Years

hauffeur waited, glancing through the rear mirror at his

forward, holding an umbrella and pulled op

ling.” He informed h

and blinked at him in confusion for a few secon

of shopping bags in both arms and got out, shutting the door with he

, who hurried forward to

d to finally be rid of the b

g in the open cafe. Shall I ta

lease.

towards the cafe at the s

s her family’s pride and joy. She followed a succession of exquisite walkways and escalator

owards where Erin’s mother sat,

s made up cheeks then flopped into the vacant seat opposite. “Nicky insi

ughter. “Hello darling. I just got here myself

r who appeared at her elbow. She ordered a

m shop to shop, watching her try on a dozen outfits, all the while Nicky had kept up an excited chatter, whi

ut short by a call from Nicky’s fi

ce while studying her daughter, noting the tired circles under her eyes and the t

d. “And like I keep telling you, I’m fine. Besides I have b

hat tense.” Her mother pursed her lips in disapproval. “I am going to have a word with your

ometimes her mother treated her like she was still s

s oversee the kitchen staff, not much work is it? Look, I promise t

that man of yours anyway, Luke was it?” She watched the flush of anger that s

Luke last night in his apartment. Pain and anger struggled for control, the memory of the hu

the past year, but in her defense, she’d been swamped with work as the hotel had been playing host to a group of

ret her decision for one minute. Her family always came first and if Luke did not un

a deep sip of her iced tea, glad to have something to distract her fr

ed to settle down soon dear. Look at Nicky, you two are the sa

g married isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. We all can’t ha

when she chose to be and it would not do to push her buttons. Victoria

. “He had to leave for Chicago on business..something

“Is there a problem with the stock market? I

that someone was persuading shareholders to sell

ing out the copy of The Cosmopolitan she’d stuffed

did a double take and reaches for

with an implacable look, those eyes hauntingly familiar, eve

usiness suit, dark hair immaculate

, ’The Perfect Blend of

feature hailed Ethan as America’s sexiest entrepreneur, starting with a small constructio

the magazine back on the tabl

ter that ill-fated dinner. Erin’s lips twisted, recalli

r her cousin. No man, who claimed to be in love, would simply let his w

ing Nicky. Eventually, Nicky had moved on, meeting Ryan Silver

oked up, alarm washing over her a

feet and crossing to her mother’s s

orce words out from her constricted throat. Finally she m

*

hospital bed, gazing at h

trembling with the force of her emotions. “We’ve

d strained, though he put up a

rom the breathing tubes he’d had to endure for the past four days.

Leave your father be Erin. He needs t

port from our stock brokers saying that someone had been approaching Gosling shareholders and making irresistible offers in return for their shares and had

her’s words. How was it even possible that such a massive buyout had been go

sling Hotels belonged to the famil

l and tired, even worse was the look of defeat in those eyes, so like her own. She had never seen him this way before.

n. Erin recognized the craggy pale face and mane of gray

gathering and his boss lying on the

her husband, taking his limp hand in both of hers. Since her mother was not going to reply, Eri

by way of acknowled

proper to bring up the discussion while Harold was still wea

l holds a majority of shares, fifty-six percent to be exac

he gaped at the lawyer, distrusting her ears. “Did

her reaction to the name. “Yes, Holbourn Enterpr

s words as her brain screamed t

lt her legs turn to jelly. Mercifully, there was a seat n

running through the possibilities. Holbourn...Ethan’s company ha

chosen to spring this after nearly five years of virtual

in her mind and she shivered at the memory of those

ld shock, looking up to find them all watching her with varying expressi

her purse while aware they were watching her in surprise. “I have to go out,

red looks thrown her

e him directions then sat back as the driver pu