KEPT: A Second Chance Fairy Tale (22 page)

Lucy

“So, Lucy, how long have you been working for my big brother?” Denise inquires. Michael clears his throat, and she throws him a dirty look to keep him quiet.

“About a month.”

“Lillie worked for Michael all those years. Never once did he bring her home to visit,” she observes, then winks at me before turning in her seat to study Michael again. “Interesting.”

“Cool it,” he growls. “Lucy’s working while she’s here.”

Michael hasn’t said much since we left New York. We’ve engaged in small talk about his family, the cases he’ll be working over the next few weeks, and anything else that took up the stilted silence between us, but nothing that truly mattered.

Part of me is thankful and wishing to forget. I’m embarrassed, of course, but the fact remains that he’s my boss and probably kissed me back either on impulse or to avoid hurting my feelings.

The other part of me saw him standing outside the airport wearing a suit and checking the time as he waited for me to arrive. I had hoped he’d have something to say that would settle my nerves.

He didn’t.

“My mom said you’re staying for three days,” Grace, Michael’s young, adorable niece, tells the table. She stares at her hands as she uses them for gesture. She’s close to being right, if all five fingers mean three.

“We are.”

“Uncle Mike said you watch movies,” she announces. “And that you think Pocahontas is pretty.”

When I hear the last part of her observation, my gaze moves to her dear uncle. I find him sitting across the table and smiling to himself. He’s not looking at me because he’s so engrossed in studying his wineglass, spinning it in place as it sits on the mahogany table.

“Uncle Mike is right. I do think she’s pretty.”

“And Aurora,” Michael adds, finally looking up. “Isn’t that what you said?”

When he winks at me, Denise catches it and mumbles, “Again, interesting.”

I wish I found any of this
interesting
, but I don’t. I raise my glass, throw the rest of the wine back, and set it down gently while swallowing.

Michael’s sister isn’t what I thought she’d be. I’m not sure what I envisioned, but she wasn’t it. She’s five years older than I am, but no one would believe it. She’s tall, thin, and beautiful. Her dark blue eyes and dark brown hair mirror her brother’s. It’s obvious they both get their exotic looks from their mother, who is gorgeous in her own right.

“Lucy,” Kat calls out from the end of the table. “Can I get you another glass of wine before dinner?”

I should say no. After a brief flashback of last night, I think about it, but instead tell her, “That’d be great.”

“Mom,” Michael addresses as she starts to get up from the table. “I just said Lucy’s working. She has things to do tomorrow.”

“Well, it’s today and she’s an adult, is she not?”

Shifting in his seat across from me and next to his sister, Michael catches my attention by asking in a low, but obvious, voice, “How many glasses until we talk about Belle?”

“Four,” I tell him, holding up five fingers.

“
Beauty and the Beast
!” Grace cheers. “Yay!”

Kat laughs, moves her chair back, and stands. “Dinner’s in ten minutes. Michael, stay here and keep Grace company. Lucy and Deni, you’re with me,” she finishes with a motion of her hand for us to get moving.

“Yeah, go help with dinner, Cinderella.” Michael smiles at Grace while saying this to me.

Good god, he doesn’t miss a thing.

Michael

“Y
OU SHOULD REALLY BELIEVE ME
because I know everything about them,” Grace tells Lucy as she sits at the dinner table, twirling her spaghetti with her fork.

“I do believe you, Grace,” Lucy assures, looking down at my niece, who hasn’t left her side since the moment we arrived. My niece is young, but even she can see what kind of person Lucy is.

And after watching her with my family, interacting as though she belongs, it further reasons that I can see it, as well.

Lucy fits.

Grace takes another bite and sucks the noodle with enthusiasm into her mouth before turning back to Lucy. “You can spend the night in my room if you want. I have a TV and we can watch one of the movies. I have a blanket that goes over my bed–”

“Canopy, dear,” my mother corrects. “You have a canopy bed.”

Lucy takes the one second she’s had away from Grace’s attention to look up at me. Her smile is small, but genuine. I hadn’t given much thought to if Lucy had a large family of her own. I know she’s an only child with a slightly flighty mom and a dad, who lives in Canada. I just don’t know more about her extended family or friends.

“Yeah, that,” Grace confirms what her grandma corrected. “And I have a realllllly big bed. It fits four people.”

“Queen bed,” my mother corrects again. Mom looks at Lucy. “She moves when she sleeps, and has her friends from daycare over often.”

“Right,” I answer under my breath. She has a queen bed because she’s spoiled rotten, and for no other reason at all.

“So do you want to have a sleepover?” Grace asks again.

I clear my throat, attempting to save Lucy from the relentless questioning of my niece. “Lucy’s working tonight, bear. If you want, I’ll bring her by tomorrow and you can watch a movie then. How’s that?”

“Mom?” Grace looks at my sister first, asking for permission.

Denise nods. “I’m okay with it.”

Grace turns her hopeful gaze to my mother. “Can Lucy stay the night tomorrow?”

“That’s fine with me,” Mom answers as she looks up from her plate to Lucy. “If you’re free.”

Grace stares at Lucy, eyes wide and happy. Lucy pushes her plate forward and takes a drink. Clearly, she sees Grace waiting patiently beside her, but she’s pushing to see how long she’ll wait.

“You’re not very nice,” I whisper across the table.

Lucy smirks at me, then looks down at Grace. “I’d love to watch
Bambi
. Do you have that movie?”

