more quickly, but Nicolina remained a bit guarded. He knew she wasn’t entirely comfortable with his wealth, and the distrust he sensed on her end bothered him. At the same time he found it refreshing that she wasn’t after his money. In fact, she had refused his offer to front her capital for her store, preferring to get started on her own.
Nicolina was an amazing woman, and his feelings for her were starting to grow deeper the more he got to know her. He had hoped to visit Cricket Creek this coming weekend, but having Mia storm out of her home had his stomach tied in knots. He wasn’t going to rest until he located his daughter.
“Oh, Mia, what have I done?” Mitch whispered, but he wasn’t referring just to Mia’s leaving. Hearing Nicolina talk about her close relationship with her own daughter, Bella, had made Mitch realize that he had worried way too much about making millions and hadn’t spent nearly enough time enjoying Mia’s company.
Mitch ran a hand down his face once more and sighed. He had spoiled Mia with material things in a misguided effort to make up for his absence. He had always thought there was tomorrow to spend time with Mia, but in the blink of an eye she had grown up and all of those tomorrows were long gone. Mitch knew he had failed her in more ways than one. He wanted her to be strong and independent and instead Mia was cultured and educated but lacking some important tools needed to live a full, rewarding life.
“And it’s my own damned fault!” Mitch growled and smacked his fist into his open palm. He thought of Mia’s big, sad eyes every time he had left for a business trip, missing birthdays and school events. He had justified leaving by telling himself he was making money for his daughter’s future, when in truth for years he had been showing his selfish, cheating ex-wife what she had given up by leaving him after his first business had tanked. After that Mitch had been on a mission to make money and had missed Mia growing up in the process. He leaned his head back against the cool leather and wished he could recover some of the time he’d spent sitting in boardrooms, when he could have been traveling with Mia or at the very least sitting across the dinner table from her talking to her about her day. He knew his daughter had always adored him . . . and that made the lost years even worse. Now having her angry with him was almost too much for Mitch to bear.
Mitch looked out the window at the empty lounge chairs. Even though it wasn’t quite summer, Mia had always loved to be near the water at the first sign of warm weather. Right now Mia would have probably been lying by the pool with a fashion magazine or hanging out with some of her equally wealthy friends discussing where they would jet off to next. If she saw him at the window, Mia would always lift her sunglasses, smile, and wave.
“Dammit!” Mitch gritted his teeth, grabbed a baseball-shaped stress ball off his cluttered desk, and started squeezing it. Mia was a sweet, loving girl, but he had spoiled her terribly, and when it came to real-life issues and problems, she was clueless. But having his daughter think that he had orchestrated a hostile takeover of Hanover was just about killing him.
Of course that wasn’t the case at all. He and Charlie Hanover had grown up together, and what Mitch had really done was bail his old friend out so that the struggling candy company could expand and grab a larger share of the marketplace. Once Hanover Candy recovered, Mitch would allow Charlie to buy him out. Mitch fully intended to make money on the deal, but in the end all would be happy. When Mia had misunderstood his intentions, in a sudden burst of inspiration he had allowed her to think the worst in an effort to get her to wake up and realize that his business dealings could sometimes get tough. Mia had been taking her wealth for granted and he wanted her to do something with her life other than shop. If something
Nicolina was an amazing woman, and his feelings for her were starting to grow deeper the more he got to know her. He had hoped to visit Cricket Creek this coming weekend, but having Mia storm out of her home had his stomach tied in knots. He wasn’t going to rest until he located his daughter.
“Oh, Mia, what have I done?” Mitch whispered, but he wasn’t referring just to Mia’s leaving. Hearing Nicolina talk about her close relationship with her own daughter, Bella, had made Mitch realize that he had worried way too much about making millions and hadn’t spent nearly enough time enjoying Mia’s company.
Mitch ran a hand down his face once more and sighed. He had spoiled Mia with material things in a misguided effort to make up for his absence. He had always thought there was tomorrow to spend time with Mia, but in the blink of an eye she had grown up and all of those tomorrows were long gone. Mitch knew he had failed her in more ways than one. He wanted her to be strong and independent and instead Mia was cultured and educated but lacking some important tools needed to live a full, rewarding life.
“And it’s my own damned fault!” Mitch growled and smacked his fist into his open palm. He thought of Mia’s big, sad eyes every time he had left for a business trip, missing birthdays and school events. He had justified leaving by telling himself he was making money for his daughter’s future, when in truth for years he had been showing his selfish, cheating ex-wife what she had given up by leaving him after his first business had tanked. After that Mitch had been on a mission to make money and had missed Mia growing up in the process. He leaned his head back against the cool leather and wished he could recover some of the time he’d spent sitting in boardrooms, when he could have been traveling with Mia or at the very least sitting across the dinner table from her talking to her about her day. He knew his daughter had always adored him . . . and that made the lost years even worse. Now having her angry with him was almost too much for Mitch to bear.
Mitch looked out the window at the empty lounge chairs. Even though it wasn’t quite summer, Mia had always loved to be near the water at the first sign of warm weather. Right now Mia would have probably been lying by the pool with a fashion magazine or hanging out with some of her equally wealthy friends discussing where they would jet off to next. If she saw him at the window, Mia would always lift her sunglasses, smile, and wave.
“Dammit!” Mitch gritted his teeth, grabbed a baseball-shaped stress ball off his cluttered desk, and started squeezing it. Mia was a sweet, loving girl, but he had spoiled her terribly, and when it came to real-life issues and problems, she was clueless. But having his daughter think that he had orchestrated a hostile takeover of Hanover was just about killing him.
Of course that wasn’t the case at all. He and Charlie Hanover had grown up together, and what Mitch had really done was bail his old friend out so that the struggling candy company could expand and grab a larger share of the marketplace. Once Hanover Candy recovered, Mitch would allow Charlie to buy him out. Mitch fully intended to make money on the deal, but in the end all would be happy. When Mia had misunderstood his intentions, in a sudden burst of inspiration he had allowed her to think the worst in an effort to get her to wake up and realize that his business dealings could sometimes get tough. Mia had been taking her wealth for granted and he wanted her to do something with her life other than shop. If something
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