It felt like home.
Well, to be fair, the farmhouse she and Dad lived in had seen better days. Dad patched the roof every year, and more than a few floorboards squeaked no matter what they did to try and fix them.
This home was definitely about one hundred notches up, but still, she’d expected a cold mansion like she’d lived in while on The Price of Love, not a place that made her want to settle in and stay for a few years.
If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine living with Will in a house like this, kids running around, playing in the yard, maybe a few horses in a field nearby.
Almost.
Will the CEO, the self-absorbed businessman who put his job and reputation before everyone else, seemed to stand out like a handsome sore thumb in her picture.
If she could just take Will’s body and transplant his personality with someone else’s, everything would be peachy.
She glanced over to see him staring at her with curiosity in his gaze and a black ring around his eye.
The poor guy looked pitiful. “It’s nice. Very nice.”
He nodded, parked in front of the house, and unbuckled. “Well, let’s get this over with.”
His reticence confused her. “What do you mean, get this over with? Coming here was your idea, buddy.”
Will’s jaw worked for a moment before he nodded. “You’re right. It’ll be fine. But…I don’t want to tell them.”
Not a chance. She was already lying to half the world. The only reason she finally relented to coming here was the chance to let down her guard and be herself. Playing the doting fiancée was exhausting. “We’ve talked about this. I can’t lie to them.”
He leaned over and tweaked her nose in a way that made her want to add a crooked nose to his facial ailments. “Let’s go.” With that, he escaped the car before she could argue.
She flung the car door open and stomped out, a protest on her lips, but his mother was running out the door, dishrag over her shoulder, a squeal that could rival a five-year-old’s escaping from her lips.
“William Henry Preston, you get over here and hug me this instant.” Before he could take a step, the older woman reached him and smothered the red-hued executive in a bear hug. She held him at arm’s length and gasped when she looked at his face. “What’d you do to yourself? Have you been fighting again? I thought you quit that after high school.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Mom. You remember Hanna?”
The man was a pro at ignoring and diverting the conversation. Hanna smiled and took a step toward mother and son. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Preston.”
A second later she found herself in a massive hug as well. “Oh, it’s Lilith to you, sweetie. You have no idea how thrilled Harrison and I were when we heard that you’d agreed to forgive our William for his stupidity.”
“Mom.”
She scowled at Will. “Don’t Mom me. It was stupid, and you know it.” Looking back at Hanna, she gave her one more quick squeeze. “But don’t you worry. He’s mended his ways, and if he tries anything else, I’ll have no issue taking the paddle to him again.”
Hanna glanced at Will, who had puppy dog–pleading eyes fixed on her. Telling the truth had seemed like such a good idea a few moments ago. But bursting this sweet woman’s bubble? She wasn’t sure she could do it, either. “Well, he’s been a perfect gentleman since, but hold on to the paddle for later, just in case.”
Will stepped closer and put a hand around her waist. “Thanks for letting us stay here for a few days, Mom.”
She waved off his thanks. “I would’ve been crushed if you hadn’t. Now, Hanna, come with me so I can show you around. Will, you can bring the bags up.”
Hanna followed, thankful to get away from Will’s constant habit of touching her. They were just little things—hands on her waist or shoulders, or a hug. It was all for show, and thankfully, there had been no more “for-the-camera kisses” in a while.
She hoped they could avoid that completely from now on.
Each time, it was like a knife to her heart, reminding her of times when those kisses were the most glorious thing on earth. Reminding her of what she might never have again.
No, she needed to find a way to keep up this charade and minimize hands-on activity.
They entered the house, and again, Hanna got chills. Everything was tastefully decorated, dark mahogany wood accents with varying cozy tones of paint. She inhaled the aroma of vanilla and lavender, then her eyes caught the flickering glow of candles on the fireplace hearth.
What she’d give for a nice, thick book and a fire. And maybe a good snowstorm outside.
Lilith walked ahead of her, motioning to the breakfast and kitchen area. “Help yourself while you’re here, Hanna. You’re family now, so you’re welcome to anything.”
The memory of Will’s midnight raid of her refrigerator made her bite her tongue to keep from giggling. He was always so proper and professional, he had to have been starved to resort to that.
They walked up the stairs, and Lilith pointed out the various rooms. Down the hall, she opened a door then fumbled with a button on her sweater. “This, uh, is where William usually sleeps. I’d planned to put you in the bonus room over the garage….”
The implication was clear. Would they be sleeping together?
Hanna was a lot of things, and blunt was definitely one of them. No way did she want Will’s parents thinking the worst. “Lilith, I decided a long time ago to not sleep with a man until we were married. Will’s a fantastic guy, and I—” she almost said loved him. Should say love him, to help cement their little act, but the words meant too much. She’d thrown them around before and had them thrown back in her face. “I think the world of him, but we’ll sleep in separate rooms until we’re married. The bonus room sounds great.”
Guilt filled her veins as if someone had hooked her up to an IV full of it.
