“I didn’t expect to see Vanessa here,” Theo said casually.
“How do you know Van?” Elijah asked before I could respond. My man crossed his big arms over his broad chest and gave the billionaire a don’t-fuck-with-me look. Oh lord, he was fucking hot.
“I’m not sure it’s your business,” Theo returned, not looking the least bit intimidated by Elijah.
“It is my—our—business when you come into our home and start probing for information about one of our friends.”
Theo’s mouth tilted up on the right side in a wry, half smile. Elijah’s protectiveness seemed to relax him even if he was the one Elijah was shielding Vanessa from. “I only remarked that I was surprised to see her here. I forget how small this world truly is sometimes. What are the odds the lady who bought my grandfather’s home is friends with the woman who…” His words trailed off, and he looked truly surprised about what he had revealed or almost said. “Anyway, I’d love a tour then I’ll get out of your hair.”
“This is the coolest place to start,” I told him. “Look at the incredible craftsmanship that went into building those floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.”
“Incredible,” Theo agreed. He walked over to one of the shelves where I displayed several pictures of the family I’d found in frames.
“I think you resemble him greatly,” I said. “You have the same square jaw and aristocratic nose. It’s hard to tell what color his eyes were since the photos are in black and white, but it’s obvious they were a light color like yours.”
“I’ve been told I have the Bliss blue eyes.”
“You look taller and broader—” My words died off when I smelled pipe tobacco.
“Are you implying I should hit the gym more often?” Theo asked with a quirked brow. He stilled when he smelled the invisible smoke drifting through the air. He looked around the room and saw no one in the room was smoking a pipe. “I don’t believe it,” he said in awe. He held up his right arm and the dark hair on his arm was visibly sticking up where he’d rolled his sleeve to reveal thickly muscled forearms. “Oh, that’s fucking weird.”
“Good of you to join us, Anthony,” I said. “This is your grandson, Theo.”
“You talk to him?” Theo whispered, making Elijah snort.
“He doesn’t answer back,” I assured him. “Unless you count him slamming a door upstairs or romping around in the attic.”
“He was very demonstrative when we picked out paint colors during remodeling,” Elijah told him. “Maegan gave in every time he expressed his displeasure.”
“He loved this house, and at the time, I thought he’d be here long after I died,” I said with a shrug. “Happy ghost, happy life.”
“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes, Freckles.” Elijah then looked at Theo once more. “The logic applies just the same though.”
“Do you really believe in all this?” Theo asked me then shook his head. “You’re talking out loud to him, so you obviously believe.”
“I knew there was something special about this house when I rode by it on my bicycle as a kid. I also knew someone truly special resided here too. I couldn’t explain it then, and it sounds ridiculous to say as a grownup, but this place just felt like pure magic to me.”
“It was the turret,” a new voice said, entering the library. I turned and raised a brow at my brother. “She was obsessed with fairy tales, fair maidens, and dashing princes. The turret represented a tower where the fair maiden was locked away until her dashing prince showed up to rescue her.”
Elijah puffed out his chest reminding me of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. “I’d say the fair lady did well for herself. She has her castle and her dashing, heroic man.” His deepened, dramatic voice made me giggle.
“I noticed there are a lot of vehicles in the driveway when I drove by. Are you having a party and forgot to invite me?” Milo laid the garment bag he’d had slung over his shoulder on a club chair and approached the three of us. “You must be Theodore. You have an uncanny resemblance to Anthony Bliss. You’d think genetics gets watered down over the generations, but it’s like Anthony is standing right here.”
“Maegan says I’m fatter than him. Please call me Theo,” he said, thrusting his hand toward my brother.
“Please forgive her,” Milo said, shaking his hand. “She can be so gauche sometimes. Our mother tried so hard with her, but there was no help for it. I’m Milo by the way.”
“Milo, you just happened to be in the neighborhood?” I asked in disbelief.
“Maegan, you act as if we live in a metropolis. Everywhere you go in Blissville is ‘in the neighborhood.’ I came by to get your opinion on the dress for tonight. You know how much I love Dolly Parton, and I mustn’t wear just any ole sequined dress. I notice how you deflected my question. Are you having a hen party of some sort? What are you ladies into these days? Kinky toys? The latest kitchen gadgets? Kitchen gadgets that also act as kinky toys? You know I love all those things too.”
“None of the above, and you can cut the act. You know exactly what the girls are doing upstairs.”
“Oh, is this the day you try to outdo the magnificent nursery Andy and I planned?” Milo snorted. “Good luck with that.”
“I don’t need luck because I’m positive my vision is grander than anything you can comprehend.”
“We’ll just see about that, won’t we?”
“Will we also have a race to see who adopts a baby first?” Elijah asked, drawing disbelieving looks from us both. “Will we encourage knock-down, drag-out fights between toddlers over Easter eggs?”
“Not even we’re that competitive,” I told Elijah.
“We might playfully compete against one another, but we’d never pit our children against each other. Unless there’s serious cash involved,” Milo said.
Theo threw his head back and laughed until tears streamed down his face which was when Vanessa walked into the room to let us know our food was delivered. Milo didn’t miss her tight voice, pale face, and stiff posture as her eyes locked on Theo.
