Therefore she breathed, “Oh.” Then went on stupidly, “I’ll have to look into that. Can I use your computer in the study?”
He was chuckling when he replied, “It’s your house now, Elle, you can use anything you want. But don’t you think we should take you back to Chicago to get you packed up before you take Sally to Harrods?”
Elle blinked again before saying, “Chicago?”
“Aye, it’s half-term next week. I reckon we all can go.”
Elle felt her heart contract. Chicago meant Carver Austin. Elle couldn’t imagine her father’s fury when he saw her in photos with Prentice and the children.
No, that wasn’t right, she could. She could easily imagine it and it wouldn’t be pretty.
It would be worse if he saw them in Chicago, worse because he could get to them swiftly.
And he would.
And Elle didn’t want her father anywhere near them.
She quickly offered, “I’ll pay someone to deal with it.”
There was silence before Prentice asked, “You want to pay someone to do it?”
Oh no.
She’d sounded like a pampered, spoiled rich girl!
“Um…” she muttered.
Prentice’s voice was low when he said, “He’ll no’ harm you, Elle.”
That thing that had relaxed deep inside her but coiled up tight during their conversation, relaxed again when Prentice read her mind and made his vow.
“Pren.”
“I hope he finds out we’re there.”
Elle saw her own eyes get wide in the mirror. “You do?”
“The only good part of those fucking photographers is that there are so many of them, he can’t escape the way it is between you and me. I want that bastard’s nose rubbed in it. I want him to see you happy. And I want him to know I made you that way.”
That thing relaxed further.
But not completely.
“But Pren, what if he confronts you or me and the children are there?”
“Then you and I’ll have a deal. The children are present, you take them away and I’ll handle Carver.”
“He’s not easy to handle,” Elle warned.
Prentice’s voice was gentle when he replied, “No’ for you, baby. For me, it won’t be a problem. Fuck, I’m looking forward to it.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Pren –” Elle started.
“Trust me, Elle.”
“But –”
“Trust me.”
She took in a breath and nodded to herself in the mirror. “Okay.”
“I’ll take care of you, Elle.”
That thing relaxed further and she whispered again, “Okay.”
But he wasn’t done. “That time in your life is over. Over. It ended last night. You may burn your hand and Jace may lose a football match and Sally may get the flu and other shit might happen but it’ll be ours and we’ll handle it. You’re no’ taking shit from anyone, no’ ever again. I’ll see to that.”
After his promise that thing inside her was so relaxed Elle had to lean against the mirror to keep standing.
“Pren –” she started but she didn’t know what she was going to say.
She didn’t have the opportunity to say it, Prentice interrupted her, “I’ve got to go.”
“All right,” Elle whispered.
“I’ll see you quarter to.”
“Okay.”
“Love you, baby,” he murmured.
Her breath hitched on his words, words she adored, words she hadn’t heard in a long time, words that settled warmly deep inside her, delaying her reply but he didn’t give her that opportunity either, he rang off.
Two seconds later, Annie threw back the curtain to her changing room.
Elle threw her arms over her body which was clad only in underwear.
Annie ignored Elle’s state of dishabille and demanded to know, “Are you going to become one of those sickly ooey, gooey, lovestruck heroines from a fairytale? Because if you are, Dougal and I are going on vacation until you snap out of it.”
Elle stared at her friend then hissed, “Annie, close the curtain!”
Annie looked to her left then to her right then to Elle. “There’s no one out here.”
“I don’t care, close the curtain.”
“Bella, sickly? Ooey? Gooey? Hello?” Annie replied.
Elle took a step forward, pulled Annie into the changing room with her and snapped the curtain shut.
Then she faced off with her friend. “If I remember when you finally got through to Dougal, you were sickly, ooey, gooey, lovestruck and enthusiastically detailed.”
Annie grinned. “It wasn’t me who described my first time doing it with Dougal against a wall.”
Elle just knew she’d shared too much.
