Harlequin Romance March 2021 Box Set Cara Colter (the mitten read aloud TXT) 📖

a no-win situation. If I’d told Frances the truth she’d have cancelled the wedding. And I knew Donna would never take me back again.’

You think?

‘There was everything to lose. What was there to gain in telling the truth?’

‘A daughter?’

He sighed a gusty sigh and it was all she could do to suppress a shudder. He hadn’t wanted a relationship with her back then and he didn’t want one now. He wanted a relationship with her inheritance.

‘I’m a reformed character, Callie. I’ve wondered and thought about you every day. And here’s my chance to finally make amends.’

‘You’re wrong.’ She stood. ‘I could never have a relationship—any kind of relationship—with a man like you.’

She turned and strode out without a backward glance.

* * *

Owen slid a homemade pizza onto the table, along with garlic bread and a green salad, but Callie made no move to put any of it on her plate. Not even so much as a lettuce leaf, though she’d barely eaten a thing at lunch. Her eyes had lost their customary sparkle, her lips drooped at the corners, and her pallor caught at his heart.

He slid into the seat opposite. ‘Lissy claims this is the best pizza in all of New York.’

Callie started, and blinked before seizing a slice of pizza and piling salad onto her plate. ‘It looks delicious.’

But she didn’t start eating.

He grabbed a slice of pizza too. ‘Callie, I know Richard’s revelation has come as a huge shock, but you need to eat something.’

She shook herself. ‘Absolutely.’ She speared lettuce with her fork and put it into her mouth, chewed and swallowed. Biting into the pizza, she did the same—chewing and swallowing mechanically—but he doubted she tasted a thing.

She didn’t wax lyrical about his pizza-making skills or give him exaggeratedly over-the-top compliments. He didn’t need them, of course, but it was out of character, and he watched her in growing concern.

Her shock didn’t appear to be easing. In fact, it was as if she had a ticking time bomb inside her, waiting to explode. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be fine.

Except he couldn’t guarantee that, could he?

When she realised he was watching her, she pasted on a smile. ‘I’m trying to work out how best to frame this revelation in my little documentary.’

He tried to hide his horror. ‘You’re going to make that revelation public?’

‘It’ll hardly be public. It’s just for the interview. It’s not like I’m putting it out there on social media.’ She thrust out her jaw. ‘Besides, I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of. Making it public won’t hurt me.’

‘But what about your mother? What about Frances?’

She shot to her feet, fury suddenly glittering in her eyes. ‘Why the hell should I protect Frances? After what she did to my mother…’

She strode away from the table, giving up all pretence of eating, and he did too. He watched her carefully, waiting for her tears to fall; ready to pull her into his arms and give her whatever comfort he could the moment she needed him to. This had been such a shock. It had rocked him to the soles of his feet. And it had to be ten times worse for her.

She stood with her back to him, hugging herself, and his heart went out to her. Before he could move across to pull her against him, she spun around.

‘If you still want to buy the apartment block, Owen, then feel free to start proceedings. I’m not accepting anything from that woman.’

That woman being Frances, he presumed.

He did what he could to drag a steadying breath into his lungs. ‘Callie, I know you feel betrayed, but can’t you see that Frances was as much a victim of Richard’s manipulations as your mother?’

‘Really?’ She folded her arms and stuck out a hip. ‘Tell me how you’d feel if this situation ever occurred between your mother and Lissy?’

His head rocked back.

‘What? You don’t think it could ever happen?’

‘Not while Jack’s alive,’ he croaked.

She glanced away. He saw the way her fingers dug into her upper arms and was afraid she’d leave bruises.

‘Callie, both Donna and Frances were wrong about Richard—but, like you said, everyone makes mistakes in love. Frances paid a heavy price for hers.’

‘She chose a man over her own daughter—her own flesh and blood. I wouldn’t expect my mother to ever forgive her, and what’s more I don’t blame her. I don’t forgive her either.’

‘It’s not your injury to forgive.’

She blinked.

‘The harm was done to your mother, not you. But that’s beside the point. I just don’t want you making a decision you might come to regret once you’ve had a chance to mull things over and think about it with a clearer head.’

She slammed her hands to her hips. ‘If I follow your logic, I should give Richard the benefit of the doubt too. After all, maybe he just made a mistake as well?’

In her anger, she was twisting his words. ‘We both know the man is a predator—’ his hands clenched ‘—a loathsome worm.’

‘Exactly. And maybe Frances was too!’

With a superhuman effort, he reined in his temper. Callie was in shock and lashing out.

‘Until today you’d started to develop a fondness for Frances. You know she wasn’t all bad. She was duped by a cad who—’ he searched his mind for a way to reach her ‘—stole her power.’

She pointed a finger at him. ‘That’s exactly what I’m trying to get back—my power. I refuse to let Frances or Richard or…or anyone else stop me from doing that.’

Including him? Was that what she meant? Was that what she thought he was trying to do?

‘Dominic stole my power when he had me fired.’

‘You weren’t fired!’ He didn’t know why he yelled the words, knew only that he couldn’t help himself. ‘Your contract wasn’t renewed. There’s a difference.’

‘A mere technicality!’ She hitched up her chin. ‘You want to know why he did it?’

She’d gone so suddenly still his mouth went dry. ‘Why?’

‘He