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A Husband's Regret (The Unwanted Series)(43)

By:Natasha Anders


"So, you're free tomorrow?"

She nodded in answer to his question.

"Well, I've selected a few flats for you to view tomorrow. I'll shift  the appointments to the morning, so you can have the afternoon free."

"Thank you." There was really nothing more to be said after that.



Of course, each place he drove her to was more extravagant than the  next. Accommodation in Camps Bay didn't come cheaply, and judging by the  sizes of the so-called townhouses he took her to, none of the places  would range anywhere under eight figures. Since they were remaining in  the area, he'd told Cal that he wouldn't be needed, and for the first  time the family found themselves completely alone. It was an almost  novel sensation for Bronwyn, who had gotten so used to the silent,  hovering presence of the security guys that she felt inordinately  exposed without them at first. But she soon got caught up in the whole  flat-hunting experience

"Bryce," she finally spoke up when she found herself standing in the  living room of the third mini mansion he had taken her to. "These places  are all much too big."

He frowned at that and shook his head.

"I chose them because they all have both ocean and mountain views," he  explained quietly. "I know how much you love both. And this one has a  patio and garden. You enjoy gardening. You haven't had much time for it  recently, but at least you'll have the option. The next place on the  list has a garden and a secure playground for Kayla. The pool is fenced  in and there is ample room for a pet if you ever decide to get that dog  you've always wanted." She hadn't known that he had personally  researched every place that he was showing her. She had assumed that he  would pass the task off onto his assistant, but the level of care and  consideration he'd put into this task, despite his clear reluctance to  have them move out, was touching. She didn't know what to say and  swallowed heavily before turning away to shakily caution Kayla not to  run too fast as the little girl careened from empty room to room.

"The master bedroom will get the sunrise in the morning," he continued  after clearing his throat awkwardly. "And the living room gets the  sunset. I thought you'd like that."





  

"You didn't have to go to so much trouble, Bryce. I know that you don't  want us to leave. I didn't expect you to put so much work into this."

"If you really have to leave me again, Bron, I want to know that you're  safe, happy, and well taken care of. This is the only way I know to  ensure that." She bit her lip uncertainly and he rewarded her with a  grim smile before showing her the rest of the spectacular flat. By the  time twelve o'clock rolled by, he'd shown her seven places, each one  less than five minutes' drive away from his house. He clearly meant to  keep them close by.

"I chose this one because I thought you'd like this," he told her as he  led her to the second floor of the last place. It was an enormous duplex  with panoramic views, a garden, a huge kitchen, four rooms, three and a  half bathrooms, and a second-floor balcony that opened up from the main  bedroom and overlooked the ocean.

He opened a door on the second floor and stood aside to let her enter,  and Bronwyn's breath was sucked out of her body at the emotional sucker  punch he'd just dealt her. It was a small, beautiful conservatory. Two  walls and half of the ceiling were made entirely of glass, one side  facing the ocean and the other the mountain. It was absolutely  beautiful. Her eyes flooded with tears as she realized that Bryce had  chosen this place because he knew how much she would miss their  conservatory when she moved out of the house.

"Do you like it?" he asked, standing behind her as she automatically walked toward the window overlooking the aquamarine ocean.

"It's beautiful," she whispered hoarsely, blinking back tears, before  realizing that he couldn't see her lips. She nodded, keeping her back to  him.

"I knew you would." His voice sounded empty and she turned to see him  reach for his cell phone and tap out a message to someone. Once he'd  completed it, he looked up at her with shadowed eyes.

"I've contacted the estate agent to let her know that I'll be making an offer on this place."

"But . . ."

"It has a garden, views, a fully equipped kitchen, a fenced-in pool,  it's close to the stores and schools, and of course you'll have your own  security detail. It also has this . . ." He indicated one of the  floor-to-ceiling glass walls. "It's perfect for you."

She nodded miserably, watching Kayla tug at her father's trouser leg as  she tried to show him something that she had spotted through the window.  Bryce looked down at his daughter before dutifully following her as she  tugged him toward whatever had caught her attention. Bronwyn furtively  swiped at a few errant tears and moved over to join them at the window.  Her heart, already irretrievably broken, had just crumbled into a  million tiny shards and the sharp little fragments were tearing her  apart.

"Ready to go?" he asked after a few minutes of fawning over Kayla, and  she nodded when he looked up at her. He hoisted Kayla up onto his hip  and rested his free hand in the small of Bronwyn's back as he guided her  ahead of him.

She expected him to drive them directly back to the house but instead he  detoured down to the beachside restaurants that dotted the Camps Bay  coastline, stopping outside one of the smaller places. Bronwyn gasped  when she recognized it and her eyes flew to his profile. Why was he  bringing her here?

"I thought we could grab some lunch," he explained, throwing her an  enigmatic look before unbuckling his seat belt and climbing out of the  safe-as-houses Audi that he now preferred driving.

He rounded the bonnet of the car and held the passenger door open for  her. She unbuckled her own belt and reluctantly got out of the car. He  had Kayla out of her car seat before Bronwyn could react, and he once  again placed his hand in the small of her back in order to gently steer  her toward the familiar restaurant.

"Bryce." She resisted and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I don't want to eat here."

"I've already made a reservation and every other place will be packed at  lunchtime on a Saturday. Besides, Kayla will get cranky if she doesn't  get her lunch soon." Bronwyn cast a skeptical eye over her brightly  smiling daughter, who was happily hugging Broccoli, her well-worn  green-haired little ragdoll.

"Are you hungry, Kayla?" he asked, and Kayla nodded sunnily.

"Hungwy," she replied, and Bronwyn, realizing that she was outnumbered,  bit back any further protests and reluctantly entered the restaurant  where she had first laid eyes on him so long ago.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The restaurant was the same as she remembered it. Of course, the staff  was different but the menu and décor-but for a few small changes here  and there-transported her back to a less complicated time. Bryce  whispered something into their server's ear and sure enough, they were  led to the same table that he had been seated at on that first day. A  high chair was promptly provided for Kayla, and after taking their drink  orders, the server bustled off and left them to stare silently at each  other. Kayla was excited by the new surroundings and picked up her toy  cell phone to tell her cousin "Wees" about it.





  

"Why did you bring us here?" Bronwyn broke the silence with a defeated little sigh, and he shrugged.

"I was feeling nostalgic." No. This had definitely been a deliberate  decision that had very little to do with nostalgia. When he had agreed  to her moving out, she had thought that he was beginning to accept her  decision to get a divorce. This move, however, seemed to be the opening  salvo of a counterattack.

The server returned with their drinks and for their meal orders. Neither  of them had even glanced at the menu, but Bronwyn knew it by heart and  ordered steamed chicken and vegetables for Kayla and chicken Marsala  with mashed potatoes for herself. Bryce kept his eyes pinned to hers as  he directed his order to the hovering server.

"I'll have the milkshake. Chocolate. And the Brie and bacon burger." The  young man, clearly a much better server than she had ever been,  reconfirmed their orders before leaving.

"Bryce, I'm not sure what you're hoping to achieve here but . . ."

"You were standing over at that table when I first saw you." He pointed  toward a nearby table and she blinked over at it. "You had this look of  utter panic on your face. I'd been to this restaurant several times  before and knew that if you were serving at that table, then you were  probably working this whole section. That's why I requested this table."

"You requested this table?" She gaped at him in disbelief, absently  picking up Kayla's bright-pink toy phone when she dropped it on the  table and handing it back to her so that she could continue her  make-believe conversation. Bronwyn had always assumed that he'd been  placed at one of her tables by chance.