“That’s because you did it in the front seat of his truck, twenty years ago,” Elle retorted.
Annie’s face grew dreamy. “Oh yeah. That was nice.”
Elle rolled her eyes and informed her friend, “Pren and I were just talking on the phone.”
Annie’s dreamy expression faded and a happy one took its place. “I know. I listened.” She came forward and framed Elle’s face with her hands before she whispered, “Isn’t it fun?”
“What?” Elle whispered back, entranced by her friend’s carefree, happy face, something she saw a lot lately but she hadn’t seen for many a year and she wasn’t quite used to it.
“To talk to them on the phone,” Annie answered.
Elle closed her eyes.
Yes, it was fun.
It wasn’t being whisked away on a jet only to be put in a limousine and taken to a yacht to cruise the Mediterranean in order to eat a cordon bleu dinner (something Laurent had done).
It was just normal stuff like Pren coming home after work, Pren eating sponge in the kitchen after a long day, Pren tickling her in bed while she tickled Sally and Jason grinned on.
And it was the best.
When Elle opened her eyes, they sparkled with tears.
She didn’t have to answer, Annie knew.
In the end, Elle didn’t buy a dress as she was in the wilds of Scotland and wearing a dress to the local Indian restaurant was probably not the thing.
She bought a pair of tailored, tweed trousers with a wide, cuffed hem and a ribbed, blond, slim-fitting turtleneck (not to mention, she bought a bunch of other stuff). She paired these with black, spike-heeled sandal pumps with a notch opened at the toe and a thin, saucy ankle strap. She’d got the kids ready and then did her hair and makeup while Sally sat on the bathroom’s long counter, watched and babbled.
Now Prentice was home, asking if she was ready.
Which she was not.
“Can I talk to you a second?” she blurted.
“We don’t want to be late for the booking,” Prentice replied, his eyes guarded.
“A second,” Elle repeated and didn’t wait for his response. She turned and walked straight to the study.
She was staring at the drinks cabinet wondering if she should belt back some whisky when Prentice arrived and closed the doors behind him.
He didn’t delay in approaching her and before she knew it, he had her in his arms and his head was descending.
Elle jerked hers back, exclaiming, “No!” When Prentice froze, Elle went on, “No kissing. We need to talk, not kiss.”
He grinned and asked, “Why no’?”
She couldn’t exactly tell him he was such a good kisser, anytime he did it, she lost track of pretty much everything.
Heck, just standing in his arms, his warmth beating into her, their bodies brushing, was running interference with her thoughts.
“We just… can’t,” she answered lamely.
His eyes grew warm (or, more accurately, warmer). “All right, baby, what did you want to say?”
She didn’t waste any time and launched right in, “I think you should tell the kids here, at the house, where it’s safe and I think that I sho
uldn’t –”
She didn’t finish, he agreed instantly, “All right.”
She stared at him in shock. She didn’t think he’d agree!
Her mind was telling her there was more to say, like the fact that he should do it without her present but Prentice also instantly let her go, turned and, taking her hand, strode from the room, dragging her behind them.
“Pren –” she started but it was too late.
They were in the great room, Prentice had wrapped an arm strong around her waist and he glued her to his side.
Then, without further ado, he announced, “Jace, Sally, Elle and I have something to say.”
“Pren –” Elle began again but it was Jason who interrupted her this time.
“Is Elle staying?” Jason asked and Elle looked at him.
He was studying his father and, Elle peered closer, not sure she believed her eyes, but she could swear he looked hopeful.
“Aye, Jace,” Prentice answered.
“For good?” Jason asked.
“Aye,” Prentice replied.
Elle watched in fascination as Jason’s ten year old boy’s body visibly relaxed and those beautiful eyes, his father’s eyes, warmed with something Elle couldn’t decipher, but was striking nonetheless (in a good way) and they came to her.
She had no time to process this.
