"This doesn't concern you. You may leave," I replied in a cold tone.

She flinched.

"She is a part of this. She's going to stay with me. I need someone here so I'm not alone and Angelina understands that. She's a good girl. She would have made an excellent daughter-in-law."

I understood my mother's pain at losing my father was fresh---and she was in pain. But I wouldn't let her control this. It was time I made some things very clear for both of them. "She would have been a selfish spoiled bitch of a daughter-in-law. I was lucky enough to realize it before it was too late and I ruined my life." I heard both of their sharp intakes of breath but I wasn't about to let them speak. "I control everything now, Mother. I will take care of you. I will make sure you want for nothing. However, I will not accept or acknowledge Angelina in my life. More importantly, I will not allow anyone to hurt Della. I will protect her from both of you. She is my perfection. She holds my heart in her hands. When she hurts it brings me to my knees. There is no way to explain to you the way I feel about her. Just understand that I will not allow anyone to hurt her again. I won't forgive that. I lose a piece of my soul when I see her in pain."

The tight line of my mother's mouth was the only answer I needed. She wasn't accepting this. Today wasn't the day to try to convince her about my feelings for Della. She was mourning and I was still angry with the man she was mourning. "If you need anything, call me. When you're ready to talk to me without resentment toward Della, then call me. We will talk. You're my mother and I love you. But I won't let you near Della, nor will I put you before her. Understand that if you make me choose, I will choose her without a second thought."

I walked over and placed a kiss on the top of my mother's head before walking past Angelina without a word. It was time I got back home. Della didn't do well alone. I was always anxious when I left her.

Della

He still hadn't cried. No emotion at all. I hated that. I wanted him to grieve. He needed to let it out instead of bottling his emotions because of me. The idea that he was hardened toward his pain because he was protecting me twisted my gut. His father had betrayed him by sending me away. But I had seen the look in Woods's eyes as he looked at his father, seeking approval. He had loved his father. He needed to mourn his loss.

"Della?" I turned to see Woods walk into the living room. His eyes scanned the room before they found me standing outside on the balcony. He immediately headed for the door. There was a determination in his eyes that worried me. He opened the door and stepped outside.

"Hey, did things go okay?" I asked before he pulled me into his arms and held me tightly against him. He had done this a lot over the past week.

"She's grieving. We will talk again once she's had time to process everything," he said into my hair. "I missed you."

I smiled sadly and pulled back so I could look up at him. "You were gone for about an hour. Not much time to miss me."

Woods ran his hand through my hair, brushing it out of the way, and then cupped my face. "I missed you the second I walked out that door. I want you with me all the time."

Smiling, I turned my head and kissed his hand. "I can't always be with you."

Woods's eyes darkened with something I recognized well. "But I want you with me." He slipped one of his hands around my waist, tugging me up against him. "I can't concentrate when I'm not close enough to touch you."

I grinned as I pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist. "When you touch me we tend to get carried away."

Woods's hand slipped under my shirt and I shivered as he moved it closer to my chest. "Right now I want to get carried away."

I wanted that too. I always wanted that, but he needed to talk. He needed to say something.

His phone rang, interrupting both of us.

His face tensed and he let his hand slide out from underneath my shirt reluctantly before reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone.

"Hello," he said in his business tone. He looked at me apologetically. "Yeah, I'll be there in five minutes. Tell him to meet me in my dad's . . . in my office."

He was having a hard time calling his dad's office "his." That was only another glimpse into the pain he was ignoring.

"That was Vince. There are several board members in town and they want to meet with me in an hour. Gary, my dad's adviser and best friend, wants to brief me first. I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to take my hand and pull me against him.

"Don't be sorry. There is nothing to be sorry about. If there's anything I can do to help you, then I will. Just tell me."

Woods chuckled. "If I could get away with keeping you in my office all day with me, then I would."

"Hmmm . . . I don't think you'd get a lot of work done."

"I know I wouldn't," he replied.

"Go, show that board that you're ready for this."

Woods pressed a kiss to my head. "What are you going to do?"

I wanted to work again. I missed seeing everyone and having something to do. Lying on the beach every day wasn't really me. "Could I have my job back?" I asked.

A frown wrinkled Woods's brow. "No. I don't want you working in the dining room."

I had been prepared for this. "Okay. Then I'm going to go find a job somewhere else. I need something to do. Especially with you being so busy."