“Welcome home.” Roz stretched her back, eyed Hayley who stood in the foyer. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yes. Wonderful. Beyond wonderful. I should start out saying you raised the most incredible man.”

“That was the goal.”

“Roz, I can’t thank you enough for keeping Lily that way.” Unconsciously, she covered the bracelet on her wrist with her other hand. “It was more than I could expect.”

“I enjoyed it. We all did. Where is she?”

“I wore her out,” Hayley said with a weak smile. “All but kissed the skin off her bones. She’s taking a quick nap. I got you a gift.”

“Isn’t that sweet.” Taking the box, Roz strolled into the parlor to open it. And beamed when she found the frame, already spotlighting a picture of her with Lily. “I love this shot. I’m going to put this on the desk in my sitting room.”

“I hope she didn’t give you any trouble last night.”

“Not a bit. We had ourselves a fine time.”

“I—we—Harper. Hell. Can we sit down a minute?”

Obligingly, Roz sat on the sofa, propped her feet on the table. “I wonder if David’s made any lemonade? I could drink a gallon.”

“I’ll go get you some.”

Roz waved toward a seat. “I’ll get my own in a minute. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Hayley sat, stiff-backed, her hands folded in her lap. “I got to know the mothers of some of the guys I dated. We always got along okay. But I never . . . it’s so surreal to be good friends with the mother of a man I’m . . . romantically intimate with.”

“I’d think, all in all, that would be a bonus.”

“It’s not that it isn’t. I suppose it would be less surreal if I’d gotten to know you, gotten to be friends with you after things became—”

“Romantically intimate.”

“Yeah. I don’t know how to talk to you about it, exactly, because the relationships are all tangled together. But I wanted to say, to tell you, that you raised an amazing individual. I know I did that, but I want to say it again. Harper went to so much trouble, took such care to give me something special. There aren’t many like that, at least in my experience.”

“He’s a very special man. I’m glad you see that, and appreciate it.”

“I do. He had this beautiful suite, and flowers and candles. Champagne. No one’s ever done anything like that for me. I don’t just mean the lavishness, you know? I’d’ve been fine with a plate of ribs and a motel room. And how crude is that,” she muttered, closing her eyes.

“Not crude. Honest. And refreshing.”

“What I mean to say is no one’s ever taken that time, that care to plan a whole evening with me in mind.”

“It’s a disconcerting thrill to be swept off your feet.”

“Yes.” Relief poured through her. “Yes, exactly. My head’s still spinning. I wanted you to know that I’d never take advantage of his nature, his consideration.”

“He bought you that bracelet.”

Hayley jolted, clamped a hand over it. “Yes. Roz—”

“I’ve been admiring it since I came in. And watching you rub your hand over it, guiltily. As if you’d stolen it.”

“I feel like I did.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous.” Roz’s eyebrows drew together as she waved a hand. “You’ll irritate me.”

“I didn’t ask for it. I told him not to. All I did was admire it in the window, and the next thing you know he’s making arrangements with the concierge and the jewelry store. He wouldn’t tell me how much it cost.”

“I should hope not,” she said staunchly. “I raised him better.”

“Roz, these are real stones. It’s an antique. It’s a real antique.”

“I’ve been on my feet most of today. Don’t make me get up to get a closer look at it.”

Emotions in turmoil, Hayley stepped over, held out her wrist. Roz simply tugged her down on the sofa. “That is a beauty, and certainly suits you. How many ruby hearts are there?”

“I wouldn’t count them,” she began, then lowered her head at Roz’s bland stare. “Fourteen,” she confessed. “With ten little diamonds around here, and two between each heart. God, I’m crass.”

“No, you’re a girl. And one with excellent taste. Don’t wear that to work, no matter how much you want to. You’ll get it dirty.”

“You’re not upset?”

“Harper is free to spend his money as he sees fit, and has the good sense to spend it with some discrimination. He gave you a lovely gift. Why don’t you just enjoy it?”

“I thought you’d be mad.”

“Then you underestimate me.”

“I don’t. I don’t.” Tears swam into her eyes as she burrowed against Roz. “I love you. I’m sorry, I’m so twisted up. I’m so happy. I’m so scared. I’m in love with him. I’m in love with Harper.”

“Yes, honey.” Roz curled an arm around Hayley, and patted gently. “I know.”

“You know.” Sniffling, Hayley reared back.

“Look at you.” Smiling a little, Roz brushed Hayley’s hair away from her damp cheeks. “Sitting here crying, happy, scared tears. The kind a woman sheds over some man she’s realized she’s crazy about, and doesn’t know quite how the hell it happened to her.”

