Page 55 of An Heir Made In Hawaii (Hot Winter Escapes)

“One step at a time. Yes, it might be hard for her. Whether she forgives or not is up to her. But,” Helen added softly, “she sounds like a woman capable of such forgiveness. Give her the chance to choose.”

Nicholas squared his shoulders. The inn gleamed like a jewel on the southern shores of the lake.

“I told her once that I don’t lose.” Determination hardened in his veins. “I certainly don’t intend to start now.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ANIKAWALKEDTHROUGHthe lobby of the inn, smiling at a couple of the guests clustered by the roaring fireplace. Lori, one of her new hires, walked by with a tray of tea and biscuits.

Everything was running smoothly. Anika hadn’t yet told the staff about the pending sale to the Hotel Lassard. She would eventually, and hoped that her requirement that the hotel retain all of her staff while providing them with a generous pay raise would soothe any concern they might have.

It was funny, she thought as she walked to the tiny little nook at the back of the kitchen that overlooked the lake, she had expected to feel sadder about finally signing her name on the contract. Instead, all she had felt was relief. There would be some sadness. She would miss things like arranging excursions for the guests, growing the inn the way Marija and she had dreamt about. But she wouldn’t miss the day-to-day operations, like having to get up in the middle of the night if a guest needed her or reviewing the books and making sure all of the accounts balanced.

A yawn escaped. She was exhausted, but every time she closed her eyes at night and tried to fall back asleep, her mind raced. She had hurt Nicholas. All because she didn’t want him to hurt her first. Because she was scared of falling deeper in love with him when he continued to hold back. Because she hadn’t been patient enough to give him time. Perhaps they would have realized that they weren’t meant to be together. But perhaps, with more time and patience on her part, it could have been something beautiful.

Her eyes drifted back toward the trees that separated the Hotel Lassard from the Zvoncek Inn. Should she reach out to him? Give him space? Or accept that, whether or not she was open to trying a little longer, he was done?

The thought tightened her throat and she turned away. If that were the case, she would do what she always did—adapt and move forward. Perhaps she and the baby could go somewhere else where she could take on a role that combined the things she loved. Maybe a job in marketing or excursions, with fewer demands on her schedule allowing her to be fully present as a mother. That and, as the baby grew, time to travel, to share adventures with her little one.

All thoughts for another time, she decided. For now, she would focus on waiting to hear back from the Hotel Lassard’s lawyers. She had sent the contract through the business channels, even though part of her had wanted to reach out to Nicholas to explain why she had finally decided to sign.

As painful as it had been, her conversation with Nicholas had opened her eyes to how she was hanging on to something that needed to be let go. The inn was not her family. Yes, it represented a rich history, and yes, it had been Marija’s dream. But it wasn’t hers, and Marija had always been nothing if not supportive of Anika going after her own dreams. Keeping herself tethered to the inn out of a sense of loyalty was not what herbabicawould have wanted, and certainly not the right fit for Anika or her child.

Letting go of her pride and placing the inn in the hands of someone she trusted to do it justice was the hardest thing she had done to date. But it was the right thing.

Suddenly restless, she slipped on her red boots and gray coat and slipped out the back door. Snow crunched underfoot as she drew closer to the dock. Steam drifted up from the water, creating a hazy, magical mist. Brilliant sunshine, so bright it almost hurt, made the world glow white. In the distance, the church spire stood proudly against the sky.

Her pulse beat in her throat, each hard thump making it harder to hold back her tears. A week before the grand opening, Nicholas had suggested going out to the island. But she’d already scheduled the handyman for more work on the inn, including some projects she’d needed to walk him through.

Next time, she had promised.

She tilted her head back and looked up at the brilliant blue sky. What could they have been if she had asked him to stay in the hospital room? What could they have been, not just as parents, but as a couple, as partners, if he could let go of his past and she could have not been so damned stubborn?

A crunch sounded behind her. Irritated that a guest was intruding on her grieving, she swiped a hand at her cheek in case any wayward tears had escaped and turned around.

Her heart stopped. Nicholas stood in front of her, mere steps away, dressed in black pants and a black winter coat, the red scarf he’d worn the day he’d helped her with the porch wrapped around his neck. The black reminded her of what he’d worn that fateful night in Kauai when they’d danced on the patio with the wild ocean roaring just beyond the cliffs. She’d thought him a demon then, or perhaps even the devil.

But now, as she looked at the handsome face that had become so familiar to her, and felt the pain in his eyes as if it were her own, he reminded her more of a fallen angel.

“Sorcha.”

She blinked. Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was not it.

“Sorcha?” she repeated.

He took a step closer, his movements slow, as if he were afraid she’d run away at the slightest provocation.

“It means ‘bright’ or ‘radiant.’ Scottish, although it’s used in Ireland, too.”

The tiniest flame of hope flickered to life in her chest.

“I’d have to think about it. But I like it.”

“And Geoffrey if it’s a boy,” he said as he moved closer still. “Geoffrey David Lassard.”

She swallowed hard. “Now, that one I don’t have to think about. It’s perfect.”

Slowly, he reached up, cupping her face the way he had in the hotel hallway, with such tenderness it made her want to weep.

---