and all over her hands. Her hair was done up in a loose, haphazard bun. There was a gypsy-like, bohemian quality about her he couldn’t help but find intriguing.

Somehow, she even made a smock look sexy.

Stop it!

He gave his head a shake and turned to walk away. But then she suddenly looked up, right in his direction. Damn it. Now he’d been caught watching her. What must she be thinking? He was so far off his game when it came to this woman, he hardly recognized himself. Well, he wasn’t going to turn and walk away. That would look even worse.

He had to do something. A long, shrill bell sounded and the children all suddenly stood up and started picking up their projects. He dared another look at her, bracing for the scorn and derision he’d see on her face. Instead, she smiled at him.

He had to suck in a breath. Jordan made up his mind and started walking toward the entrance before he could give it too much thought.

The last of the children were slowly straggling out to their awaiting parents as he reached her doorway.

He cleared his throat once they were alone. “I was—uh...just out taking a walk.” That was the way, fella. Just dazzle her with some witty conversation. He wouldn’t be surprised if she rolled her eyes at him.

“I’m glad you did,” she responded instead. “It gives me a chance to say thank you.” She gestured to the long wooden supply table that housed the flowers. “They’re lovely. But it wasn’t necessary.”

He shrugged. “I’m glad you like them. And an apology was definitely required after...well, you know.”

She sucked in her bottom lip, the small, subconscious gesture sent a strange bolt of heat through his chest. Then she shook her head in disagreement. “No. As far as the first night, you were right. I had no business deciding what to put on your wall. I wanted to tell you I’m sorry.”

Now she was apologizing to him and it made him feel like a complete heel.

She continued, “It was rather forward of me. It’s just, sometimes I get inspired and don’t think things through.”

For someone like him, it was a novel concept. He’d always been one who preferred structure, planned even the most minute details of a project well in advance. So the next words out of his mouth were so surprisingly spontaneous, he could hardly believe he was about to say them.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

She ducked her head, as if chagrined. “Of course. I’ll be sure to tell Marie that someone needs to head down and paint the eggshell white over the castle. Free of charge, obviously. I’d do it myself but—”

Jordan cut her off with a shake of his head. “That’s not what I meant.”

Her gaze narrowed on him when she looked back up. “It’s not?”

“No. In fact, you mentioned that night that the castle wasn’t quite finished. I’d very much like it if you would complete whatever else you meant to add. And this time, you’ll be paid for your work. It’s only fair.”

“Wow, I definitely did not see that coming,” she stammered, clearly shocked at his proposal.

The truth was, so was he.

CHAPTER THREE

IF SOMEONE HAD told her forty-eight hours ago that she’d be back in this house at the request of the new owner to finish her painting, Jess would have asked them if they had a bridge they wanted to sell her. But here she was, outlining in charcoal pencil the rest of the scene she’d had in mind when she’d first imagined it in her head.

Jordan was in the mansion somewhere and she felt his presence fully, kept looking over her shoulder to the hallway in case he walked past. So far he hadn’t. She had absolutely no reason to feel disappointed by that. It pained her but she had to admit to never before being quite so aware of a man. Not even Gary when she’d first met him. It had taken time for her feelings for her former fiancé to develop. Her only other relationship after Gary could only be described as a summer fling, though she’d been woefully naive in believing it might have led to more. That particular gentleman had simply taken off without so much as a goodbye at the end of the vineyard’s tourist season. All the more reason to squash her current attraction to Jordan Paydan with haste.

Jess returned her focus to her artwork. She was simply here to do a job. Once she got lost in a project, the rest of the world would often disappear. She needed that phenomenon to happen right now. Regardless of the fact that a man she felt more aware of than she ever had anyone else happened to be under the same roof.

The sound of footsteps approaching in the hallway broke into her thoughts. She sensed him behind her and her heart did a small leap in her chest.

“So the moat, then. That’s what you needed to complete,” he said in a smooth, low voice that sent waves of electricity over her skin.

“And the drawbridge,” she told him. “That’s next.”

He walked into the room to stand beside her. A tremble suddenly developed in her hand and she had to force herself to steady it or her lines would be shot. She couldn’t even put her finger on why her attraction to him was just so notable, and there was no denying that was what she felt right now—pure, animalistic attraction. But this time was different, much stronger.

And what did that say about her previous long-term relationship? Had she ever actually felt a quake in her center when Gary had walked into the room? If so, she couldn’t recall. No, she’d admitted to herself long ago that Gary had simply been a grasp at some sort of stability. After the constant upheavals that defined her childhood, she’d been more than impatient to find a grounded life with some semblance of a routine and a steady anchor. So she’d rushed into a relationship that was doomed to fail.

Studying Jordan now, she realized the two men really couldn’t be compared. There really was no comparison. First of all, Jordan had apologized for being rude to her, even if he had done it in a somewhat overblown way by ordering half the flower selection at Bower’s Flowers.

