Seven years after the divorce

Seven years after the divorce Piper Sh Seven years after the divorce I returned to America A job brought me to a private estate for a shoot That was when a little girl wandered into my frame In the viewfinder was Mia Piper B a face so much like mine Mia Piper Bennett a face so much like mine My heart stopped The camera jerked violently in my hands Miss The bodyguard shadowing the little miss stepped forward at once Do you know this woman? The little girl stared at me for a few seconds No I stood there lowered my gaze and let out a small bitter laugh Of course the sole heir of the Bennett family wouldn't know me After all my ex-husband Grant Bennett twelve-million-dollar divorce settlement and a private NDA to make me give up the custody fight and any right to reach for her first A bird suddenly flew from the tree breaking the brief silence The tall bodyguard stopped me Mam His tone was polite, but firm Please delete the you just took photos Okay I instinctively reached for the buttons on my camera Wait Can I see them? I looked up and met her eyes She tilted her head Her gaze bright and pure Those eyes bright and pure My heart beat faster under her gaze my voice dry Of course She came to stand beside me She was seven or eight taller than most children her age with fair skin She had wandered into my shot by chance It's better than I thought she studied the screen with grave attention You're really good at taking pictures She was tall for her age but I still had to bend down so we could look at the same screen Her small hand came to rest on the camera By accident her fingertips brushed mine We both froze So warm She'd grown up safe and sound I thought a sudden joy rising in me You took four in a row Only because I'd been too nervous and hit the shutter several times by mistake They weren't even that good The last two were out of focus Strangely my nose stung As if desperate to prove something to her I'm better at landscapes I pulled out my work badge I'm famous for landscape photography Piper Shaw I know you You're an internationally famous landscape photographer I want to learn photography Can you be my teacher? Her expression was quiet and serious her eyes fixed on me with open hope looking at the lower half of her face She really did look like that man forcing the refusal out I just got back to the States My projects are fully booked for the next few months so I'm afraid I can't My name is Mia Bennett My full name is Mia Piper Bennett Piper is my middle name She looked straight into my eyes Same as yours A ringing filled my ears drowning out every sound around me She was only seven How could she be this sharp? Could you adjust my schedule for me? I can pay you triple My dad is very rich she lowered her eyes You can shoot anywhere you want I finally managed My schedule is set at least six months in advance It's not about the money Mia didn't answer Her lashes trembled Her lips pressed tight And then I realized She knew who I was But my hand closed on empty air She turned, and ran the bodyguard beside her followed at once I crossed the covered walkway standing in the distance standing in the distance He crouched down Mia threw herself into his arms and wrapped both arms around his neck I stopped where I was A bell tolled in the distance startling a flock of birds from the woods The man lifted his eyes Grant Bennett His features were sharp and cold his expression calm There was a maturity in him now that felt almost unfamiliar against the side of his neck and choked out one word Mia cried quietly, only her shoulders rising and falling Grant patted her back murmuring comfort in a low voice Bitterness and helplessness hit me all at once He wiped Mia's tears away Give Dad a few minutes, okay? Mia nodded As Daniel, the secretary led her away by the hand she turned back to look at me Only after her figure vanished at the end of the walkway did I look away and meet Grant's eyes How have you been all these years? He wore a white linen shirt with iron-gray trousers a kind of restraint he never would have had years ago My answer was polite and distant Not bad. Thanks for asking. Grant's brow shifted slightly Mia will be staying here all summer- I'm here for work I cut in I didn't know I'd run into her You can relax I won't do anything outside the terms of our agreement My voice was unexpectedly calm When you take the money and sign the papers you honor the terms I still remember that That's not what I meant Grant paused If possible I'd like you to say yes to her request Mia has a heavy course load She doesn't get much time to play and she rarely takes an interest in anything else She likes photography your portfolio many times The hand I had on my camera trembled I couldn't hold it back She's only seven Why are you filling up her schedule like this? Because she'll join Bennett Group one day Grant's expression didn't change She needs to be prepared early I gave a short laugh She's the heir to the Bennett family What does that have to do with me? The mood turned tense in an instant