"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.