“Hurrah!” Sally shouted and ran to them, throwing her arms around both Prentice and Elle’s legs but even attached to them, she was jumping up and down.
Elle thought that outside of Prentice’s kisses, his lovemaking, waking up in his arms (even when he was grumpy), seeing his devilish grin, watching him come home and talking to him on the phone, Sally’s hugs were the best thing she’d ever experienced in her life.
But she’d been wrong.
Sally hugging both her and Prentice while jumping up and down excitedly at the thought that Elle was moving in while Jason gazed at her with that look in his eyes was the best thing she’d ever experienced in her life.
And it was so much the best thing, the feeling overwhelmed her and she burst into tears.
She was moved fully into Prentice’s arms; she wrapped her own around him and held on while shoving her face in his neck.
She heard Sally ask worriedly, “Why is Elle crying?”
Sally’s worry made Elle cry harder.
“She’s happy, baby,” Prentice answered, his hand running soothingly up and down Elle’s back.
“Happy?” Sally asked, now sounding confused.
“More like mental,” Jason muttered, sounding amused.
At Jason’s mutter, Elle giggled through her sobs.
“Is Elle laughing too?” Sally asked, now sounding really confused.
“Yes, baby,” Prentice answered, sounding like his son.
“Girls,” Jason mumbled, “totally mental.”
Elle’s tears subsided but her laughter didn’t and she held onto Prentice but twisted her neck to look at the children.
She wished she was the kind of person who knew how to say the right thing, something strong, something momentous, something that would mark this occasion in a happy way for them all forever.
But Elle wasn’t that kind of person.
So she just smiled.
Jason smiled back.
Sally rushed forward again and hugged Elle’s legs.
The little girl tipped her head back and asked, “Can you make a chocolate cake so we can celebrate?”
“No, lass, we’re going to dinner to celebrate,” Prentice replied as he shifted Elle to his side.
Jason was now smirking. “Elle might want to do something with her face.”
Elle’s hands flew to her cheeks, exclaiming in feminine horror, “My mascara!”
Prentice tipped his head down to look at her and Elle saw he was grinning.
“Just wipe it all off, baby, we’re going to be late,” he ordered.
“I’ll do a touch up. It won’t take a second,” Elle replied, swiping at her cheeks, hoping she wasn’t making it worse.
“Just wipe it off,” Prentice repeated.
“It won’t take a second,” Elle repeated too.
“Elle –” Prentice started.
“Pren, it won’t take a second.”
“Can I come?” Sally asked excitedly.
Elle extricated herself from Prentice’s arm and caught Sally’s hand, answering, “Of course, sweetheart.”
They walked to the stairs as Prentice called, “Do it in a hurry.”
Elle looked down from her ascent of the stairs and repeated, yet again, “Pren, it won’t take a second.”
As she and Sally turned out of sight, she heard Jason say, “I don’t get it. She looks prettier without all that gunk.”
Elle slowed their gait so she could hear Prentice reply, “I know, mate.”
“So why?” Jason asked.
“She’s a woman,” Prentice sighed.
“Seriously,” Jason said, “totally mental.”
Elle giggled as she entered her rooms, Sally’s hand in hers and she led Sally to the bathroom so she could do a touch up.
* * * * *
Dinner ran long, mainly because Prentice felt the need (and acted on that need) to tell everyone they encountered that Elle was moving, permanently, to the village.
And at this news, everyone they encountered behaved like it was Christmas and their birthday all rolled into one and they all decided to sit down and chat for awhile and some of them sat down and chatted for a long while.
By the time they got home, it was well past Sally’s bedtime and the little girl was drooping. Elle didn’t even take off her shoes before she saw to getting Sally to bed.
Sally was so tired she didn’t want to be read a book. After Elle got her to brush her teeth and change into her nightgown, Sally just curled up with a somehow equally exhausted Blackie in her arms (though, Elle figured Blackie’s exhaustion had something to do with the decimated toilet roll in Jason and Sally’s bathroom) and snuggled into her pillows while Elle tucked her in.