But no. She hadn’t lied. Everything she said was true. Lilith just didn’t realize that the “married” part was never going to happen.
The door downstairs shut and voices filtered up the stairs. Lilith took her arm and guided her back to the steps. “Before you see Harrison again, I just want to explain to you. He was not too pleased with William about this whole thing. He always held his son to a high standard, so—just know that things aren’t always so tense around here.”
As they neared the stairs, Hanna’s defenses shot up.
Below, voices ping-ponged back and forth in a game of who could yell the loudest.
Hanna followed behind Lilith, wanting to run to wherever the bonus room was that would be her haven for the week and hide. She didn’t do well with yelling. Her dad barely ever raised his voice, apart from the moment she’d told him about her getting accepted as a contestant on The Price of Love.
And even then it was more disappointment than anything.
She’d have preferred him to just yell.
But Will’s dad obviously had yelling down to a science.
His voice thundered through the house, sending a chill up Hanna’s back.
“You think you can just fix all this with money and smooth words, don’t you? It isn’t that easy, William. You screwed up, son. In all your philandering, I’ve yet to hear you take responsibility for your actions like a man.”
The man had a point. Will liked to fix problems, not take responsibility for them. It was a fine line, but there was a definite difference.
Will’s voice, low and full of emotion, volleyed back. “No one’s perfect, Dad. I’m sorry I don’t meet your standards, but Hanna has forgiven me, and we’re good now. It’s in the past, and there’s no use rehashing it.”
Score one for the son. The past is best left where it is sometimes, in the past.
She heard a loud boom, and both she and Lilith jumped. A fist against the wall maybe? Hopefully, it wouldn’t leave a mark. “William, I thought I raised you better than that. The past may be in the past, but if you don’t learn from it an
d deal with it, you’ll be haunted by it forever.” A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and the decibel lowered a degree. “I just want the best for you. And a hasty marriage with this girl is not going to solve all your problems.”
“We’re taking our time. It’s not like we’re eloping tonight.”
Hanna straightened. Eloping? Ha. In his dreams. Even if she were going to marry him, which she wasn’t, she’d make him spring for the biggest, most extravagant wedding he’d ever seen, no expense spared.
And since it would all be for spite, it was a good reason why they shouldn’t get married.
“What if it’d been Claire? What if some guy had dragged her name through the mud in front of the whole world and ruined her reputation? Would you expect her to just forgive and forget? Would you even allow it?”
“I’d have killed the guy, and you know it.”
Lilith turned toward her, having stopped outside the living room with her, knowing they were both listening but apparently not wanting to interrupt either. Her eyes conveyed her apology, and with a jerk of her head, she motioned Hanna to follow her into the room.
But it did nothing to satisfy the insane curiosity that brewed in Hanna.
Who was Claire?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
William tiptoed down the stairs, taking care not to step on the empty basket of “take upstairs” items his mom left on the second step. Years ago, it had been full of misplaced socks and toys from Will and Claire. They’d been required to take up anything that was in the basket at the end of the day.
His mom was super organized like that.
These days it was mostly empty when he came to visit. Tonight was no exception.
Reaching the other side of the kitchen, he debated as he glanced at the time on the microwave.
A quarter after midnight.
Should he tap on the downstairs door that led to the bonus room?
Doing so could wake up his parents, and while he was a grown man and CEO of a publicly traded company, he still felt like a ten-year-old sneaking around at night, trying not to be caught so he wouldn’t get in trouble.
But walking on up would invade Hanna’s privacy. Surely she was already in her pj’s and in bed at this time of night.
It was the only time he could talk to her in private, though. His parents had been a constant annoyance all evening, not giving them a moment alone. He was fairly certain his dad intended to keep it that way.
Will knew Hanna had heard most of their disagreement downstairs but wasn’t sure how much. It had started off with an edict that there would be no “hanky-panky” in the house as long as there was no marriage license, and if they didn’t like it, they could turn around and leave.
While Will agreed, the way it had been said and the insinuation hit a nerve.
Feeling like a prisoner in his childhood home, he tossed propriety to the wind, opened the door, and with the moves of a not-so-stealth spy, slid into the stairwell and silently shut the door behind him.
As quietly as he could, he slipped up the stairs. When he caught sight of Hanna’s form under the blankets, the stupidity of his mission hit him.
What if she wasn’t decent?
Somehow he pictured her wearing footed pj’s that zipped up to the neck to bed, but it hit him that the thought was just as dumb as the two women in the airport.
While Hanna was innocent, she was equally as passionate. He could only imagine…
Will shook his head of the rogue thoughts that flooded his mind.
He needed to leave. Fast.
Turning on his heel, his foot came into contact with something hard and sharp, and a muffled gasp escaped his lips despite his attempt to stay silent.
“Will?”
Pain seared his big toe. He twisted around and saw her silhouette sitting up in bed. The moon shone through the single window behind her, accentuating every perfect line of her.
She wasn’t in footed pajamas either. A spaghetti strap from her nightgown hung off her shoulder, but he forced his eyes to remain on her face. “I wanted to talk.”
