"Mitch!" Jeff put the book down and launched off the chair, running to Mitch and throwing his arms around him. Mitch wrapped his arms around Jeff and hugged him tight.
"Hey Jeff! Merry Christmas."
Zoey came running in. "Mitch is here? Hi Mitch! Merry Christmas. Wait 'til you see all I got for Christmas." She hugged him and Mitch picked her up and hugged her back, closing his eyes tight as he did.
"Hey guys. I have gifts for you." He lifted a bag. "We'll open these in a bit. But first, I need to talk to your mom."
Greta felt the depth of his feeling for her children coming off him in waves. Her throat squeezed at the warmth and familial bond he already had with her kids. It was true and it was honest and she felt more like a jerk today than she had last night.
Greta's mother cleared her throat. "Let your mother talk to Mitch alone. You'll have plenty of time with him later. How about we go into the kitchen and eat some homemade biscuits?"
Distracted by food, the kids waved to Mitch, and the whole family eased out of the room.
And suddenly, the two of them were alone.
"Would you like to sit down?" she asked, feeling awkward, not knowing where to start.
"Sure." He moved to the sofa and sat.
She sat next to him, knowing she was going to have to make the first move, but suddenly tongue tied and nervous.
"I got your message last night," he started. "Thank you."
Her eyes welled with tears. "Mitch. I'm so sorry for everything I said. I was wrong--about a lot of things."
"Greta, it's okay."
She held up her hand. "It's not okay. Please, let me get this out before I end up falling apart."
"Okay."
"I was Daddy's little girl. We did everything together. He took care of me, was always there for me. And then Cody...well he took care of things, too, only he took it to the extreme. Then things got ugly with Cody, and Dad was there for me again to help me pick up the pieces. But he died right after that. So the motel was all I had left and I clung to that like it was the only thing important to me.
"I used the motel like a shrine to my father, the only man who had ever really meant anything to me, who had ever really loved me. And I see now how wrong that was, how much I've missed out on. Not only with my kids, but in life. And you're the one who opened my eyes to the things I could have. No monetary things, that kind of stuff never mattered to me. But time with my children, learning about who they are, what they want out of life. Just being able to be with them, enjoy life with them, before they're grown and gone.
"And also, time for me to be a woman, to fall in love again, to have time to myself to live. I had filed that part of myself away and that's not fair to me or to my kids. Thank you for letting me see glimpses of the woman I could be. I didn't even know she existed.
"I'll sell the motel to you, Mitch. But I don't want you to feel like you need to be part of our life. I just appreciate the time you spent with me, and with the kids. I'll never regret that."
She exhaled on a shaky sigh.
"Can I talk now?" he asked.
She nodded.
He slid his hand in hers, entwined his fingers with hers, and her gaze went down to where their hands were joined, then back up to meet his eyes.
"I have never been with a woman who wanted so little from me. All the women I've ever dated knew who I was, what I was worth, and what I could give them. I gave, and they took. Frankly, it was usually a mutually beneficial relationship. I had eye candy on my arm for whatever event I needed it for, and the women got whatever they wanted from me in return.
"I never did long term relationships because no woman wanted me just for me, and I didn't meet or was with any woman I was interested in getting to know better.
"Until you. You completely unraveled me and my expectations of what a woman wanted, because you didn't want a damn thing from me. Not my money, my connections, nothing. You asked for nothing, you expected nothing, and I had no idea what to do with someone like you, because instead of taking, you gave."
She frowned. "I don't understand. What did I give you?"
"Fun, warmth, laughter, family, heart, romance, sex, love. All without strings, without asking for anything in return. I've never in my life met a woman like you. And for the first time, I wondered what it would be like to...stay."
Greta swallowed...hard.
"I've never stayed before. I was always off on the next adventure, the next deal, never thinking twice about the woman I left behind, because there were never any strings.
"With you, Greta, there are strings. Not strings that you laid down, but the ones I've made. So, for the first time in my life, I find myself...attached." He dragged his fingers through his hair. "And I don't really know what the hell to do with all these feelings I have, because I've never had them before."
Greta lifted shaky fingers to his lips. "You've never been in love before, have you."
He shook his head. "No."
She smiled at the look of utter misery on his face. She could almost feel sorry for him if it wasn't so damned endearing, if he hadn't just laid his heart in her hands, if she didn't feel like bursting into tears she was so happy. "I thought I was in love once. But I was wrong. Love isn't giving and never receiving anything back. Love is when you give, and receive that same kind of feeling in return. Love is what I think I feel for you, Mitch."
He sucked in a breath and entwined his fingers with hers. "Is it possible to fall in love with someone after only a week?"
Her lips lifted. "I don't know. Maybe."
He squeezed her hands. "I will never hurt you like he did."
"I already know that. And I'm so sorry for ever thinking you could. That was my own hurt pride over not knowing my children as well as I thought I did."
"You don't have to sell me your motel."
She shook her head. "It's the right decision to make for me and for my kids."
He stared at her. "Then help me design it. And then help me run it."
Her heart leaped in her chest. "What?"
"You know this place better than me. You help me draw up the right plans for the resort. We'll work on it together. And then this will be your hotel, too. You'll run it."
"I don't know anything about running a resort."
He shrugged. "I didn't know anything about the hotel business before I bought my first one. Dive in and learn."
The thought of it scared the hell out of her, but excited her too. She could already envision the new hotel sitting on the sands right now. With a pool big enough for Zoey to swim laps in.
"You're already thinking, aren't you?"
She grinned. "Yes."
"Good."
But there was something else. "Mitch."
"Yeah?"
"That letter you left."
"Oh. Yeah."
"I didn't know about it when I called and left you that message. My mom brought it to me after I called you."
"Okay."
"I don't ever want you to think I did this because of the money you left my kids."
He smiled. "Greta, I've never met a woman who needed me less than you do. I would never think that."
She stood and took a few steps, then sat on his lap, twining her arms around his neck. "That's where you're wrong. I never realized how much I needed you until you were gone. But it has nothing to do with your money. I missed you."
He touched his forehead to hers, and when his gaze met hers again, there was a brightness in his eyes that she could swear were tears.
But big strong multimillionaires didn't cry, did they?
He cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her until her heart swelled so thick she was afraid it would burst from her chest.
"Merry Christmas, Greta."
She snuggled against him, realizing Mitch was undoubtedly the best Christmas gift she had ever received. "Merry Christmas, Mitch."
"Should we go tell the kids and your family all the news?"
; She grinned, then nodded and stood, clasping tight to his hand. "Yes, let's definitely go tell everyone."
The kids were shocked, excited beyond words, and unable to believe their good fortune. They of course had to call all their friends and tell them the good news. Greta's mother just nodded, seemingly pleased. Don and Suz were elated and said they expected the royal treatment at the new hotel, which made Greta laugh.
They all ate and cleaned up, then everyone went home. Greta's mother insisted on keeping the kids overnight, and shooed Greta and Mitch out the door to go spend a night somewhere else.
Mitch drove them to Daytona Beach, back to his suite at his hotel. As they walked through the doors, Greta stepped out onto the balcony to breathe in the night air.
Mitch moved in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "What are you thinking about?"
"Gifts."
"Yeah? What kind of gifts?"