Lainie murmured her promises as she hugged each of them. She held onto Olivia the longest.

They didn't notice Rick come in until he towered over them. He wore an unsure look that didn't suit him at all. "Good morning, ladies."

"You have some nerve showing your face around here." Gwen hissed at him, looking like she was about to jump up and claw.

He scowled at her.

Lainie edged away. "I was leaving anyway. I'll call you, Olivia."

Rick put a hand on her arm. "Wait a minute. Before you leave, I wanted to apologize. I-"

"You were protecting Olivia, and you were misled." Lainie covered his hand with hers. "There's no fault in that. I really have to go now." With a faint smile at them, she briskly left.

Surprisingly, Olivia felt sad for Parker. He'd lost the best thing that had happened to him in thirty years.

Gwen and Rick's bickering brought her back to the moment. "I'm outta here," she said loudly, cutting in. "I have a store to open."

Walking her out, Eve glanced back at the quarreling couple. "What's with those two?"

"Repressed s.e.xual tension." Olivia left, Eve's warm laugh following her out the door.

Olivia let herself in Romantic Notions. She left the door unlocked. It was close enough to opening time to not bother with it. She started her routine of straightening the store while the credit card machine and register booted. She was getting out the cash from her safe when she heard someone walk in.

Frowning, she emerged from the back to find Parker looming in the doorway. He was thoroughly cataloguing every detail of her store.

She felt herself puff up, ready to defend what she'd worked so hard for. But before she could open her mouth, he turned to her and said, "Elaine was right. What you've created is impressive."

She snapped her mouth shut. What could she say to that?

He walked toward her, cautiously, as if he didn't want to scare her in flight. His pale eyes watched her, and in them she could read determination. And loneliness.

She hadn't planned the next words that fell from her mouth. "Why did you leave me with Gran?"

He stopped. Silence stretched uncomfortably between them. She didn't think he was going to answer when he finally said, "You're very much like your mother."

She frowned. That wasn't an answer. She was about to protest when a memory from her childhood flashed in her mind.

She must have been four years old or so. Her parents were in the kitchen. It was past her bedtime, but she was thirsty and wanted some milk. She pretended she was Catwoman, slinking to the doorway. She peered around the corner. Her dad's hands were in her mom's long, blonde hair. He looked up and saw her. Her breath caught in her throat. He winked at her and hugged her mom tight. She knew she was supposed to go back to bed, but she turned around one last time to catch him caress her mom's face before he tipped her head back for a kiss.

Through child's eyes, a kiss was a kiss. Now, replaying the memory, she saw the kiss for what it was-the deep, all-encompa.s.sing love of a man for a woman. Complete rapture.

Like what she felt for Michael. And she knew first hand what it felt like to have it ripped apart.

She stared at her father, for once seeing past her own hurt to his. She hated it when her grandmother was right.

She took a deep breath and took the plunge. "I don't know what you want from me."

"Just another chance."

"I won't be manipulated again. Try it and I'm gone, faster than you can say 'take two.'"

"Fair enough."

She shook her head. She'd spent so many years angry at him. "I'm not sure I can do this."

"Olivia, I'm only asking you to meet me halfway."

It was the earnestness in his eyes that got to her. She nodded. She could manage halfway.

She stood there, unsure of what to do next. It seemed like they should close the deal somehow, but a handshake seemed cold and a hug was too intimate too fast.

He reached out and ran his thumb down her cheekbone. Just like he used to do when she was little. Her heart began to thaw, and she thought maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.

Chapter Thirty-three.

Lainie looked out into the sea of people. She couldn't find Olivia.

It didn't make sense. She'd talked to Olivia just that morning to confirm her arrival time. Olivia wouldn't forget her.

Someone jostled her from behind. Clutching her carry-on, she moved out of the way.

She scanned the crowd again, looking for a tall brunette with a bold sense of style. Her eyes widened when she found someone of that description.

Everett.

She turned to the wall, pressing a hand to her chest. She was going to hyperventilate.

"Elaine."

Collecting herself, she turned around slowly. "h.e.l.lo, Everett. I didn't expect you here."

Actually, she hadn't expected to ever see him again.

He examined her with a vague frown. "Are you alright? You look pale."

