The Boss's Baby Affair(61)

“How awful.”

“Not that awful.” Nick tipped his head in the direction of the baby sitting on the towel in front of them. “It gave us both Jennie.”

The distance she’d sensed between them when he first came out had gone.

“And I met you.” Nick gave her a bittersweet smile. “That would never have happened if not for Jilly.”

Before Candace could respond, he’d risen to his feet.

“I’d better get back to work. I have several appointments this afternoon about the company’s expansion into the South Island and the sooner I get them over, the sooner I can be home again.” He paused, and then said, “Perhaps we can go and see your mother on the weekend. I’d like to meet her.”





Fourteen





“Oh, you’ve brought Jennie back for a visit.” Catherine Morrison stood in the open doorway of her large sunny bedroom. “Come, bring her stroller in.”

The first thought Nick had on meeting Candace’s mother was that Jennie had been here before. The second was that he could see where Candace had gotten her lovely gray eyes. And that led him to realize that Jennie would, in all probability, be blessed with a pair of angel eyes, too.

His final realization was that Catherine had no idea Jennie was her granddaughter.

“Jennie fell asleep in the car, and we managed to get her into the stroller without her waking. Mom, this is Nick Valentine,” said Candace.

Catherine inspected him curiously, and then smiled, a lovely gentle smile that reminded him immeasurably of Candace. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

“Sit by the window, Nick.” Candace pointed to a sofa covered with roses. “Mom can sit next to you. I’ll sit on the bed.”

“We could go down to the lounge,” suggested her mother. “There’s a lot more space down there.”

Candace wrinkled her nose.

“The lounge was full of people playing bingo.” Nick grinned conspiratorially at Catherine. “It will be too noisy to talk.”

Catherine nodded slowly. “I’d forgotten about the bingo.”

“We’ll take a walk down to the roses a bit later.” Candace perched herself on the bed, Jennie’s stroller beside her.

“You like roses,” Nick said to the older woman.

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, yes…but you could’ve guessed that from my room.”

Glancing around, Nick took in the design of the sofa, the creamy white roses in the vase on the dresser and the photo of a pale pink, old-fashioned damask rose printed onto a canvas block that hung above the bed. Jilly’s work. He studied it. The photograph revealed all the best sides of Jilly. Her femininity. Her passion for beauty. He could see why Candace had chosen it for her mother.

“That was my birthday present. Candace chose it for me.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Do you know Candace well?”

“Mom—”

“Are you…” Catherine’s voice trailed away and she glanced at Candace. “What does one call it these days? He’s too sophisticated to be called a boyfriend.”

Candace had gone bright red, and Nick started to smile. Then he took pity on her. “You can tell your mom if you want.”

“He is your boyfriend.” Catherine looked delighted. “You were so sad when you came back from your trip, I thought you’d had your heart broken.” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”

Nick quickly reassured her. “I didn’t break her heart.”

“Mom—” Candace got up from the bed and crossed over to perch herself on the arm of the sofa beside her mother. “I have to apologize to you. I’ve been keeping a secret from you. There was no trip. I agreed to help a woman—have a baby. I agreed to donate my eggs and carry the baby for her. Part of the agreement was that I’d keep it a secret. I should’ve told you.”

Catherine made the connection immediately; she glanced at the stroller and back to Candace. “Jennie is your daughter.”

She touched Candace’s hand, and Nick’s throat closed at the tender empathy in the gesture. How different Jilly’s life could’ve been with a mother like Catherine.

“It must’ve hurt terribly to give her up,” she was saying.

Candace’s eyes glimmered with unshed tears. “It did. But she had parents who wanted her.”

Nick thanked her silently for that.

“But you’re looking after her…is that a good idea, darling?”

“Her mom died. She needs me.”

The simple words rang out in the room.

Nick faced the truth of them. Jennie needed Candace. So did Catherine. And so did he. Candace brought light and sunshine into all their lives.