“What’s wrong, Van. You act like you’ve seen a ghost.” Milo’s eyes widened when he put two and two together and came up with ten. “Oh!” Milo looked back and forth between them. Theo looked like he was intrigued to know if Van had talked about him, and Van looked like she was seconds away from skinning Milo alive.
“Well, I should probably get going,” Milo said dramatically. “I’m about to give the performance of my life tonight, so none of you better miss it.”
“We’ll be there,” I assured him. “I thought you wanted help picking out a dress.”
“I lied,” he said, snatching up his garment bag and tossing it over his shoulder. “I wanted an excuse to see what you were up to.” Milo winked playfully before exiting with a flourish.
“Let’s go eat,” Elijah said, rubbing his hands together. “We have plenty of food, Theo. Would you like to join us?”
“I should probably get going,” he said, staring at Vanessa. He didn’t sound a bit convincing.
“Oh, come on,” Elijah said. “Have a few pieces of pizza then Maegan can show you the rest of the house.”
“Okay,” Theo said with a calm shrug. He followed Vanessa out of the room, leaving me and Elijah alone.
“Andy is popping the question tonight, isn’t he?”
“Freckles,” Elijah said in a warning tone.
“Oh, all right. Keep your secrets.” I gave him a quick kiss then headed into the dining room where lunch awaited us.
The tour with Theo thankfully finished quieter than it began. He appreciated the craftsmanship and the way we lovingly restored the home so it kept the vintage feel but with modern twists here and there. After he left, I joined everyone else in the nursery. I stood shocked in the doorway because I hadn’t expected us to get so far in a few hours, but I could already tell Vanessa’s mural would exceed my wildest imagination. I burst into tears, pulling everyone’s attention to me.
“Freckle
s,” Elijah said, pulling me into his arms. “We can change anything you don’t like, right, Van?”
“It’s perfect,” I said into his chest. “It’s so beautiful it moved me to tears. I have no idea why I’m crying at the drop of a hat anymore.”
“As long as they’re happy tears,” Elijah said, kissing the top of my head.
Later that night, happy tears streamed down my face once more when Andy walked out onto the stage at Queen City Divas dressed as Kenny Rogers to perform a duet with his Dolly Parton in front of both families and all our friends. “Islands in the Stream” had never sounded so sweet, and my brother smiled brighter than I’d ever seen when Andy dropped to his knee after their performance and proposed. Milo had waited for this moment for so long, and my heart swelled to bursting with love on the happiest day of his life.
I curled into Elijah’s side, noting the smug look on his face. I was tempted to torture him with pleasure later to see what other secrets he hid but decided I’d rather not know ahead of time the treasures life had in store for us.
“OCTOBER IS THE BEST TIME of year to head to Grandpa’s cabin,” my mom said wistfully. I imagined she was wearing her serene smile, and I wished I was sitting across the kitchen table from her instead of talking over the phone. “The leaves are changing, and the weather is perfect.”
“How’s Dad really doing with his radiation treatments?” I wanted to check in before we left for Tennessee in the morning.
A month had passed since his surgery, and he’d just started radiation therapy. I wanted to take Maegan away for a long weekend in the middle of the month because the end of October was a hectic time for her. I wanted this four-day weekend to be something special she would remember for the rest of her life, not a few days squeezed in between Halloween and birthday celebrations. On the other hand, I wanted to be there for my dad too.
“Elijah, your father isn’t lying just to make you feel better. He’s doing okay right now. As the weeks go on, the radiation will take its toll. Right now, he’s just a little tired. You need to have this time away with Maegan, and you need to do it without worrying about us. I promise I will call you if something comes up, but I know it won’t. Give Freckles our love. And, Elijah,” Mom said softly, “I cannot wait to see my grandmother’s ring on her finger.”
“How’d you know I was—”
“I’m your mother,” she said, cutting me off. “Mothers know these things. I don’t want to hear anymore conflict in your voice. Dad and I are doing just fine. Oh! Here he comes now. He’s holding out his hand, so he must want to talk to you. I love you, Elijah. I hope you have an amazing weekend.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
“Son,” my father said by way of greeting. “You aren’t asking your mother about my health after I already told you I’m doing fine, are you?”
“No, Dad.”
“I promised myself I’d be a better man if I ever got a second chance to be your father, and part of that is being honest and not trying to pretend I’m Superman. I’m flesh and blood, not a superhero.”
“Really?”
“Don’t get smart,” he said, but I heard the humor in his voice. “I’m trying to make a point here.”
“My apologies.”
“I will be honest with you about how I’m feeling throughout radiation, Son. I’m only two weeks in, and right now, I’m mostly tired. The doctor warned the next five weeks will take a harder toll on me. I want you to have the weekend away you planned with your Freckles because I will need your strength and her smiling face soon. Will you do that for me?”
I had to swallow a few times before I could speak. “Yeah, Dad.”
“That’s my boy. Now, it’s time for you to hang up this phone so you can finish getting ready for your trip.”
“Yes, sir. I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, Son. You have a safe trip.”