Gary had never once uttered the word sorry, no matter how much in the wrong he’d been during their arguments. Arguments that had only grown more and more frequent after she’d made her decision to leave grad school.

Not to mention Jordan had been trying to protect his little sister when he’d confronted her. Jess couldn’t really take his reaction personally.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Jordan said. “You can’t have a moat without a drawbridge.”

“True.”

He stepped closer to examine her work and the scent of him reached her, a subtle woodsy scent that well suited him.

It was settled. She was way too distracted to keep trying to draw. She tucked her pencil above her left ear and turned to face him. He had on an ocean-blue T-shirt that brought out the dark hue of his eyes and fit him just well enough to see a hardened, muscular chest underneath.

“Do you mind my asking what made you change your mind? About the diorama?” she asked. A disquieting thought had been nagging at her about the whole turnaround since he’d asked and she’d accepted the other day.

He shrugged. “It’s quite a simple answer, really.”

“Which is?”

“You were right. She did like it. Her reaction upon first entering the room was one of pure joy and awe.”

The thought of that made her heart tingle in her chest. Yes! That was exactly why she felt such a calling to do such things, for the joy it would bring to others. Particularly when it came to little children.

“I’m so glad to hear that. And a little relieved.”

“Relieved?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I thought maybe you were just trying to make amends. Like with the flowers.”

He laughed. “No, the flowers were an apology. This was more of a mea culpa. To admit that you were spot-on that day. Sonya did love it when she saw it, exactly as you said. Sonya will be thrilled to see the artwork has been extended.”

“She’s not here?”

He shook his head. “No, Elise took her out to do some shopping.”

Elise. So she’d been right. There was a girlfriend, after all. Maybe she was even more than that. For all she knew, he could actually be married. Hardly surprising given the man in question. Handsome, successful, charming. Men like Jordan weren’t often single. Not for long anyway.

Not that it was any of her business.

“In any case,” Jordan continued. “Thank you for giving up your Saturday to finish up. I know it has to be an inconvenience.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jess responded, somewhat disheartened now that she knew another woman would be returning to the house soon. A woman that shared his house and his ward. And most likely, his bed. “I’m glad I got a chance to finish.” The best thing to do for her now would be to just finish up and then be on her way. Back to her ordinary, staid life where she had to pretend Jordan Paydan did not exist. She pulled her pencil back out. The sooner she made progress on the painting, the better. Then she could start the process of licking her proverbial wounds.

“You’ll have to tell me what Sonya thinks when she sees it,” she said as she went back to work.

“I’m sure she’ll love it. In fact, she’ll be thrilled. She’s a very exuberant little girl.”

Jess couldn’t help but laugh. That was certainly the impression she’d gotten of Sonya during their brief encounter the other day. “It definitely shows just by the sparkle she seems to have in her eyes.”

“I’d say that’s a perfect way to describe my sister. You’re very observant, Ms. Raffi.

“It’s why I thought to ask her about being in the school play.” Jess wanted to kick herself as soon as the words left her mouth. She wished she hadn’t brought the topic up again. Here they were finally enjoying some cordiality. Leave it to her to ruin it.

“Jess,” he began. The way he said her name sent a shiver through her she hoped he didn’t notice. “You have to understand why I’m against such an idea.”

“Perhaps you could let her make the decision.” She literally bit her tongue after the statement. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. There’s that impulsiveness again.”

“Don’t apologize. It appears we both seem to say things to each other that are perhaps better left unsaid.”

“Perhaps.”

He let out a deep sigh. “Well, I should get back to work. I won’t be able to get much done later today seeing as Elise has the night off.”

Jess blinked in surprise and turned back to face him. “She does?”

He laughed. “Don’t look so surprised. Contrary to the initial impression I’ve obviously given you, I do cut my employees some slack and give them time off once in a while.”

Employee.

She couldn’t help the thrill that seemed to suddenly lift her heart at those words. Sounded as if Elise was the little girl’s nanny. Not a girlfriend at all. And certainly not his wife.

Not that it made an iota of difference as far as she was concerned. She’d discovered the hard way that when it came to relationships, Jess still had a lot to learn about herself—between her spoiled engagement and her uncharacteristic fling. Something told her that when it came to Jordan Paydan, the third time would definitely not be the charm.

She gave him a small wave of goodbye as he walked out of the room. What he’d just revealed about this Elise didn’t necessarily even mean he was single. Still, the revelation made her giddier than she would care to admit.

* * *

The figures on his spreadsheet floated across his vision in a blurry mess of numbers. He’d never had this much trouble focusing. His mind kept wandering to the woman upstairs busily painting on his sister’s bedroom wall. He really should have planned this better. Every cell of his being vibrated with the awareness that they were alone in the house together. Elise and Sonya weren’t due back for several more hours.

