Page 67 of Flynn

Bert nodded. “Be careful.”

“I have a hell of a lot to live for now, so caution is the name of the game.” Finishing his drink, he pushed back his chair. “Stay and have a meal. On me. They serve the best-sliced duck I have ever tasted.”

“I think I might.”

With a nod, Flynn left him, ordered the meal, and left. He had just stepped outside when a familiar figure appeared before him. Gracie had her head down and did not notice him until she was almost on top of him.

“Flynn.” Her lovely face lit up in surprise, and her blue eyes turned warm. He took her hand and guided her out of the doorway as a couple entered.

“Gracie.” He could not believe he was standing here with her and felt nothing. She was just a beautiful woman who had shattered his life. Now, she meant nothing to him. “How are you?”

“Fancy seeing you here.” She touched his arm lightly, disappointed he had let go of her so quickly.

“I was meeting someone.”

“A business meeting?”

“Something like that. What are you doing here?”

“Having dinner with a friend.” She was hoping he would ask for sex, and when he didn’t, she quickly masked her despair. “I have been trying to get hold of you.”

“I have been busy.”

“With her.” The pain was there in the tightening of her coral-painted lips. “You moved on very quickly.”

“You moved on quicker.” he reminded her. “With my uncle.”

“Are you ever going to make me forget my mistake?” she asked huskily, eyes imploring him to understand.

“Was it, though?” He smiled at her and realized that he did not harbor an ounce of bitterness towards her. Noticing that she was shivering inside her cashmere jacket, he indicated they should enter the foyer, where padded chairs were available for paying patrons waiting for their reservations.

“It was.” Turning to face him, she pleaded with her eyes. “I was swept away by him, dazzled by his charms and lonely.” Her voice had a funny little catch to it. “You were always gone, busy with your designs and buildings.” her eyes sparkled with tears. “I fell in with your uncle because he was there and said the right things.”

Flynn realized that she was being sincere. He knew his uncle’s reputation with the opposite sex and that he could be charismatic when needed. Flynn had seen him at work and even admired his strategy until he had decided to use it on the woman he had considered marrying.

Looking at her now, he also realized she was easily swayed and had no idea what love was. Ryleigh was so different. His heart was pretty bursting inside his chest as he reflected on the woman he had fallen helplessly and irrevocably with. She was strongly opinionated and fiercely independent. He loved that about her.

“It’s in the past,” he told Gracie now, his expression one of contemplation as he stared at her. He had admired her delicate beauty and marveled that a woman like her would be attracted to him. He had been taken in by her grace and her position in society. Now, he realized that none of that mattered.

“I want your forgiveness.’ She was almost weeping, her blue eyes shimmering.

“You have it,” he responded, and he meant every word. “It’s funny,” he mused. “When I found out about you and Lionel, I wanted to beg you to tell me where I had gone wrong, what you saw in him that wasn’t in me. It shook my confidence.” A smile played around his lips as he continued to stare at her.

“Now I know it does not matter that you both did me a gigantic favor.” he breathed. “I have found someone who -” He shook his head with a whimsical smile. “I love her.” he continued simply.

“My entire life revolves around her, and what seemed like the worst thing that ever happened to me before is what led me to her. My epic love.” he laughed softly.

“So, yes, I have no problem forgiving you.”

She stared at him and felt her heart aching. “You never looked that way whenever we were together. There was always something missing. That’s the reason why I turned to someone else.” She shook her head. “That’s no excuse-”

“It was a reason.” he nodded in understanding. “But you could have come to me, talked about your feelings, what I was doing wrong. Why didn’t you?”

“I was afraid.”

A frown touched his brow. “Of me?”

She nodded. “You were always so driven and had this no-nonsense attitude about everything. You made something out of nothing.” She spread her hands wide. “Lionel was always talking about his genius nephew, how you could turn straw into gold, and that was intimidating.

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