MILLIE RUSHED HOME from work later that day to get ready for her dinner with Hunter.
Ivy
Kennedy—one of her two flatmates—was in the process of moving out in preparation for her
wedding in a few weeks’ time. She looked up from where she was kneeling on the floor,
packing a box of her kitchen utensils, when Millie came in.
‘How did your meeting with Hunter Addison go? Is he going to act for your mum?’
Millie slipped her tote bag off her shoulder and hung it over the back of one of the kitchen
chairs. ‘Yep. It went well. He’s organising a forensic accountant to go over all of mum’s
accounts to see if there are any irregularities. She was so relieved, I thought she was going to
hug him.’
Ivy got up from the floor and pushed her auburn hair out of her face. ‘I’m so glad you were
able to put your prejudices aside and contact him again.’ She smiled and added playfully, ‘You
obviously didn’t completely burn your boats with him. He wouldn’t have offered to do it if he
couldn’t stand a bar of you. Ha-ha, no pun intended.’
Millie was conscious of her cheeks heating and turned away on the pretence of taking her
phone out of her tote bag. ‘It’s just another case for him. Nothing else.’
Ivy frowned and came a little closer. ‘Is something wrong? You seem a little distracted. I
thought you said the meeting went well?’
‘It did, but this fourth divorce has made me realise how truly vulnerable Mum is, and how I
can’t really protect her the way I want to. I feel like I’ve let her down yet again. But I have my
own business to run and I don’t want to fail at it. I don’t know how I can continue to be a good
daughter and a good businesswoman at the same time.’
‘Why do you always feel so responsible for your mum?’ Ivy asked. ‘She’s an adult—and,
yes, like my mum she’s been terribly unlucky in her relationships—but that’s not your fault.
Anyway, you have your own life to live. You gave so much of it up for Jules, helping him
through his treatment and so on. You can’t keep putting your own needs on hold indefinitely.’
Millie wished she could share the burden of her mother’s problems but for years she had
kept silent out of respect for her mother’s feelings. She trusted her friends, Ivy and Zoey, would
be nothing but supportive and understanding if she told them, but she had kept it a secret for
so long, she didn’t know how to put it into words. Would they feel hurt she hadn’t told them
earlier? And, if she revealed that secret, how soon before she revealed her own more shameful
one?
She hadn’t been, and wasn’t still, in love with Julian.
Millie looked at her friend and grimaced ruefully. ‘I only hope she doesn’t fall for another
guy who only wants her for her beauty and her money, or at least what’s left of her money.’
Ivy gave her a warm hug. ‘You’re a wonderful daughter and a wonderful support to everyone
who knows and loves you.’ She leaned back, smiled and added, ‘And you’ll make a wonderful
bridesmaid. Will you do it? I want you and Zoey to be my bridesmaids. Zoey has already said
yes, and it would be just divine if you did too.’
Millie smiled back, thrilled to be asked. ‘Oh, wow, yes, of course! I’ve never been a
bridesmaid before.’
Ivy glanced at the ring on Millie’s left hand, a small frown of concern etched on her features.
‘You won’t find it...triggering, given you didn’t get to have your own wedding?’
Millie shook her head, painting a smile on her mouth. ‘I’ll be fine. I’m just so happy you
and Louis found each other.’
‘I hope you find someone as special as Louis,’ Ivy said, glowing with happiness at her
upcoming wedding to the man of her dreams. ‘Hey, maybe you and Hunter Addison will hit it
off. Opposites attract and all that!’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Millie screwed up her nose, as if being with Hunter was the worst
thing she could ever imagine.
Ivy’s eyes began to twinkle. ‘Never say never, my girl. Look what happened to me.’
Millie gave her a quelling look. ‘You actually liked Louis and were already friends with him
before you fell in love with each other. Hunter Addison and I can’t spend an evening together
without getting into a fight. Which is a problem because, in about an hour, I’m going to be
spending the evening with him.’
Ivy gasped. ‘On another date, you mean? Seriously?’
Millie shifted her lips from side to side. ‘It’s just dinner. I think he’s only asked me because
he’s arrogant enough to assume I won’t give him the brush-off a second time.’
‘And will you?’ Ivy asked, eyebrows raised. ‘Give him the brush-off?’
Millie affected a laugh. ‘But of course. He’s not my type.’
And he damn well better stay that way, otherwise she was going to be in seriously big trouble.