I wondered briefly if she had overheard any of our conversation when she was upstairs, but nothing indicates that she did.
I’m grateful for that.
Sean should be able to tell his sister to her face that he’s going to be a father, and he needs to do that at a time that works for him and his fiancée.
“Sometimes,” I admit. “You know your brother. He can be spontaneous.”
“I used to know him really well,” she mutters.
The chasm of physical distance can impact even the closest relationship. I’ve experienced that, so I can relate to what she’s saying.
“Callie seems to make him very happy.” Ava’s eyes brighten. “We only just met, but I like her a lot.”
“She’s a good fit for him.” I smile. “I’ve never seen him happier than he is right now.”
I know that will change when the baby arrives and their wedding day. Those will rank as the best days of his life. That’s all in the future, and sometimes fate can derail even the best-laid plans, but for Sean’s sake, I hope everything plays out exactly as he wants it to. He deserves that.
“Good.” Ava sighs. “I’m glad.”
“Me too.”
Her gaze drops to her phone. “My ride is around the corner. Thank you for breakfast, Harry, and for letting me crash in your bed.”
I’d tell her she’s welcome to crash in it whenever she wants, but she’s fucking off-limits, so I keep my mouth closed and nod.
Her fingers tug on the front of the sweater. “I’ll get these clothes washed and back to you.”
“I doubt like hell Joslyn would notice them missing since she has more clothes than anyone in this city.”
Ava lets out another of those musical-sounding laughs that hit me in a way that I can’t explain. “She has excellent taste.”
I smile. “She’d appreciate the compliment.”
With a sigh, she gestures toward my door. “Time for me to go. Thank you again. Last night was a night I’ll never forget.”
As she slips out and into the cool morning air, I watch her walk away, wondering about all the maybes and what-ifs that will never happen.
“Mr. Keene, sir? I’m sorry to bother you.”
I wince when I hear the voice behind me. I’m not usually at home when the husband and wife team I hired to clean shows up, but I hung around after Ava left to make a few calls for work.
I could have easily done that in the car, but it’s quiet here or it was until the cleaning duo arrived.
They do an excellent job on not only my brownstone but my mother’s apartment too. She lives in a five bedroom penthouse on the Upper West Side. That affords me the comfort of having Central Park between us.
I glance over my shoulder to see Tana standing in the open doorway of my home office. It’s just off the main living room. It’s not a large space, but a desk fits in here, and on the days when I don’t make it into the office for one reason or another, I can still focus on what needs to be done to keep my various businesses running.
“Jerard is washing the windows,” she explains, even though I haven’t asked where her husband is.
He’s a man of few words and a full head of gray hair. He keeps to himself and cleans my home as if it were his own. Tana, his wife, does the same.
I nod. “Good.”
“I was on the top floor.” She steps into my office without an invitation. “I found something I’m unsure what to do with.”
I spin in my chair to face her. “What did you find, Tana?”
A flash of red fabric appears as she pulls her hand from behind her back. “This beautiful red dress was in the trash in the bedroom that Miss Duran sleeps in. I think she may have discarded it because it’s stained, but I know a dry cleaner who can have it looking brand new within a day.”
Holding out my hand, I push up to my feet. “I’ll take care of it.”
She sets the dress in my palm. The silk is soft. The color of the fabric is vibrant. I hadn’t noticed how vibrant last night.
“I’m sure Miss Duran thought it was ruined forever, but few things can’t be fixed.”
If only that were true.
“I appreciate you bringing it to me.” I hold it close to my chest, not bothering to correct her assumption about the owner of the dress. Joslyn stays in that bedroom sometimes, so it’s understandable that she’d jump to the wrong conclusion. “If that’s all, I need to make another call before I leave for the office.”
Her hands drop to skim over the waistband of the plain black skirt she’s wearing. “Of course, sir. I’ll get out of your hair.”
As soon as she turns and disappears from sight, I bring the silk to my nose and inhale. The sweet scent of Ava’s perfume hits me.