“Elle?” Sally whispered after Elle turned out the bedside lamp, leaving only the glow of the nightlight.
Elle sat down on the bed and pulled Sally’s heavy hair away from her neck, answering, “Yes, honey.”
“Will you teach me to make chocolate cake?” Sally asked.
Elle’s breath caught in her throat.
There were women who wanted to own seven hundred dollar shoes.
And there were women who wanted to run nations.
At that moment, there was nothing more that Elle wanted in the world than to teach Sally how to make chocolate cake.
Somehow, Elle managed to reply, “Sure, Sally.”
“And how to walk in high heels?” Sally went on.
Her throat threatening to close, Elle forced out, “Of course.”
“Hurrah,” Sally cheered sleepily.
Elle leaned down and kissed the girl’s temple before she got up and made her way to the door, thinking that Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty got it wrong. They should have bypassed the handsome prince and went direct to the broody-hot architect who designed the castle and also happened to have two beautiful children.
“Elle?” Sally called when Elle hit the door to her bedroom.
Elle turned to face the room. “Yes, Sally.”
“Thank you for making Jace happy again,” Sally whispered and Elle felt her breath escape in a rush as her heart stopped beating.
She didn’t answer, couldn’t, she could only hold on to the doorframe and hope she didn’t pass out.
“And Daddy too,” Sally went on quietly.
Elle’s heart squeezed.
Maybe Sally Cameron didn’t slide through life shielded by her indefatigable good cheer.
Maybe Sally Cameron felt just as deeply as her father and her brother but, in her six year old’s way, she did what she could to take care of her family.
Summoning a strength she didn’t know she had, Elle pushed a
way from the door, walked to Sally’s bed and again sat on its side, sliding her fingers through Sally’s hair.
“You don’t have to thank me, sweetie,” Elle whispered.
“Yes, I do,” Sally whispered back.
Elle leaned forward and got close to Sally’s ear. “No you don’t, Sally, because we’re even. I was sad when I came here. So very sad. But you and Jason and your Daddy made me happy too”
“I’m glad,” Sally replied softly.
“So, I should thank you,” Elle told her.
Sally twisted her neck, Elle’s head came up and Sally grinned at her before saying, “You’re welcome.”
Elle stifled a giggle and grinned back.
“Now, go to sleep,” Elle ordered.
“Okay, Elly Belly,” Sally said cheekily through her grin.
With a light kiss on Sally’s smooth cheek, Elle left the girl and wandered to Prentice’s rooms in a daze, Sally’s words and what they meant tumbling through her mind. She didn’t know it but she entered the bedroom with a small smile playing at her lips.
Prentice was taking off his shirt but his hands stilled when his eyes came to her.
“Sally’s in bed,” Elle announced, not noticing Prentice’s posture, she walked to the bed, sat on the side and pulled up her pant leg to get to her shoe. “Jason too?” she asked.
“Aye,” Prentice answered and Elle’s head came up in surprise for he was closer than she expected him to be.
In fact, he was standing, now shirtless, right in front of her.
Her hands still on the strap of her shoe, Prentice got closer.
“Is something –” Elle started.
“Don’t take off your shoes.”
Elle blinked and sat up straight. “What?”
Prentice didn’t answer. His hands went under her armpits and he lifted her to her feet. He turned so his back was to the bed, she was facing him and, before she knew what he was about, he’d swept the turtleneck clean off her body.
She watched him throw it across the room before her eyes came back to him and she began, “Pren –”
But she didn’t say more because her trousers were sliding over her hips.
Her hands went to his wrists but he ignored them, grasped her at the waist, lifted her free of the trousers that had pooled at her feet and he kicked them aside.
Then she stared, dumbfounded, as he sat on the side of the bed and, hands at her hips, pulled her between his opened legs.
Fairytale Come Alive Page 35