by Cat Schield
“No, I didn’t think it was going to be that sort of a visit.” Seeing Paul’s lips tighten, Lia suppressed a twinge of regret. No matter what he thought, she had no intention of treating her time with his family like a vacation. She intended to do her best to get Grady as healthy as possible in the next two weeks.
“This was your mother’s room.” Constance led the way into the room on the opposite side of the hall from Grady’s master suite. “It’s the best guest room in the house.”
“Wow!”
The enormous, bright bedroom overlooked the gardens and side lawn with floral curtains framing the four tall windows set into the muted green walls. Lia’s gaze darted from the view to the big bed with its matching comforter and the yellow fainting couch at its foot. A giant mirrored armoire dominated one wall and Lia knew without even opening the doors that even with the two bulky costumes she’d brought along, her clothes wouldn’t take up half the space.
“You sound like you approve,” Constance declared with a delighted smile.
“I’ve never stayed anywhere so nice. Or so big,” Lia said. “It’s more space than I’m used to.”
Lia was a minimalist by necessity as well as desire. The friends she’d made during her travels marveled at how little she needed, but Lia had never known any other way to be. Traveling around the country in a nineteen-foot camper meant owning a bare minimum of essentials. The only deviation from that rule was her ever expanding collection of princess costumes.
Yet the moment she’d entered the bedroom, Lia had been blown away by the beautiful antiques, the intricate plasterwork around the ceiling and fireplace, the ridiculously comfortable-looking bed and the bathroom that was bigger than her entire camper. For several long seconds she imagined herself spending long hours soaking in the tub. Then reality intruded. She wasn’t on vacation. A couple weeks from now she and Misty would be back on the road.
“Get used to it,” Constance advised. “You’re going to be with us for a long time.”
“Um...”
Turbulent emotions rose up in Lia, tightening her throat and making it impossible to speak. Being thrust into the tight-knit Watts family highlighted the isolation in her lifestyle and brought her into direct conflict with her mother’s attitude that just because someone was family didn’t mean they gave a damn about you.
“Paul, can you go let Cory know he needs to bring up the rest of Lia’s things?”
“This is all there is,” Paul answered, setting the boxes containing her costumes on the bed.
“What do you mean?” Constance looked from the boxes to the small duffel that held most of Lia’s wardrobe. “How is that possible?”
“Not everyone requires an entire room to hold every outfit they own,” Paul remarked dryly.
His mother looked mystified. “But...”
“I don’t have much room in my camper,” Lia explained. “And I don’t really need much.”
“That was your life before. You are a Watts now and should dress the part.” Constance cast a dubious eye over Lia’s yoga pants and T-shirt. “We need to get you some new clothes. The twins can show you all their favorite boutiques.”
“There’s no need,” Lia said, shooting a wary glance in Paul’s direction. He would hate that his mother wanted to spend money on her. But his impassive expression tossed her no lifeline. “I’m sure Poppy and Dallas are too busy to take me shopping. Besides, I’m only going to be here a couple weeks.”
“Nonsense. You simply have to stay longer than that. Because of you, Grady is getting better every day. No need for you to stay cooped up in the house all the time. The twins and Ethan can take you out so you can meet their friends. I have several events in the next two weeks that all of us will be attending. When word gets around all of Charleston will be dying to meet you.”
As Constance spoke, Lia’s anxiety ratcheted upward. Chest tightening, on the verge of a mild panic attack, she made another silent appeal to Paul. Why hadn’t he spoken up? Surely he’d rather she stay out of sight between now and the time they broke the news that she wasn’t a Watts after all. Once again, he remained utterly silent and aloof. Her eyebrows dipped as she realized his refusal to step in was deliberate. He was withholding aid in order to demonstrate the folly of Ethan’s plan. As if she needed that pointed out to her.
“I’m feeling really overwhelmed at the moment,” Lia protested. “I’m not used to so much attention. If you don’t mind, I’d like to focus on helping Grady get better.”
“Oh, well, of course.” Constance looked surprised and then a bit abashed. “I guess I went a little overboard. We’re just so overjoyed to have you home.”
At long last Paul took pity on Lia. “Mother, why don’t we leave Lia to unpack.”
The grateful look she shot him prompted a frown. Honestly, there seemed to be no way to get on the man’s good side.
“Of course,” Constance said, her gracious smile returning. “Join us downstairs when you’re ready.” She’d taken several steps toward the door when she suddenly stopped and turned. “I almost forgot. There’s a little welcome-home present for you on the nightstand.”
Lia’s first reaction after glancing at Paul’s set expression was to protest that she didn’t need any gifts. Then she realized that she could leave behind whatever they gave her. “That’s lovely. Thank you.”
Left alone, she started to fill the dresser drawers with her meager belongings, but then succumbed to curiosity about the gift. A small, flat box sat beside an elegant sheet of linen notepaper.
This belonged to your grandmother. We thought you should have it.—Constance.
Lia slipped the ribbon off the box and opened it. Nestled on a bed of black velvet was an antique locket. Her heart contracted as she opened the locket and saw that it contained a picture of Ava as a teenager. She sank onto the bed and stared at the photo, pondering all the events that had led her to this moment, wishing she’d done a dozen things differently.
