Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Luke

I was left speechless by Isla’s quick exit. I watched as she walked out. I hadn’t even had a chance to tell her she looked amazing tonight.

Gretchen cleared her throat sternly behind me. I turned back to her.

“Lucas Greyson, you follow that wonderful woman out and tell her goodnight. A nice kiss wouldn’t hurt either. Go on, we can catch up at breakfast. I’ll fix you one of those chocolate cherry smoothies you like so much.”

I hesitated for a second. It seemed Isla left to avoid me. I couldn’t blame her. I knew this weekend would turn into one of my mom’s toxic stews, but I hadn’t expected her to have an accomplice.

Gretchen gave me a little push. “Go on. Don’t blow it with this one. She’s a keeper.”

I leaned over and hugged her briefly, then hurried out. Isla turned out of one of the hallways and bumped right into me. She bounced off my chest, and I reached out and caught her before she stumbled back. We stood that way for a long moment, me holding her arms and our gazes locked in surprise and something else. We’d known each other for such a short time, but when I looked at her, she was so right, so familiar, as if we’d known each other forever.

“There really should be a GPS app for this house,” she said. “I now stand in front of you, in complete humiliation after my dramatic exit, asking which way to the stairs, please.”

I put out my arm. “Allow me.” We headed down the hallway. “Isla, first of all, I apologize about the dinner. My mom?—”

“It’s all right. I’ve already got her completely figured out. I can handle her. I wasn’t expecting a two-pronged attack, but I think I blunted the point on the second arrow.”

I chuckled. “That you did. I don’t think Mrs. Carlton ever found her tongue again after that.”

We reached the stairs and continued up them.

“I hope I didn’t mess things up with you and Alexandria.”

We stopped at the top and I turned to her. “Alex seemed to enjoy seeing her mother get stopped in her tracks. And about Alex?—”

Isla shook her head. “You don’t have to talk about it. None of my business.”

“I’ll walk you to your door. I don’t want you to be wandering the halls alone tonight, wondering whether it’s north or south to your bedroom door. Besides, that’s when all the ghosts come out.”

Her face snapped my direction. “Now, don’t tease me about something like that.”

We reached the door. I smiled. “You like the idea of ghosts, don’t you?”

“It would make this whole, big, complicated scheme so much more fun and worth it. Aside from the money, of course.”

“And our friendship?” I asked. It popped out before I could stop it.

She blinked up at me. “Our friendship? I thought this was strictly a business transaction.”

Her words actually stung. But she was right. I’d framed the whole thing as exactly that. I was regretting this plan more than ever. “I guess—well—no, you’re right,” I said it in a way that was as smooth as sandpaper. The truth was, Isla was a hard person to let go of.

We stood outside her door in one of those awkwardly intense moments. Her lips were glossy pink and inviting. Gretchen’s suggestion of a goodnight kiss actually floated through my mind, but that would be wrong. I started this as a business proposition, and I needed to stick to the rules—as much as I hated them.

“We’re all going for a ride in the morning,” I said.

The lips I’d imagined kissing just seconds before turned down. “So, you’re going to ride horses with Alex?” She shook her head. “Of course. Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep myself busy. You have fun. I think you make a stunning couple.” She reached behind her, opened the door and stepped inside. Her face peered out for a second. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

I stood there and stared at the door for a long time. I’d done some stupid things in my life, more than I cared to admit, but I’d really become the master of stupidity with this plan. And the master of selfishness, too. I was only concerned about having to dodge one of my mom’s blind dates. I never thought about Isla in all this, and for that, I would never forgive myself.

I headed down the hallway and across the landing to my grandmother’s room. She’d avoided the dinner party tonight—smart woman. She was the only person I cared to talk to when I was feeling down. And I was definitely feeling down.

I knocked lightly on her door. “Grandma, it’s me. You still up?”

“I am. Come on in, Luke.”

Hazel was draped in a soft blanket as she sat on the big chair near the fireplace. A book rested on her lap. “I’m always cold.” Her gentle laugh had already helped, like a warm cookie after you’d had a bad day at school. She looked older than the last time I saw her, and the notion that I would someday lose her for good tugged at my heart. I leaned down and kissed her cheek, then sat in the chair across from her. I stared into the empty hearth.

“Something has you upset? Let me guess. Maggie has been busy trying to control everyone’s lives and is making people miserable in the process.”

“She is in rare form this weekend.”

“I know she has a woman lined up for you. I suppose that’s why you decided to pull an innocent and wonderfully charming young woman into our family circus.” I hadn’t been admonished by my grandmother in many years, but she wasn’t trying to hide her disapproval.

I looked over at her. “You met Isla?”

“Yes, and frankly, I’m disappointed this is all fake. I think she’d be a good match for you. I liked her almost instantly, and as you know, I don’t say that about many people.”

I smiled. “Oh, I know that. And I’m not surprised. Isla is quite something. You should have seen her put Mom and her equally snobby friend back on their heels. She handled it with pure genius and grace.”

