The Ties that Bind. Emilie Rose

that’s not Graham’s fault. And handing out money isn’t going to fill your heart the way giving and receiving love does. No matter how many scholarships you award, you can’t bring your brother back.”

      Damn, she had a way of going straight for the jugular. But Sarah didn’t know about the baby in Pierce’s foster care home—the one who had died. And Pierce had been the last one to see it alive. He pushed the memory away.

      “I might be able to prevent another kid from the system from facing the same fate as Sean. That’s why we’re here sorting through over a thousand applications—with a looming deadline before the announcement and banquet.”

      “Sean made bad choices after your parents died because he lost the emotional connection to someone who cared enough to guide him. Make sure you don’t put your son in the same position.”

      It was his turn to recoil. Sarah asked too much. Letting Graham—or anyone—into his life meant making himself vulnerable. Everyone he’d loved had died. His parents. His brother. Hank.

      Kat would return, and when she did she’d take Graham back to Atlanta. Eventually she’d find someone else willing to give her the ring she craved, and then even if Pierce wanted time with the boy he would play hell trying to get visitation. He’d seen custody battles happen time and time again with friends and employees.

      Keeping his emotional distance would be easier in the long run. When he had something to offer Kat’s son—like a job at Hollister Ltd., he’d teach Graham the business if the kid was interested. But until then, he wasn’t investing himself in a temporary guest.