“Duncan, look at what I can do!” She ran across the lawn, then tossed herself into a one-armed cartwheel, finishing with a front flip.
He clapped enthusiastically. “You amaze me every time I see you!”
She beamed from ear to ear, then upon hearing her mother call for her from the house, waved good-bye and ran off.
“You’ve got a great kid,” Duncan told the man he’d come to see as more of a friend than a client.
“I know. She’s the best.” If anything, though, Dave only looked more discouraged. “I just wish I could do more for her.”
“You are doing it, Dave. I know you’re feeling down right now, but you and I both know the only way to get to a winning design is to try and fail a dozen times or more. You learn something crucial from each iteration, and this time will be no different. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off to spend with your daughter and wife? Come Monday morning, I’ll bet you return to the lab with a new outlook.”
“Here’s hoping.” Dave pushed away from his desk, obviously on board with starting his weekend early. “What about you? Got any big plans for the weekend?”
Duncan knew he was beaming as big as Katie had after her cartwheel. “I’m heading to Bar Harbor to have dinner with my girlfriend’s family.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” Dave’s eyes twinkled. “I thought you looked like a new man.”
Dave was right. Duncan felt like a man who was finally ready to dream again, ready to hope. Just as long as his newfound luck held out. “Give me a call if you need anything.”
“No way. You’ve got to make sure your focus this weekend is on impressing your lady’s family.” Dave winked, clearly feeling better now that he’d decided to take the rest of the afternoon off to spend with his treasured wife and daughter. “Have a good time.”
“I will.” As Duncan got into his car, he mused on how lucky he was to be able to support people who were building and creating such great things. The flip side was that it wasn’t always a smooth process. So many times over the years, he’d wished the women and men he worked with didn’t have the kind of struggles Dave was facing, even though it was an integral part of the entrepreneurial process. Often, the biggest gains and discoveries came out of the biggest disasters.
He made a quick stop at his office to drop off his laptop and pick up his weekend bag before heading to the airport. But he was surprised to find an unexpected visitor waiting for him. Though Duncan had never set eyes on the man before, he was certain that the stranger was associated with Alastair. The dead eyes gave him away.
For the past five years, Duncan and his brother had had no contact whatsoever with one another. Not since Duncan had confronted his brother with evidence of his crimes. Not since Alastair’s goons had broken into Duncan’s home to destroy all of his corporate paperwork and hard drives. Not since Duncan had accepted just how despicable his brother truly was. Alastair would do absolutely anything to evade arrest.
Duncan wouldn’t have let this man over the threshold, but Gail hadn’t known to keep him out. Not wanting to involve her in whatever Alastair had up his sleeve, just as he’d deliberately kept her out of harm’s way for the past five years they’d worked together, Duncan gestured for his unwelcome visitor to follow him into his office.
He closed the door behind them with a firm click. Usually, Duncan didn’t want his size to intimidate people. A head taller, and far broader than most men, he had to go out of his way to make sure others felt comfortable around him. Today, however, he deliberately pushed his shoulders back and widened his stance.
“We can skip the pleasantries,” Duncan said. “Why are you here? What does Alastair want?” They might be blood, but that was it. Alastair had given up all rights as a true brother a long time ago.
“Mr. Lyman has learned that you have brought a woman in to run your company with you,” the man replied. He barely veiled his sneer at the word woman. “He would like to speak with you about acquiring your company.”
Though on the face of it, the offer seemed shocking, it wasn’t the least bit surprising. Only someone as self-absorbed and narcissistic as Alastair would think the brother he had betrayed would want to work with him again.
“I’m not interested.” Duncan moved to the door and opened it. “I’ll see you out.”
“I’ve been directed not to return without the assurance that you’ll at least think about it.”
Duncan didn’t bother to hold back his incredulous laugh, though there was no joy in it. “There’s nothing to think about. The answer is no.” He walked out, making it clear that the man had no choice but to follow him and leave.
Alastair had turned Duncan’s life upside down when his crimes had cast a dark shadow over absolutely everything. But Duncan refused to allow that to happen again. He wouldn’t let this unexpected visitor—or Alastair’s preposterous buyout offer—steal his pleasure and anticipation in seeing Lola again, and meeting her family.
Not when he was finally on the precipice of a much brighter, much sweeter future with the woman he loved.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Duncan drove away from the Bangor, Maine, airport like a man possessed. His plane had been late taking off from Boston, and he’d silently cursed every second of the delay. Though they had texted and video-chatted all week, Duncan was desperate to see Lola in person, to hold her in his arms, to feel her warmth, to hear the sweet sound of her laughter, to kiss her until they were both breathless. And though his brother’s buyout offer kept trying to push to the forefront of his mind, he refused to let himself dwell on it. This weekend was all about his future with Lola, not a past he was leaving behind.
The drive from the airport was a beautiful one, the sky almost impossibly blue, the trees a lush, dark green, with hints of sea air coming in through his open window. It only served to reinforce his desire to move to Bar Harbor.
As he finally rounded the corner of Lola’s street, he saw that she was standing on the front porch, waiting for him. She flew down her front path, her arms open wide, and as soon as he parked and got out of the rental car, he caught her and spun her around.
“Finally, you’re in my arms again. I’ve missed you so damned much.”
He kissed her before she could reply, and just kept kissing and kissing and kissing her without caring whether any of the neighbors were out watching. Let them watch. He wanted the entire world to see what true love looked like. Love that he could still hardly believe was his. Love that he was hoping with every fiber of his being he would be able to hold on to.
Because now that he’d found Lola, he’d found everything.
“Wow.” Her breath was coming in pants when he finally let her lips go. “That kiss was almost as good as sex.”
He brushed his thumb across her lower lip. “Trust me, when I finally make love to you, you’ll see that was nowhere near as good as sex.”
A soft moan of desire escaped her lips. “I can’t believe we have to leave for my parents’ house right now.” In her eyes, he could see that she was as desperate to be with him as he was to be with her. “Do you have any idea how many fantasies I’ve had about getting you into my bed…and keeping you there?”