“Hey.”
Lia lifted her gaze and spied Ethan standing in the doorway. He looked authoritative in an elegant navy suit and lavender tie.
“Hi.”
“Are you okay about staying at the estate for the next two weeks?” Ethan asked as he entered. “Both my mom and Aunt Lenora can be very determined and I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
Lia blew out her breath. “I plan to spend most of my time with your grandfather so I should be able to handle it for a couple weeks.”
Ethan came over and took her hand in his. “I know this isn’t what we originally planned on. I owe you a huge debt for helping out like this.”
“You really don’t,” Lia said, some of her angst melting away. “I just want to bring your family some peace.”
“You’ll definitely be doing that.”
“Can you please talk your mom out of introducing me all over Charleston as Ava’s daughter, though? That’s just going to end up complicating everything and I don’t think you want your family to be the subject of gossip.”
“Sure, that makes sense.” Ethan tugged at the knot on his tie, loosening it. “I’ll deal with it.”
“Thank you because your brother was no help. I thought for sure he’d want to keep me out of sight.”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but I think that Paul will come around once he gets to know you.”
“I hope so.” The memory of their kiss sent heat rushing into her cheeks. Longing spiraled through her. “Because it’s daunting how much he dislikes me.”
Five
With the successful completion of a year-long investigation into a data breach of one of his company’s clients, Paul knocked off early and headed to the estate to see how Grady was doing. Before Lia Marsh had entered their lives, Paul rarely worked a standard eight-hour day. He loved what he did and despite the number of bad actors he and his staff tracked
down, there was always another puzzle to unravel, another hacker who’d stolen information. But these days he couldn’t concentrate on his day-to-day activities.
When he wasn’t following the trail she’d left all over the country, he caught himself ruminating over that stolen moment at his beach house when he’d surrendered to his desire to kiss her. At various times over the last several days, he’d have given anything to escape the distracting memory of how she’d felt in his arms. To forget the softness of her lips as they’d yielded beneath his. To stop imagining his hands gliding over her silky, fragrant skin.
He’d intended for the impulsive act to rattle her, but the aftermath hadn’t offered him any insight into her nefarious plans. Nor in the last week had she made any misstep to confirm she wasn’t as genuine as she appeared. The dry facts that summarized her life gave him no sense of her character or her motivation for interrupting her life to act as Grady’s granddaughter. He hadn’t yet ruled out money, but nothing about the way she dressed or the things she talked about gave her away.
It also occurred to Paul that maybe he was concerning himself with the wrong thing. With only a week left to go in their arrangement, Grady continued to improve. But once they told everyone their story that a mistake had been made at the genetic testing service and Lia wasn’t his granddaughter, would Grady’s health fade once more?
There was no doubt that her presence had galvanized his recovery, but neither Paul nor Ethan could predict whether Grady’s progress would slow or stop when she left the following week. Lia persisted in her belief that once she’d gotten the ball rolling, Grady would continue to improve on his own, but what if she was the oxygen that kept the flame burning on Grady’s will to return to full health?
Paul stepped out of his SUV, intending to head straight to the carriage house for a cold beer and more brooding about Lia, when he spotted a flash of yellow coming toward him along the garden path. If he retreated without saying hello to whoever was coming, he’d never hear the end of it. Even as that zipped through his mind, he registered the sound of humming above the crunch of gravel and recognized the source.
Lia.
After that stirring kiss at his house, he’d avoided being alone with her, and he cursed at this untimely meeting. But the woman who emerged from the foliage had a completely different impact on him than what he was used to.
What the hell?
Before he could wrap his mind around her appearance, Lia spotted him and waved. Her infectious smile bloomed as she headed in his direction. His head spun as he took her in. She’d transformed herself into yet another one of her princess characters. Even her movement was different.
“What are you wearing?” he asked, regaining his voice.
“It’s a ball gown,” she responded as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world to be wearing a floor-length satin and tulle dress in bright yellow with three voluminous tiers, a red wig styled in a fancy updo with ringlets spilling over her bare shoulders and long yellow gloves. “I’m on my way to the hospital to visit the children’s ward. I’ve been so busy with Grady that I missed last week and I can’t disappoint them again.”
Paul groaned inwardly. It was hard to maintain his skepticism about her when this woman kept proving him wrong. First, she’d brought his grandfather back from the brink of death. Now here was another reminder that she gave of her time to bring joy to sick kids. How was he supposed to resist her?
“Which princess are you today?”
“I’m dressed as Belle. From Beauty and the Beast,” she explained with exaggerated patience. “The Disney movie about the prince who was turned into a beast and could only be saved by someone who loved him as himself.” When Paul continued blankly regarding her, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I can tell you don’t have children.”
“Why do you dress like a Disney character?”
“Because the kids love it. Sure, they appreciate when I just show up to spend time with them, but when I visit dressed as Belle or Elsa or Cinderella...they are so thrilled.” She grinned. “For a while they can forget how sick they are.”
“How did you get started doing this?”
