Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
She opened the door and just like that, his world righted itself. He grinned down at her, loving the look she gave him as well as the view she presented. Her hair had been wrapped in a bright-colored cloth knotted at the side, and it offered him a rare opportunity to see her neck.
“My lord,” she gasped, immediately moving the tails of the cloth to hide the scarring. “What are you doing here?”
Leisurely running his gaze over her, he gave a wink. “I came to see my fiancée. I did not know there was a proper time to do that.”
“I am not ready to go yet, Aunt Fyre. Can we stay…” The little girl who ran up to her aunt looked at him with big brown eyes. “You’se the earl.”
He went down on one knee and nodded. “I am, and I believe you are Isabella.”
Her eyes widened. “You know me?”
“You were at my house for a week. How could I not know such a beautiful young lady’s name?”
She grinned at him and blinked. “I like him, Aunt Fyre. When are you marrying him?”
He chuckled as he regained his feet. “Very good question,” he murmured as he leaned forward to brush his lips against Fyre’s cheek.
Phillip noticed the boys standing back, watching when he put some space between himself and Fyre. He gave them a nod. “Elonne and Carlo, good to see you both again.”
They both stared until Fyre cleared her throat, then they both gave him a bow and said at the same time, “Good morning, my lord.”
“You will be my uncle when you marry my Aunt Fyre, right?” The question came as the little girl slid her hand into his empty one and began bringing him inside the house. “Does this mean you will buy me gifts on my birthday?”
“Bella!”
He tried not to laugh at the shock and embarrassment in Fyre’s tone. Once he was sure he could respond without laughing, he did.
“Of course it does. However, I will have to get your aunt’s permission first.”
Bella patted the back of the hand she held. “She loves me so she will give it to you.”
“My lord,” Fyre said, drawing his attention once more.
He knew what she wanted. Phillip held up the bag in his left hand. “I was hoping we could have breakfast together. I stopped by Georges’ and he provided some things for all of us.”
“How did you know I was here?” Bella questioned.
“Georges told me that you three were spending time with your aunt.” She didn’t need to know they were following her parents.
Bella nodded. “We saw him yesterday evening.”
Eyes back to Fyre, he lifted his eyebrows. “Yes?”
When the boys took her hands in theirs, hope in those expressions, he knew he had her. And he hoped they stayed on his side.
I may need them.
Fyre knew exactly what Phillip was doing—using her affection for the children to get on her good side. Not that he wasn’t, but still.
He and the boys had moved her table outside and since she hadn’t had enough chairs, they were sitting on stumps. Rather, Phillip was, because he was tall enough to do so and still see over the top.
The pasty was a big hit with the children, yet Fyre kept to herself mostly while they talked to him, asking him all kinds of questions—ones he didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Do you have nephews and nieces like us?” Carlo asked as he popped in the last bite of his food.
“I have a sister but she is unmarried as of the moment, so no nephews or nieces from her, but my best friends are married and have children. I consider them my nephews and nieces.”
“Like me?” Bella insisted, tugging on his sleeve.
He nodded as she climbed onto his lap. “Like you. Keeley is about your age, and I think the two of you would have a lot of fun together.”
“Does she look like me?”
Fyre would love to know how he planned to answer this question.
His gray gaze flicked to her as he smiled. “Yes, she does. Your aunt knows her father, my friend Lucian.”
Okay, he’d shocked her with that answer, and from the smirk on his lips, he had known she had made her assumptions about his friend’s family. He gave her a wink and picked off a bit of his pastry and held it out to her mouth.
That was how they passed the rest of the time, him sharing his food with her while the children carried the conversation.
* * * *
All four of them were in the process of putting her kitchen back together when Cara and Elonne showed up. The air thickened with tension and Fyre hated it, for the children’s sake. Her brother had made his decision and she would get over that loss, but the children did not need to be exposed to such hate and anger.