"I always looked pale."

"No." He brushed a finger down the side of her face. "You're usually creamy."

She knew she had to be goggling at him but she couldn't help it. His hand cupped her chin and tilted her head up.

"Elaine, forgive me."

"Why?" Blunt, yes, but she wasn't going to let him play games with her again.

"Because I need you. More than I ever imagined." His thumb rubbed her lower lip.

She cleared her throat and pushed up her gla.s.ses. "You finally realized this now? After seven years?"

"I'm a slow learner." He lifted her gla.s.ses, folded them carefully, and put them in his pocket. His hands framed her face. His thumbs rubbed under her jaw so she wanted to purr. "The past couple weeks without you have been h.e.l.l. More than not being where you're supposed to be, you've haunted me. I tried to get rid of your scent from my office but nothing would cover it."

"You did?"

"Foolish, I know. I should have realized I had the wrong solution."

"You did?"

"The clear answer was to bring you back."

"Do you want me back?" Hope filled her chest-or maybe it was love.

He gazed at her earnestly and smiled. "With all my heart."

Chapter Thirty-four.

Olivia looked at the clock for the hundredth time. It was four o'clock. Lainie's flight arrived fifteen minutes ago.

She suppressed a frisson of guilt and told herself everything was going to be fine. After all, it wasn't like she abandoned Lainie at the airport-she'd sent a reliable ride in her place. She just hoped Lainie wouldn't turn and run at the first sight of her father. She hoped Lainie would forgive her meddling.

Olivia glanced at the clock again. She may have planned this, but it was up to her father to carry it off.

She crossed her fingers.

Stepping out from behind the counter, she walked to the door to flip the open sign over. Closed. And she wouldn't be opening back up for a while.

"Olivia, dear, I think I need a bigger size in this contraption."

Olivia grinned at the distress in Peachie Johnson's voice. After fifty-some years of wearing only cotton undergarments, albeit high-end, Peachie wanted to surprise her husband with something special. "To put the kick back into things," she'd whispered to Olivia.

"Be right there." Olivia grabbed a larger size in the peek-a-boo bra from the back and took it to the fitting room. "Here you go, Peachie."

The older woman cracked open the dressing room door. "You're a sweetheart."

Olivia heard the front door open and close. Frowning, she started for the floor. "I'm sorry. We're closed-"

She broke off abruptly as she saw Michael in the doorway of her store. Stunned, she stood there and stared.

"h.e.l.lo, Olivia."

She closed her eyes and let his voice rumble through her. She waited to feel anger, bitterness, disappointment. All she felt was longing and sadness.

She'd missed him.

But it was too late.

She opened her eyes. "I'm surprised to see you. What are you doing in San Francisco?"

"Olivia-"

"Olivia, dear, this is the one. Harry is just going to keel over when he sees me in this." Peachie halted abruptly. "Oh dear."

"I have just the thing to go with this too." Olivia took the lingerie from the woman's hand and quickly rang her up.

As she was leaving, Peachie leaned close to Olivia. "Honey, you wear something like this"-she patted her goodie bag with a wink-"and that boy won't stand a chance."

Olivia bolted the door behind her. She turned around to find Michael closer than she expected. Much closer.

"Why are you here?" She wished her voice wasn't so husky but she couldn't help it. From this close, she could smell the leather of his jacket mixed with the scent of him and it was driving her crazy. She wanted to pin him down and nuzzle his neck to get closer to it.

He took another step so they were toe to toe. "To do this."

She only had time to think his eyes are so blue before his lips touched hers. The instant they met, her arms automatically went around his neck. His hands slipped under her sweater, warm against her skin and she arched into them.

She broke away from him abruptly, stepping back so she could breathe. His lips glistened and his eyes were hot with pa.s.sion.

Pa.s.sion was good but it wasn't enough.

She shook her head. "I can't do this again."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yes." He raked his hair back. "I didn't come here for this."

"You didn't?" She tried not to pout.

His lips tipped up just a little. "No. I came to give you this." He reached in his pocket and pulled something out.

Her breath caught when she realized what it was. A locket. She looked closer. It couldn't be- It was. It was her locket.

Tears filled her eyes and the glittering necklace blurred. She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at it.