“I guess you could say growing up I wanted to be a princess. I imagined that I was like Rapunzel or Sleeping Beauty, locked in a tower taken away from my parents. Hidden away. When I got older, I grew obsessed with getting a job at Disney as one of the princesses.”
“So what happened?”
“I became a Disney character.” She made a face that told him it had not gone well. “Only I didn’t get to be a princess.”
“A villain?” he asked, thinking that would be more fun.
“No,” she said. “I was Dale.” She waited a beat and when he didn’t say anything, elaborated, “Of Chip ’n’ Dale. They were chipmunks. I wore a big chipmunk head.” She used her hands to indicate the costume’s size. “It was hot and uncomfortable, but mostly worth it because the kids loved it.”
“How did you make the transition from Disney character to massage therapist?” he asked, the thought of her massaging his brother once again flashing unpleasantly through his mind. He recognized that she’d been baiting him when they discussed it, but still he envied his brother.
“I think I mentioned it was hot and stuffy in that costume. Being a character wasn’t as glamorous as I’d hoped it would be. One of my coworkers was taking classes in massage therapy and it sounded like a good idea. It was a way for me to help people and that’s what I like to do.”
“Well, you’ve certainly had a huge impact on Grady, so I guess you have a knack for making people better.”
“Thank you for saying that,” she said, showing her appreciation with a bright smile that kicked him hard in the gut.
“How are you getting there?”
“I’m going to walk.” She shifted sideways as if to go around him. “It’s only fifteen minutes away.”
Paul stepped to block her path. “Why don’t I drive you instead?”
“Really,” she demurred. “It’s no problem.”
“I insist,” he argued, faltering in his week-long battle to avoid being alone with her.
“I like walking.”
“So do I. I could walk you there.”
She set her hands on her hips and arched one eyebrow. “Don’t you have evildoers to chase?”
“Nope. We just wrapped up a huge investigation so I took the afternoon off.” Paul held out his arm to her in a gallant gesture that caught her by surprise. “I can’t think of anything I’d enjoy more than to watch your performance as Belle.”
“But I’m usually there for a couple hours. I’m sure you have better things to do.”
“Stop trying to get rid of me,” he growled. “There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.” And much to his dismay, that was true.
Although she looked like she wanted to voice further protests, Lia gave a little shrug and took his arm. Her delicate grip made such a huge impression that Paul had a hard time concentrating as she told him the story of how Belle and the Beast fell in love.
Fifteen minutes had never gone by so quickly, and all too soon Paul was guiding Lia through the hospital’s entrance. Gliding along the corridors, she paid little attention to the stir she caused. The staff greeted her warmly, but Paul couldn’t help but notice the way many visitors goggled at her appearance or even laughed at her elaborate costume. He caught himself scowling at a number of them even as he recalled his own initial reaction when he first saw her.
“What?” he demanded, noticing her amused expression as they stood waiting for the elevator to arrive.
“I was just thinking that the way you’re glaring makes me think you’d make an excellent Beast.”
He forced his facial muscles to relax. “I don’t suppose I’m Prince Charming material.”
“You could be,” she murmured, stepping into the elev
ator car.
“No,” he corrected. “Ethan is Prince Charming.” A now-familiar pulse of irritation raised his blood pressure.
“Ethan?” Her snort was an indelicate sound at odds with her royal appearance. “Do you really see him dressing up in britches and a frock coat?”
Not in his wildest imaginings. Paul’s lips twitched, but he kept his tone serious. “Maybe for the right woman.”
She gave another very unprincesslike snort. “I don’t think he’d enjoy playacting.”
“I wouldn’t, either.”
She narrowed her glowing hazel eyes and shot him a piercing glance. “You might be surprised.”
Her knowing smile sent a wave of heat through him. Before he could summon a retort, the doors opened and Lia stepped into the corridor of what was obviously the children’s floor. She paused for a second, drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes. A moment later, she exhaled and a beatific smile curved her lips. Just like that she’d become someone completely different.
The transformation robbed Paul of words. He trailed after her as she approached the nurses’ station and after greeting everyone, introduced Paul. Several nurses accompanied them on the way to the lounge where some of the children had gathered to play. The appearance of a beloved princess in their midst electrified the children.
Mesmerized by the spectacle, Paul stood at the back of the room with a cluster of parents and watched Lia work her way around the space, going from child to child, spreading joy as she went. Some of the kids she called by name, proving that she was indeed a frequent visitor. In every case she lingered, answering questions, asking some of her own.
Nor was Lia’s effect limited to the kids. Around Paul several stressed-out mothers teared up at their children’s delight and tense fathers relaxed enough to smile. Once again, Lia was demonstrating the incredible magic she’d used to wrest Grady away from the brink of death.
Paul noticed a tightness in his chest and rubbed to ease it. This woman was too much. He recalled Ethan declaring that first day that Lia came off as completely genuine. Confident his brother had been hoodwinked, Paul had done whatever he could to unmask her. Now he was leaning toward her giving her the benefit of the doubt. This hospital visit was the whip cream, sprinkles and cherry on top of the ice cream sundae that was Lia Marsh.