Not everybody had a paternal or maternal instinct…
“So you’re okay with this?” she said brusquely. “Me bringing Ginger back in the limo?”
“I’m not an unreasonable guy,” he said, smirking. “I’m sure the three of us can get along in the close confines of the limo for a couple of hours…” His mouth curved into a smile, and Ronnie caught a flash of a dimple in one cheek. She reached for her glass of water, suddenly feeling too warm, and decided to delay her proposal to have him keep Ginger temporarily until they were back on the road. She surveyed the sweeping view again. “I can only imagine how stunning the view must be at night, with the city all lit up…” she said, changing the subject.
“Would you live here?” Red said, eyeing her intently.
“I… I’m more of a small-town girl. Living in Parry Sound works perfectly for me and Andy, especially since I have family there. But I do like Toronto… I’ll be traveling here more often once my new position officially begins.”
“Well then, you’ll be able to return to 360 for a night view…” He lifted and swirled his wineglass, the movement of the wine almost as hypnotizing as the laser gleam in the ocean-like depths of his eyes…
Would she return by herself? It would be bittersweet, enjoying the dazzling lights of the city while dining alone. Like watching a midnight indigo sky studded with stars, and having nobody to share the magic of it.
But you didn’t want another man in your life… Her inner voice was right. Until a few days ago, she hadn’t had time to think about sharing her life with anybody other than Andy.
And then a spinout in bad weather had forced her to share space and time with Red. She blinked with the sudden awareness that there was a puzzle piece missing in her life, an empty space that had gone unnoticed during Andy’s health crisis.
Ronnie had put her entire focus on Andy’s treatment and recovery. She had had little time to think about or worry about anything or anybody else, including herself.
You have time now…
“Do we have time for a coffee? Dessert?”
Ronnie was jolted out of her thoughts. Those eyes fixed intently on her sent her emotions into a spin. “I’m fine,” she said. “The desserts look amazing, but I couldn’t eat one more thing.”
“Next time, then.” He nodded, a glitter in his eyes. “You’re probably anxious for us to pick up the new addition…”
“Oh, are you new parents?” The waitress arrived at their table. “I couldn’t help overhearing. How wonderful!” she gushed. “Is it a he or a she?”
“A she,” Red answered before Ronnie could correct the waitress.
“How lovely. Girls are special.”
“Very.” Red smiled as he looked straight at Ronnie.
“What’s her name?”
“Ginger.” Red was grinning now, his gaze flicking from the waitress to Ronnie.
“Aww. Does she have hair like her daddy?”
“She does, indeed,” Red chuckled.
“She must be a pretty little thing, if she takes after both of you! Congratulations!”
“Thank you,” he said, taking the credit machine from her. “And lunch was excellent.”
Ronnie was speechless, embarrassed and self-conscious that Red would let the waitress think that they were married and new parents.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she said when the waitress was out of earshot.
Red just laughed and stood up. He walked around and leaned forward to pull out Ronnie’s chair as she got up. “Shall we go? But before we fetch our little darling, would you mind if we make one stop?”
Red hadn’t intended to check out Brannigan Architects International’s latest accomplishment during this visit, but something made him want to show Ronnie the luxury condo residence he had designed and would be moving into at the end of the month. He had decided that it was time to move out of the condo his parents had gifted him, and into one of the penthouse suites of the residence. They didn’t mind; they told him they’d be happy to keep it for out-of-town friends and guests who came to visit them.
Red suppressed a cynical laugh. His parents were hardly ever back in Toronto; they were too busy traipsing all over the world. He had accepted their perennial absence for the most part; when it did irk him, he repeated his vow to himself that unlike them, he would be very present in his future child or children’s lives…
The residence, which he had named the Four-Leaf Clover to honor his Irish heritage, was a decadent Harbourfront development that was actually shaped like a clover, with each of the four circular leaf sections boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, and rooftops surfaced with green solar lights that illuminated at night. The opulent entrance, designed to represent the stem of the plant, had a massive Canadian maple-leaf-shaped double door of Waterford crystal that opened to a luxurious marble foyer with Waterford chandeliers. The residence, scheduled to officially open at month’s end, included two gourmet restaurants that would feature Canadian and international cuisine, and an authentic Irish pub.
Red had designed the sprawling suites with high-end features: hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and private terraces with spectacular views of the city and harbor. The amenities that residents could enjoy were those that Red appreciated himself: infinity pools, a state-of-the-art gym, a conference suite and library, and a meditation room.
The official opening would take place a week after the grand opening of Franklin’s Resort, and Red felt a surge of excitement at the thought of starting a new chapter in his life with the move.
Red had told Ronnie about the residence, and that he wanted to have a quick glance before returning for the grand opening, but he hadn’t revealed that he was the principal designer, and that he would be moving into one of the penthouse suites. As he pressed a special code to enter the building and walked through the grand foyer, Ronnie’s wide-eyed expression gave him a tingling pleasure that superseded his previous sense of satisfaction with his
