EIGHTEEN
SHE SHOULD’VE SAID NO.
As soon as they arrived at the mansion, Alice shuttled her into a bedroom on the second floor.
“If there’s anything you need, anything at all, you can call down the stairs.” Like this was some kind of hotel. “Are you hungry?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. The bed was huge, the room was… Her throat narrowed, some kind of apprehension? Fear? Trepidation? Maybe. Why did she feel so…? How did she feel? “Please, you’ve already done so much. I can’t even…”
Fairy lights twinkled in the courtyard below the towering window. A courtyard. How could she be in a home big enough for a courtyard?
“Savanna, dear.” Alice came to her side, took her hand and led her to sit on the bed. “We’ll keep you safe. Tonight has been such a trauma for you.” Not exactly. Though she’d never be safe in that apartment again. Damnit, moving, just what she needed. “We have one rule in this house, it supersedes all other promises and arrangements.”
“That’s… daunting.”
“Support, not judgment. That’s the rule here. We communicate and care for each other. You can take as much time as you need, stay here indefinitely.” Wow, what an invitation. “You’re always welcome.” Alice stroked her hair. “Darroch won’t be back tonight, unless you want me to request he—”
“No, thank you, I’d appreciate your discretion.”
“Of course.” Alice touched her cheek and glided to her feet. “You never have to be afraid here. It’s a promise Ben and I make to all the young souls who cross our threshold. You’re safe now.”
Cupping the side of her head, Alice bowed to kiss her forehead and departed without another word.
Talk about being born to do something. Alice Breckenridge was meant to have children, to care for people, to welcome those in need. And damn if it didn’t make her feel like a princess and a broken doll all at once.
Accepting the way family made her feel would take more than a minute, maybe more than a year. It didn’t help that she was tired, exhausted. The comfort of the bed beneath her hadn’t escaped her notice.
That was what she needed. Slipping off her shoes, she dug her heels into the mattress and pushed back into the cloud of a duvet that held her just right. Safety. Just like Alice promised.
***
SHE’D OPENED HER eyes refreshed… and kinda wriggly.
A possible explanation for the weird buzz that carried through her dreams came in the morning.
The bathroom was bigger than the bedroom in her apartment. The cologne by the sink shifted her mind’s gear. This was—it wasn’t a guest room, the bedroom belonged to someone.
And one whiff of the scent answered the question of whose. The occupier of the bedroom.
Who is Darroch Breckenridge?
Damnit.
What if he’d come home? What if he…? He could be on his way there now. Right that second.
She stripped, showered, and dressed so fast that her skin was still damp as she swiped on her makeup.
Hospitality was not something she ever liked to stretch. How would she explain to Darroch that she was in his room? The closet was a step too far. She didn’t dare venture in there, from the threshold she saw the line of jacket sleeves and had to turn away.
She stuffed her things back into her gym bag and got out of there fast. Take a right to the end of the hall, another right to the staircase Alice and her boys greeted the Intimates team from the first time they arrived for dinner.
The grand front door was tempting. She could run out, run away. Would she make it out? Probably. Would she make it all the way down the driveway? The thing was a mile long. Ducking in and out of trees, hiding from passing vehicles would be more than a little ridiculous.
Oh, but that meant seeking people out. It would only be polite. Sneaking out the morning after was less than classy.
Decision made, she tried to remember the way to the dining room.
Taking her time didn’t stop the inevitable. She crept through the house and opened the dining room door slowly. The memory of the long table brought trepidation. How many people would be—
One.
The little guy, sitting with his back to her concentrating on something. Breakfast with Buoy turned out to be a private affair. When she closed the door, he twisted his little body around to see who’d joined him.
Odd that she’d be intimidated by a five-year-old.
“Sav-Na.” Aww, what a cutie pie. “Want to color with me?”
She went closer. He wasn’t sitting, he was propped on the chair on his knees, a thick cushion beneath him.
“Careful you don’t fall, honey.” His weight was on his arms against the table as he scribbled furiously. She pushed in his chair a little more; it didn’t slow him down. “What are you coloring?” She sat next to him, and he leaned back to turn his paper her way. “Wow, is that a dragon?”
He pushed it aside to spread the blank ones out. “You want a lion or an oc-too-puss.”
That was just how he said it, so cute. “You pick one.”
He pushed the octopus picture to her and his tin of pencils over to between them.
“Which color?”
Buoy picked out a red one for her. “Red’s my best color.”
“Mine too,” she said, coloring the picture. “Have you had breakfast? Do you want food?”
The spread had clearly been picked over, maybe by a pack of hungry gannets, but there were still pastries and pitchers of juice. No coffee though, hmm. She was late to the party. Had that made her the topic of conversation?
“What’s your favorite animal?” Buoy asked, distracting her from the lack of caffeine.
“Tiger.”
“Yeah?” he asked and stopped coloring to narrow his eyes at her. “Do you like pussy cats?”
“I do.”
He went back to coloring. “Mommy said we can’t get a pussy cat.”
“Well, it might get lost, this is a big house.”
His pencil paused on the paper and then kept going. “We could get a doggy. A big doggy won’t get lost. Boa never gets lost.”
Boa? A friend’s dog, maybe? “Are you home all day to pick up after it? Big dog means big poop.”
The pencil stopped again. This time, rather than just keep going, he craned his little head around to blink at her. Was that a bad word? Had she said something wrong? Great, corrupt a kid, her new special talent.
“Are you marrying my brother, Sav-Na?”
Shit. Well. She wasn’t the only one spouting the bad words.
Luckily, she got a pass when Alice entered. “Oh, Savanna, sweetheart, good morning. How did you sleep?”
“Amazing.” Too amazing. “You have wonderful beds.”
“And an abundance of them.” She kissed the top of Buoy’s head and surprised her by bowing to kiss her cheek too. “Buoy and I are going to a tea party at the stables today.”
“Lovely.”
Had she ever used that word in that context? It felt right in that moment, though a little awkward on her tongue.
“Would you care to join us?”
“That’s very generous of you.”
“Of—”
“But I have to get back to the city. I’m working today.”
“You’re working—oh, yes, you’re working.” Alice laughed. “Ben assigned Ferguson to your detail. He’s been apprised.”
What the…? “Detail?”
“He’ll take you wherever you want to go. He’ll drive you and ensure your safety.”
“There’s no need—”
“Haven’t you learned there’s no point resisting. We’ll always—”
“Insist, I know,” she said and sighed.
The generosity did make her uncomfortable, because how would she ever repay it? How could she show her own gratitude for their kindness?
“Would you like some coffee?” Alice asked just as a side door opened and a server came in with a tray. “It’s fresh.”
What a contrast to the coffee she’d offered Alice at the store.
“Thank you.”
“If there’s anything specific you want to eat or you have special dietary requirements—”
“Coffee’s fine,” she said as it was poured for her.
“Color,” Buoy said, pushing her paper closer.
Alice sat at the other side of her youngest. “Be polite, sweetheart,” she said and kissed his head. “Have you had enough to eat? We’ll pack snacks for the car. Do you want to take cookies or cakes to our party?”
The woman was always looking after other people. So attentive. So kind. The family was truly blessed.