“I didn’t really know until last night. I knew I liked him, that I cared about him, but mostly I thought I wanted to bang him. Then . . . Oh God, oh God, I actually said that.” Mortified, she pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes and rubbed. “See why this is surreal? I just told Harper’s mother I wanted to bang him.”

“I admit, the situation is a bit unique. But I think my sensibilities can handle it.”

“It all just opened up inside me last night, everything opened up and poured through. I’ve never felt like that.” Hayley pressed a hand to her heart, and the rubies glittered. “I’ve never been in love before, not all the way in love. And I thought, when it happened, that this is it, this is how it feels when you fall. Don’t tell him.” She gripped Roz’s hand. “Please don’t tell him.”

“It’s not for me to tell him. It’s for you, when you’re ready. Love’s a gift, Hayley, to be taken and received freely.”

“Love’s a lie, an illusion created by weak women and conniving men. An excuse for the middle class to breed and their betters to ignore so they can marry within their own station and build more wealth.”

Roz felt the shudder run through her, and her breath back up in her lungs. But she straightened, continued to look in the eyes that were no longer only Hayley’s. “Is that how you justified the choices you made?”

“I lived very well on my choices.” She lifted her arm, smiled as she trailed a finger over the bracelet. “Very well. Better than those I came from. She was content to serve on her knees. I preferred serving on my back. I could have lived here.”

She rose, wandering the room. “I should have. So now I am here. Always.”

“But you’re not happy. What happened? Why are you here, and so unhappy?”

“I made life.” She whirled, cupping a hand over her belly. “You know the power of that. Life grew in me, came from me. And he took it. My son.” She looked around, those eyes darting. “My son. I came for my son.”

“He’s gone now, too.” Roz rose slowly. “Long ago. My grandfather. He was a good man.”

“A baby. My baby. Little boy, sweet, small. Mine. Men, men are liars, thieves, cheats. I should have killed him.”

“The child?”

Those eyes glittered, bright and hard as the diamonds on her wrist. “The father. I should have found a way to kill him, all of them. Burned the house to the ground around them, and sent us all to hell.”

There was a chill, and the pity Roz had once felt couldn’t chip through the ice of it. “What did you do?”

“I came, I came in the night. Quiet as a mouse.” She tapped a finger to her lips, then began to laugh. “Gone.” She turned a circle, holding her arm high so the rubies and diamonds flashed. “All gone, everything gone. Nothing left for me.” Her head cocked, her gaze turned to the monitor, and Lily’s waking cries.

“The baby. The baby’s crying.”

Her head lolled as she slid to the floor.

“Mitch! David!” Roz rushed across the room to drop down beside Hayley.

“Got a little dizzy,” Hayley murmured, passing a hand over her face. Then she looked around, groped for Roz’s hand. “What? What?”

“It’s all right. Just stay down a minute. David.” Roz glanced over her shoulder when both men hurried into the room. “Get us some water and the brandy.”

“What happened?” Mitch demanded.

“She had a spell, an episode.”

“Lily. Lily’s crying.”

“I’ll get her.” Mitch, touched Hayley’s shoulder. “I’ll go get her.”

“I remember. I think. Sort of. My head hurts.”

“All right, sweetie. Let’s get you onto the couch.”

“Little queasy,” Hayley managed when Roz helped her to her feet. “I didn’t feel it coming, Roz. Then it was . . . it was stronger that time. It was more.”

David brought both water and brandy, and sitting on Hayley’s other side, put a glass of water in her hand. “Here now, baby doll, sip some water.”

“Thanks. I’m okay, feeling better. Just a little shaky.”

“You’re not the only one,” Roz said.

“You talked to her.”

“We had quite the conversation.”

“You asked her questions. I don’t know how you held it together like that.”

“Have a little brandy,” Roz suggested, but Hayley wrinkled her nose.

“I don’t like it. I feel better, honest.”

“Then I’ll have your share.” Roz picked up the snifter and took a healthy swallow as Mitch came in with Lily.

“She’ll want her juice. She likes a little juice when she gets up from a nap.”

“I’ll get her some,” Mitch told Hayley.

“No, I’ll take her in. I’d like to do something normal for a few minutes.” She got to her feet, reaching for Lily as Lily reached for her. “There’s my baby girl. We’ll be right back.”

Roz got to her feet when Hayley left the room. “I’m going to call Harper. He’ll want to know about this.”

“I’d like to know about this myself,” Mitch reminded her.