Grace’s small hands lift in the air, fork full of spaghetti included. “I do! I do! I have
Bambi
!”

Lucy reaches up, bringing down Grace’s fork-filled hand. She laughs and picks pieces of food from Grace’s long, dark hair. “It’s a date then.”

“Everything else here seems to be,” my sister mumbles.

Lucy and I both turn in her direction at the end of the table to find Denise looking innocent. She then mindlessly shrugs, as if she didn’t just make us all uncomfortable.

Lucy

“He’s good with her,” Denise states as she comes to stand next to me just inside Grace’s bedroom door. “He’s always been good with kids. Even as a teenager, he had a special way with them.”

Michael’s on the floor with his niece, sorting through doll clothes, puzzle pieces, and whatever kind of cards she has scattered around. From behind, Grace is standing over him, running a comb through his hair, then pushing some of the overgrown, unruly curls behind his ear.

“He obviously thinks the world of her,” I reply, crossing my arms and leaning against the other doorjamb for support.

When I walked upstairs after cleaning up from dinner, I found Michael playing in Grace’s room. He’d taken off his suit jacket before dinner, which surprised me. I’d never seen him without it. Now, he’s rolled up the sleeves of his starched shirt and is sitting on a little girl’s floor, spending time I’m sure he doesn’t have with her.

I knew Michael had a way with kids. The situation with Jeremy told me so. He may be hard on the exterior, never letting much penetrate his tough façade, but watching him sit on the floor, surrounded by everything so pink and small, proves he’s so much more.

“My big brother is full of surprises,” she tells me, smiling, as Grace gives up on his hair and walks around him to position herself in his lap.

Michael’s head raises slightly to allow room for Grace. That’s when he catches Deni and me watching from the door. A small smile crosses his face as Grace burrows in and gets comfortable.

“We have company, bear,” he whispers into her ear, loud enough that he knows we clearly heard him.

She whispers back, thinking we hadn’t. “Oh no. Is it time for bed?”

Deni laughs and interrupts their fun. “It
is
time for bed. Let’s go brush your teeth and give Grandma kisses goodnight.”

Grabbing Grace’s small waist, Michael lifts her with ease and puts her on her feet. He doesn’t let go right away, but ensures she has her balance first.

“I don’t want to go to bed yet,” she whines, pushing herself closer to him. “We’re not done playing.”

Michael stands, places his hand on the top of her head, and squeezes. While looking down at her, he instructs, “Do what your mother says. I’ll be here in the morning.”

Deni leaves my side to walk further into the room. She stops near where Michael is standing and looks up. She doesn’t say anything, but what passes between them speaks volumes. It’s obvious the two of them are close.

Michael puts his hand on Deni’s head, just as he did her daughter. “Are
you
doing what
your
mother says?”

Deni grabs his wrist and pulls it away. “No, but I’m sure we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“We will,” he confirms.

Grace comes to stand in front of me after grabbing a pair of pajamas from her overstuffed dresser drawer. She messes with the shirt, then holds it to her chest. “Minnie Mouse,” she shows me. “My mom says I get to meet her one day. I can’t wait!”

“Yes, you do,” Deni confirms. “But not tonight, so let’s go.”

Deni pushes Grace through the door, so I back up into the hallway to let them through.

“Goodnight, Grace.” I smile and wave as she walks past. “Goodnight, Deni,” I tell her mother.

Deni turns back to Michael, then looks at me as she stands close. Grace is out of earshot before she pauses, then says, “This visit would be more interesting if you two–”

“Denise,” Michael quickly scolds. “No.”

She gives me a knowing look, her mouth widening in a huge smile before finally turning to walk away.

Moving back into the doorframe, I watch Michael as he starts to straighten Grace’s room. He’s picking up God knows what and stuffing it into a big toy box in the corner. Most of it’s pink, which adds to the ridiculousness of what he’s doing.

“This funny?” he questions when he looks up to catch me spying.

“A little.”

He doesn’t let me appreciate my moment of humor for long. “You about ready to go?”

“Yeah,” I reply. “I think your mom’s tired.”

Michael drops what he’s holding and walks in my direction. I start to back out but stop when he steps up to me, leaning forward so his face is close to mine.

“Are
you
tired?” he asks.

I swallow hard, feeling suddenly cramped in our close proximity. “Yeah, a little.”

His eyes search my face before he replies, “Must be the wine.”

“Maybe,” I answer, feeling the heat of my blush.

Kiss me.

I can smell him just as I did the night before. Between the momentary flashbacks of his hands on me and the small distance between his face and mine, I have to force myself to breathe.

“Want to try anything now?” he whispers through a mischievous lopsided grin. He places his hands on the wall behind me, essentially caging me in.

My mouth drops open hearing him repeat what got us started last night. Yes, after seeing him here with his family, playing with Grace and bonding with his sister, I’m more attracted to him than before. This visit has brought to light the other side of him I’ve never seen, but felt was there.

However, the way he just posed that question, I can’t hide that I’m embarrassed. I also can’t hide the image I clearly see from the memory of him kissing me the way he did in his office.

Or outside my apartment.

Kiss me again.

“She has no answer,” he says to himself, looking down and touching my body with his eyes.

“You’re making fun of me.”

“I am,” he confirms without shame. Lifting his head again, he gets so close, I feel the heat from his chest against mine. His voice is low and tight when he asks, “How am I doing?”

“Awful. You’re rotten,” I reply, moving out from underneath his arm.