There was no explainable reason he found himself so attracted to her. For all he knew, Jess was taken. Women like her weren’t typically found wanting of suitors. Though she was nothing like the women Jordan himself usually dated, not that he’d ever been terribly serious with anyone. Nor could he entertain such an idea now.

He’d just spent the better part of a year watching his father being utterly betrayed by his wife. She’d proven how disloyal she was when Jordan’s dad had gotten sick. His own most recent relationship had floundered as soon as the young lady had learned he’d become the guardian of a little girl. Though she’d used the term “saddled.” No, Jordan was in no place in his life right now to embark on any kind of relationship after the past several months.

Besides, his work and his little sister had to be the prime focus of all of his attention right now. With Sonya, there was too much at stake. He’d already done wrong by her on an astronomical level. He didn’t need any kind of distraction. Certainly not a distraction in the way of a perky, bohemian artist with olive skin and rich dark brown hair. He found himself wondering, not for the first time, how that thick luxurious hair would feel if he were to run his fingers through it. If he tugged it gently to bring her face closer to his, to finally reach for that kiss.

Whoa.

So not where he needed his thoughts to wander toward. Not when said artist was literally a floor above him. It would be so easy to come up with an excuse to go check on her again. And he was tempted. Oh, so very tempted. He forced himself to look back down at the spreadsheet, knowing full well he wasn’t going to be accomplishing much.

An hour later his assumption proved correct. He’d barely made a dent in his workload. A soft knock sounded from the other side of his office door.

Jess. No one else was home. He stood and opened the door for her.

She granted him a small smile. Saints above. How did a woman manage to look so tempting in paint-covered overalls and a do-rag bandanna wrapped around her head? Not that the rag was doing much to maintain any control of her unruly locks.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve finished.”

Jordan hadn’t been expecting the feeling of disappointment that meandered through his gut at the announcement. Nor did he anticipate wondering when he would see her next.

“Oh. Well, thanks. Let me just grab my checkbook.”

But she stopped him with a hand to his chest before he could turn away. The contact sent a surge of heat through his core. As if reading his errant mind, she pulled away in haste.

“No, don’t do that.”

“Do you prefer an electronic transfer of funds?”

She shook her head. “No. I mean I won’t accept any money. It was a labor of love. Truly. I’m happy to know Sonya liked it and hopefully she’ll enjoy it even more with the additions made today.”

Jordan felt a moment of uncertainty. Should he insist? He’d never had anyone turn down a fee for rendered services before. The original artwork was one thing, but he’d asked her to come by this afternoon and add to it.

She smiled at his confusion. “It really isn’t necessary, Jordan. You needn’t waste another thought on it.”

What manner of sorceress was this young lady? She beguiled him. Did something to his senses he wasn’t familiar with nor prepared for. Under any other circumstances, despite their clear differences and incompatibility, he might have asked her out. Maybe something as simple as having her show him around this new town he found himself in. And then at the end of the day, they could share a bottle of wine over a cozy candlelit dinner. Then see where things led.

Just. Stop.

Mere moments ago he’d been reminding himself of all the reasons he shouldn’t entertain such thoughts about Jess—or any other woman for that matter.

“I don’t know what to say. I feel like I should pay for all the time and effort you put in.”

Her eyes narrowed on his face. “I assure you, it isn’t necessary in this case. Like I said, I refuse to be paid for a task I initiated and loved doing.”

He’d never actually thought about it that way; wasn’t sure if it even made much sense. “If you’re certain,” he said, giving her a chance to change her mind once more.

“I am. I wouldn’t cash a check if you gave me one.”

Several awkward moments ensued. Neither one of them seemed to know what to say next. Though he felt like kicking himself, he desperately didn’t want her to walk out the door just yet.

“Do you need help gathering your things?” He finally managed to speak a coherent question.

“Uh... Thanks but I’ve already loaded everything into my car.”

“Oh. I guess—I guess you’re all set, then.”

She glanced away, a rosy glow appearing on her cheeks.

But then they both spoke at once, over each other.

“I can see myself out.” Just as Jordan said, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Okay, now the air felt really awkward. He was a successful, accomplished businessman for heaven’s sake. He gave professional presentations and delivered talks to some of the most prominent people in the industry. And here he was stammering, trying to talk to a woman he’d just barely met.

He had to get a grip. And he had to stop focusing on how her curves filled out what should have been a completely unflattering denim outfit. Or how her nose seemed to have just the perfect number of light freckles that he only just now noticed.

This was getting ridiculous. He shook off the wayward thoughts. There was no use for them. He was bound to run into her from time to time. Especially considering Sonya would no doubt participate in many activities at the community center where Jess worked. But he would leave it at that. He owed it to his little sister to make her the number one priority right now. After all, if it wasn’t for him, that precious little girl could still very well have her hearing intact.

