Faye''s face flushed a deep red, her voice sharp with anger. "Eleanor is just using you! Once she''s made it, you''ll be left with nothing!"


    Callie paused at the doorway, turning to look back at Faye with a hint of pity in his eyes. "Faye, you never used to be like this. What happened to you?"


    Without waiting for a reply, he pulled open the door and strode out.


    Faye''s delicate features twisted with fury as she mmed her fist on the table. That blockhead Callie was worshipping Eleanor like she was some kind of goddess.


    He used to be the one who secretly had a crush on her, after all.


    ...


    The next day was the start of the long May Day weekend. As Eleanor was tidying


    up her desk, her phone lit up with a message.


    She nced at the screen. It was from Mansfield Ellington.


    "Miss Sutton, are you busy? I''m back in town."


    Eleanor blinked in surprise. He was back early? But she had no time for dinner tonight-there was still a mountain of work to bring home.


    "Mr. Ellington, could we meet for dinner another day? I''ve got piles of work to finish tonight," she replied honestly.


    He answered almost immediately. "No problem-just wanted to let you know I''m home. No pressure."


    Before she could reply, another message popped up. "Really, don''t feel obligated."


    Eleanor paused, letting out a silent sigh. Mansfield Ellington really was attentive and considerate.


    But as for her...


    She didn''t reply again. Her mind was already made up.


    Over the next two days, Eleanor worked from home, juggling spreadsheets while spending time with her daughter. Compared to Byron''s team, who still had to put in overtime at Meridian Dynamics, being able to work remotely felt like a rare privilege.


    Three days passed in a blink. Eleanor took her daughter and met up with Joy for a trip to the coast. As the sun set, Eleanor knelt in the sand, digging for tiny crabs with her daughter, who was absolutely delighted.


    "Mom, there''s a little hole here! There must be a baby crab inside!"


    Eleanor dug with a small spade,pletely absorbed in the moment. Her phone buzzed in her bag, but she didn''t notice.


    They yed until well past eight before heading back to the hotel. Eleanor bathed her daughter, then herself; by the time she was done, it was nearly ten.


    She hadn''t checked her phone all evening.


    Only after telling her daughter a mermaid story and watching her drift off to sleep did Eleanor remember her messages.


    She curled up on the sofa to check her emails. There were over a dozen unread messages some from Joel and Byron about work, and one from Mansfield Ellington, sent around four.


    He''d asked if she was free for dinner with him and her daughter that night.


    At five-thirty, he''d followed up with the restaurant address.


    At six, another gentle reminder. After that, nothing.


    Eleanor stared at the thread, her throat tightening.


    Since she''d met Mansfield Ellington, his patience and warmth had been a rarefort in her life. Maybe that was exactly why she couldn''t bring herself to lead him on.


    She''d made up her mind during the divorce: she would never remarry. Her daughter was all she needed.


    Her failed marriage had drained her of any passion for love-she simply had nothing left to give.


    "Mr. Ellington, thank you for your kindness, but my daughter''s worn out from today and already asleep," she typed out, knowing her reply sounded cold.


    There was no immediate response. Minutes passed before her phone buzzed again.


    "Eleanor, I''m sorry if I overstepped. I hope you and your little one have a wonderful holiday."


    Eleanor read the message over and over, wondering if he understood what she was really saying.


    She hoped he did. Maybe, with time, they''d drift apart-bing nothing more than acquaintances who nodded in passing. Someday, he''d marry, start a family, and find happiness.


    Someone like Mansfield Ellington would have no trouble finding an extraordinary


    woman.


    She closed her eyes, ready to sleep, when her silenced phone shed again and again.


    She picked it up. More messages from Mansfield Ellington.


    "Eleanor, I know what you''re trying to say."


    "I won''t give up just because you turned me down once. Having a child doesn''t scare me off or make thingsplicated."


    "But I want you to know-waiting for someone worthwhile is never a waste. If you''re not ready now, I can wait. A month, a year, however long it takes."


    The certainty in his words was unmistakable.


    Eleanor stared at the screen, mind suddenly nk,pletely at a loss for how to respond.