We said our goodbyes then hung up. I sat on the bed I shared with Maegan for several minutes staring off into space. My relationship with my father had changed so much since we reconnected. It was everything I’d always wanted as a kid and young adult, but I wished it hadn’t taken a serious illness for us to patch things up. In the end, did it really matter why he took the first step? It didn’t. The only thing that mattered was the result. I felt lighter and happier than ever before in my life. I not only had the girl of my dreams, but I had my family back. My future had never looked brighter than it did right then on the cusp of asking Maegan to be my wife.
I heard the front door open and close below. Maegan had gone to work even though she was off on Wednesdays to make sure Bonnie didn’t have too much on her plate while we were gone. Jackie was also helping out wherever she was needed which was a big relief to Maegan. She’d texted me to say she was going to the store after work to get the non-perishable food items we needed for our trip. The general store closest to the cabin had the fresh meat and perishable items we’d need, but Maegan refused to pay their jacked-up, tourist-trap prices for boxed and canned goods we could bring from home. My lady was a shrewd businesswoman and negotiator.
“Elijah,” Maegan called from downstairs. “I brought home the fried chicken you like from the deli.” I almost made it to the kitchen before she finished her sentence. She laughed when she saw how eager I was to get my hands on the chicken. “How are your parents?”
“How’d you know I was going to call them?”
“I know you,” Maegan said. “You wanted to make sure your dad wasn’t lowballing his pain level so you could keep your plans. So, how is he?”
“Tired but otherwise good. He said the next five weeks will be hard on him.”
“Then we’ll make sure we get there as often as we can to give him the support he needs and your mom a break.”
The chicken was forgotten when I pulled Maegan into my arms and looked into her adoring eyes. She’d change our plans in a heartbeat if she thought my parents needed us which only made me love her more. I ran a finger over the freckles on her forehead I loved so much.
“Our lives have been a bit hectic lately, so I’m glad the two of us are getting away for the weekend.”
“And they’re about to get even crazier now that the network has worked out all the arrangements with the lawyers for The Golden Gate Bridge Inn.” A door slammed above. “Excuse me, Anthony,” Maegan said dramatically, “I meant the Blissview Hotel.”
“At least Anthony has prepared us for when our kids become petulant teenagers,” I suggested.
“You make a very good point,” Maegan said.
“I’m glad Lyric’s crew is coming this weekend to do the bulk of the filming,” I confessed then waggled my eyebrows. “Especially the nighttime stuff.”
Maegan giggled and patted my chest. “There are definitely things bumping in the night around here that don’t need to be recorded. Let’s eat the chicken while it’s still hot then we can finish packing.”
“I’m all packed and ready to go,” I boasted. “I’m willing to help you pack the essentials if you want some help.”
“Elijah, I’d end up with a bag full of lingerie and nothing else.”
“Not true,” I said, shaking my head. “I was thinking you’ll only need a toothbrush.”
“You’re going to keep me naked for four days?”
“Well six hours of the first day will be spent driving, so three and a half.” I dodged her quick hand when she tried to pinch my nipple. “Okay, I plan on taking you on my favorite hiking trails, so you’ll need appropriate clothing for hiking and a toothbrush.”
“Different trails than the ones we took in the spring?”
“Yes and no,” I replied. “Some of the trails are the same, but they will look completely different now that fall has arrived. There is one trail I saved especially for this trip.”
“You were sure there’d be another trip back then, huh?”
“I hoped,” I replied, smoothing the curls away from her forehead then cupping her face. “The cabin
is my favorite place on earth, and you’re my favorite person. Plus, I made some secret upgrades to the cabin since we were last there.”
Maegan narrowed her eyes. “I’m not sure what to think about your ability to keep secrets from me.”
“Freckles, the only secrets I keep from you are surprises for you. You’ve seen all my skeletons.” My brain chose that moment to interrupt my happiness by reminding me Axel Washington was still out there, and I wasn’t falling for his “going clean” act. It was a matter of time before he returned to his old ways, and I could be at the top of his revenge list. I trusted my former police captain to let me know when, or if, I needed to go on high alert. Until then, I wanted Maegan to have maximum joy in life because there was no need upsetting her about something that hasn’t happened and may never happen.
“I’m just teasing you. I can’t wait to see my surprises,” Maegan said then rubbed her hands together. “Okay, dinner then packing.”
Dinner went off without a hitch, but things went a little sideways when I followed Maegan upstairs to help her pack because her newest delivery of lingerie had arrived in the mail. She wanted to wait and show it off at the cabin, but I didn’t want to wait another day to know what she received.
“You have your surprises, and I have mine,” she teased, tossing the unopened package into the bottom of her small suitcase. I wanted to snatch it out of there and rip it open, but she had a point. Then she went to the closet and carried out an opened box she’d apparently hid in there.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“More surprises.”
“Can you at least give me a hint?”
“Only if you give me a hint first.” Maegan raised her chin to challenge me.
We stared each other down like two gunslingers squaring off in the center of town. I expected a tumbleweed to roll by and a familiar tune from one of the old western movies to play. “Are we practicing a scene for The Hot, The Hard, and the Horny?”
The Lady Stole My Heart (The Lady is Mine, #2) Page 17