“I should probably get back to work, then,” he told her then watched her walk out without another word.

* * *

She certainly was leading a glamorous, adventurous life, Jess thought with sarcasm as she settled onto her couch and pulled her tablet out to find a movie to stream. Unlike her mother.

Martha’s Vineyard had its fair share of pubs and restaurants. There was plenty to do to socialize, particularly in the summer. She’d been invited to head out to one of those spots with a couple of friends in her apartment building. She’d declined. This suited her just fine. Lately, she was getting tired of the weekend routine of staying up all night then missing half the next day sleeping in. Anyway, she needed some downtime. Her emotions had been on a proverbial roller-coaster ride since Jordan Paydan had stridden into town.

Some strange sorcery must have come into play just then because her tablet lit up with a notification of an incoming call. To her surprise, it was Jordan. Probably calling to give her feedback on Sonya’s reaction to the completed diorama. Her mouth went dry and she took a quick sip of water before she could answer.

“Hello,” she spoke into her phone.

“I hope I’m not calling at an inconvenient time,” his smooth, baritone voice asked over the tiny speaker.

Jess glanced down at the capri sweats she wore and her thinned-out ratty T-shirt. Then she glanced at the pint of mint chocolate chip she planned on as her dinner.

“No. Not at all.”

“We were wondering if you were busy later. If you had plans for this evening?”

They were? It took effort to keep her voice from stammering when she answered. “Nothing terribly exciting or urgent,” she managed to say. Quite an understatement that was. Her date with the streaming service notwithstanding.

There had to be some explanation for this phone call. Perhaps it wasn’t even happening. Maybe she was just dreaming it. It was the only theory that made sense.

“Excellent. See, you and I were sort of wrong about Sonya’s reaction to your artwork.”

Jess’s heart sank. That explained everything. He was calling because his sister was less thrilled, apparently wanted something changed.

“Uh, we were?”

“She wasn’t just happy with it. She was thrilled.”

“Oh!” Relief surged through her chest. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

His amusement at her reaction was clear in his voice when he spoke again. “She asked to thank you in person. Like immediately. Any chance you can join us for dinner?”

The offer was so unexpected, Jess was glad she’d put her glass down on the coffee table. No doubt she would have dropped it. “Dinner?”

He hesitated. “We’ll understand if you’d rather pass—”

“No! I mean, I didn’t have any plans for dinner at all. Other than the ice cream. Mint chocolate chip. Which isn’t really a dinner, but sometimes a girl just needs to relax with a creamy frozen treat. Plus, it’s from Bimby’s down the street. Have you been there yet? The best ice cream this side of the Atlantic. And they have all sorts of fun activities. Mini-golf, bumper boats. You should really go. Even a petting zoo!” Oh, dear Lord, now she was rambling like a madwoman.

Thank goodness he couldn’t see the redness that was sure to be coloring her cheeks. He’d just so completely thrown her off guard. Not that she ever felt fully calm or collected when it came to this man.

He chuckled once more. “We’ll be sure to check it out. As for tonight, I’ve just fired up the grill, then Sonya’s going to help me throw together a salad. It should all be ready by the time you get here.”

Jess knew she should decline, knew that graciously turning down his invite would be a good idea. An even better idea would be to resolve to try and avoid Jordan Paydan as much as humanly possible.

And it wasn’t like she was in any state of dress to be seen out in public, in a ratty T-shirt with even rattier capri sweats and fuzzy socks. Why on earth couldn’t she be one of those women who stayed dressed and ready for anything? Rather than one who threw on any old top and a pair of sweats at the first opportunity? Again, so unlike her mom. Jacinda was always ready to go, no matter what the situation called for. Not this again. How many times a day did she have to remind herself not to compare herself to her mother? She’d learned long ago that no one really compared to the woman, least of all her only child. For one, Jacinda wouldn’t dream of living full-time on an island off the Massachusetts coast where most people only came on vacation.

In the end, her self-will utterly failed her. “I’m looking forward to it,” she replied into the phone on a resigned sigh then made her way to the small bathroom of her apartment. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s the least we can do. Especially considering you refused any sort of payment for all your hard work.”

There it was. A reminder that she couldn’t read too much into this invite. Jordan was simply being polite and trying to find a way to thank her since she’d refused his offer of payment. Nothing more than that.

“I can be there in about half an hour if that works.”

“Great. I’ll let Sonya know. She’ll be happy to see you.”

He’d just told her that Sonya would be happy to see her. Not Jordan. Again, it would be silly of her to think otherwise, even for a moment.

“Oh, and Jess?” he asked before she’d disconnected.

“Yes?”

“Bring the ice cream. I’ve always loved mint chocolate chip.”

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