Her head shook as if she were ridding her brain of the sleepy fog. “Um, did you knock?”
“I didn’t want to wake Mom or Dad.”
Hanna scooted up in bed, tucking the covers around her modestly. “Okay. What do you need?”
What did he need? Great question. “I—I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you heard Dad and I—”
“I kinda wanted to know the same about you. He was pretty mad.”
Will used the moonlight to pick his way around the room to the overstuffed chair near the bed. “I deserved it.” And it was true. His dad’s words had hit their mark like they always did. William had been so bent on fixing the problems he caused that he hadn’t really dealt with the initial incident that started the whole thing.
A half laugh escaped her lips. “True.”
He could get used to that laugh. “I really am sorry, Hanna. What I said in that interview was wrong and stupid, and there’s no excuse.”
She stared at him for a moment, then she shifted to her side and slid down in bed, legs curled behind her, and stuffed her pillow under head. “Will, who’s Claire?”
Settling back into the cushion, he closed his eyes, letting the sweet, smiling memory flood. “My sister.”
“Where is she?”
He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Most days he tried to forget. To put the memory out of his brain. Except on her birthday, and the anniversary of her death. “She died when I was fifteen. She was only twelve.”
Hanna slipped her arm out from under the covers and reached over to press a hand on his knee. “I’m so sorry, Will.”
“It’s been a long time. She was born with a heart defect. It was miraculous she made it to that age. She defied a lot of odds.”
His parents had always said that it was God Himself who allowed her to beat the statistics and hold out for so long. That God had blessed them with twelve wonderful years, and they were so thankful for that.
Will had a different perspective. What kind of God would kill a precious twelve-year-old like Claire? She had the sweetest soul, never hurt a fly or said a mean word to anyone. Most brothers and sisters fought, but not them. He’d taken on the role of her protector from the moment she was born. He’d been just shy of four years old but still remembered seeing her for the first time in that hospital bed, hooked up to all those cords and tubes and such. His dad had whispered in his ear how important it would be that he took good care of his little sister. That’s what men do, he’d advised.
William had done his best and prayed his heart out but, in the end, had failed.
There was no justice in a sweet girl like Claire dying. No purpose or divine reason that would ever make sense.
And what he’d said to his father tonight was true. If Claire had lived, and some guy had treated her like he’d treated Hanna, Will would be in jail for murder and wouldn’t regret it a bit. Well, okay, maybe not murder. But the guy sure would be sporting a black eye worse than his.
That’s why it was so important to fix this. Nothing he might do could erase his actions, but he’d pay as much penance as he could.
For Hanna. And for Claire.
What should happen is that God would punish him with a nice dose of wrath. He deserved it.
But God hadn’t paid attention to anything in this world for a long time.
Hanna’s finger rubbed a spot on his knee. “I’m sorry for your loss, Will. She sounds like she was a fighter.”
He smiled. “She was.”
“You should probably go before your parents catch you up here.”
“You’re right, I probably should.”
“They seem nice, by the way.”
He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. No use getting too comfortable. “When they aren’t yelling at me, you mean.”
“Well, your mom never yelled. And your dad was nice to me anyway.”
“They lik
e you. Have from the moment the show started.”
She withdrew her hand from his knee and propped up on her elbow. “Really?”
“I’d get weekly calls while the show aired…‘You better have picked Hanna!’ They were pretty adamant about it.”
Even in the moon-brushed room, he could still spot her deep blush.
“Well, they’re pretty sweet as well. I remember thinking that when we met them in Bermuda. I could do much worse in the in-law department.”
“Your dad seems like a solid guy as well.”
She settled back down, her head snuggling into the pillow, causing Will to have to sit back in the chair again to create distance. She had no idea how adorable she was, how appealing a picture she created.
It made him realize all over again just what he’d lost with his stupid mistake.
Hanna sighed. “I wish you could have met my mom.”
“I saw her pictures at your house. She was beautiful.” Just like her daughter.
“Yes, she was. My dad always joked that he’d definitely married ‘up.’ I love my dad, but he’s right. Mom was something else. I miss her.”
No longer able to take it, he stood up and took a step toward the bed.
Her breath caught as she shifted toward the wall a hair. Any other woman and he’d have guessed she was making room for him on the bed. But with Hanna, it was probably her attempt to flee.
He leaned over, a hand on either side of her. “You’re a wonderful woman, Hanna.”
Her throat dipped in a gulp, and her chest clothed only in the thin, cotton nightgown heaved up and down. Then he noticed a tear inching its way down her milky skin. He bent down and captured it with his lips, pressing a kiss firmly to her cheek. “Good night.”
Retreating quickly, his only thought to get away from the temptation before him, he completely forgot about the mystery object in the middle of the floor.
Until his other foot collided into it with the force of the Titanic.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
WILD WILLIAM BEAT UP BY A GIRL—details and pictures of the brawl inside!
The Engagement Plot Page 12