“Then I like her even more, and I’m sorry I missed it.” Hazel sat forward. She tugged on the blanket to keep it from slipping off. “Lucas, you need to figure out what your heart needs. I know that growing up in this family, you missed out on that particular life lesson. Forget getting anyone’s approval.”

I chuckled and looked pointedly at her. “When have you ever known me to seek someone’s approval?”

“Never. But in the midst of dodging all of your parents’ control, you lost sight of your own heart. You’re running a successful business, and I’m sure your bachelor’s life is exciting, and heaven knows I don’t need to hear anything about it—” She waved her hand, and I tried not to sink into the chair cushion in shame. “But I’m going to tell you this because I probably don’t have that many days left on this planet.”

I started to argue the point, but she lifted her hand. “Please. I’m old. It’s a fact. But I want you to be happy and settled before I go. And I don’t mean unhappily settled like your sister. I will never forgive Marcus for bringing about this match. Rachel accepted the whole idea with hardly a second thought.” She waved again. “Anyhow, she knows my whole opinion on the thing. But your sister is different than you. She’s far more interested in being able to attend the Paris fashion show and buying her next designer dress than being madly in love with her spouse.”

“I think you sell Rachel short,” I said.

“Do I? Every time I ask her if she is in love with David she says?—”

“He’s fine,” I finished for her.

Hazel always had the most genuine laugh. I’d missed it. “Fine,” she repeated. “If ever there was a more soda-cracker plain word to use about your betrothed. But this is Rachel’s choice. She’ll be at the height of society with this match, even higher in stature than your dear mother. And don’t think that hasn’t crossed Maggie’s calculating mind a few times. She’ll hate that. In fact, it’s the one bright spot I can find in this whole marriage.” She laughed again. “You’re different than your siblings. While I’ve always had a pretty good handle on my two eldest grandchildren, Bryan is a whole other species altogether. He’s like a firefly bouncing around in a jar, waiting for his light to either shine brighter or to peter out altogether. He has no direction at the moment, and I don’t spend nearly enough time filling him with my wise-old-sage advice. Besides, it would fly into one ear and out the other. But I will eventually take the lid off that jar and tell him to steady that light. For now, though, I want to see you happy. You’ve built a successful business, one that probably makes your dad prouder than he’ll admit, but it’s not enough, Luke. I can see it in your eyes.”

I rubbed my hand over the soft fabric on the arm of the chair. “You know me too well. I have noticed a void in my life, something that’s missing, something I can’t easily define.” As I said it, my mind went right to Isla and our road trip. It was eight hours that I’d never forget. Something about it felt so right, so complete.

“Fill that void, Luke. Forget your mom and her antics and just find that happiness. It’s out there. We’ve all got a happy ending waiting in the wings. Mine was your granddad, chasing a silly artist and her easel and paints around town. I’m so glad he did, too.”

“We’re all glad of that, Grandma. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been growing up without you.”

I got up and leaned over to hug her. She’d been wearing the same lavender perfume since we were children, and the fragrance always made me smile.

I straightened. “Do you need anything? I could do a sneak run to the kitchen for your favorite cookies.”

“No, I’m fine. Gretchen really outdid herself with the meal tonight.”

“She did. Isla has plans to eventually open a bakery, and I found her in the kitchen sipping tea and learning some of Gretchen’s secrets. Can you imagine Mom’s face if she had walked in on the two of them huddled over their cups of tea exchanging baking tips?”

“As I said, I liked her the second I met her.” She reached up for my hand, and I helped her out of the chair.

“Did you get taller or am I just shrinking that much?” she chuckled as I helped her to her bed.

“I think the whole house is tilting under the weight of Mom’s behavior this weekend.”

“That bad, eh?” she asked.

“That bad.”

“Well, you protect that pretty young woman. You’ve brought her into this, and it’s up to you to make sure she escapes this place unharmed.”

“I will. I promise. Although the way she handled Mom and Mrs. Carlton tonight, I’m not too worried.”

“Mrs. Carlton.” Hazel sat on the edge of the bed and began to smear on hand lotion. “She’s quite unlikable. Noticed that the second I met her. I guess you get pretty good at judging character in a flash when you’re my age. Her daughter is quite stunning. I know this one has your mom’s hand all over it, but what did you think of her?”

I shrugged. “Very beautiful and not too annoying yet. But—” I started then stopped. “It’s late. I’ll let you get to bed.” I kissed her cheek again. “See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Lucas. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

I laughed. “I’d forgotten that little saying. That used to make Mom so mad. She’d always shake her head indignantly and scowl at you for even suggesting that a bedbug would dare to enter Greyson Manor.”

“And that’s exactly why I said it.” Hazel grinned. “I can be a bit of a stinker when I put my mind to it.”

“And that’s what I love about you, Grandma. Goodnight.”