The Taste of Hope
The caravan stopped in the driveway of the Lance-Trace mansion. It took all that she was for Amber not to jump out of the SUV and dash up the stairs. She was taking the situation very seriously, but she was also tired of operating on someone else's schedule. She picked up her phone and looked at BonBons Sereins' baking schedule. Once again, her manager had scheduled everything well—and without her.
All because her sister had decided that Dan was her next best choice – and Dan had wanted to see if it could true.
She sighed and put her phone back in her handbag. Dan jumped out of the SUV and helped her out. She fought again not to hold his politeness against him—opening doors, pushing in her chair, standing beside her to show support. All things she had dreamed of and yearned for. Now it just seemed like him forcing an issue, trying to make her believe how much he had changed.
But who really changes—completely or that quickly?
She walked into the house with a smile. She had always loved this house. It always felt like her father and grandfather giving her tight bear hugs. It was a beautiful house, and part of her had wanted to gift it away and pretend she never even knew it. Pretend that it was something owed to Dan for time served. She rolled her eyes at herself. She had truly been an idiot.
She went to the room she was using. It was a large blue and chocolate room with a huge bed of carved, soft chocolate wood. The room was actually one of her favorites; it had an incredible view of the lawns. She quickly undressed, the guards' flashlights appearing as soft yellow circles outside the darkly tinted windows. She showered, dressed in a comfortable satin lounge suit, grabbed her laptop, and went to the attached sitting room.
She sat in a huge armchair made of soft cotton fabrics and stuffed with the softest materials she had ever sat on. She began working by looking at Blue Serene's financials. The money Dan was investing was staggering, and the deal he was working out favored Blue Serene and not him.
More of him trying too hard. Amber almost scoffed. The man thought he could buy her back. She sighed. She needed his help, there was no denying it, but should she fall back into old routines to save her enterprise? She approved the final offer and sent it back to Julia. She then began working on recipes, looking at their high sellers and what did not sell at all. There was a small, tentative tap on the door.
She told him to come in, even though she felt that he was invading her space.
"Thank you, Amber Ann." He paused, and she looked up at him inquisitively. He placed a drink beside her but said nothing. Amber looked at the drink for a long while, then she picked it up and took a sip.
"Thank you, Dan—for the drink and the investment into Blue Serene. You have truly saved things and I appreciate you greatly." She smiled and took another sip of her drink.
Dan sat next to her, feeling like he had finally made true progress and that his life would once again find some sense of normalcy. He smiled and allowed his pinky to brush her wrist as he spoke.
"I think we should do some fortification here on the estate and use the lake house for weekends, or when you're working. We can also do these same enhancements on our properties overseas."
He paused and took a small sip of his drink. Amber frowned. Her mind was awash with ideas of Dan jumping the gun, taking her for granted, and assuming she had not changed.
"Dan. I appreciate you. I really do. But the truth is, I was going to ask you to move out. This is my family home and it is better that you move. I know you don't have a place in Carson City, so you can have a month to find yourself a place. I have no problem doing business with you, but there will never be anything intimate between us again."
She smiled at him for a long minute—as if she were making sure he understood.
Her smile warmed him. He had just been rejected, but that was the warmest smile he had seen on her face in a long time. He nodded and she went back to work. Dan got his phone and began looking at the lakeside condos available at Blue Serene.
He could find a place right next door to her. She would be able to see just how deep his love for her truly ran. He was going to have his wife back.