“Not Stephanie,” Bran explained, inexplicably worried this piece of information would cause Finn to pursue her on a more personal level. “It’s her six-year-old daughter, Ellie.”
He could almost hear his friend swallowing hard before whispering back, “Stephanie’s right. There’s a new breakthrough med, and it’s costing me about three hundred grand a year. I was planning to bring it up at our next board meeting. We can’t afford to give that much money to every CF kid, but how do we decide which one gets it and which one doesn’t?”
I don’t know. But I’m making sure Ellie gets the drug she needs. Bran pressed his lips together, keeping the thought to himself. To Fordham, he said, “When is she moving in?”
“I hope I wasn’t presumptuous, but I convinced her to move this week, on Tuesday. Her lease renews this month, so it’s now or next June. She was concerned about missing a morning of work, but I assured her you’d be accommodating.”
“Excellent.” Bran rubbed his hands together briskly, imagining how his life would improve with Stephanie close by. “Hire a moving company. I don’t want her to lift a finger. Give them connecting suites in the east wing, by the rose garden. Ellie ought to like that. All girls like roses, right?”
“And Ms. Fields? Where do you want her to stay?”
“Ms. Fields?”
“Laurie Fields, their live-in nanny.”
He faltered, embarrassed to have forgotten the nanny’s name, since Stephanie talked about her almost every day. “Yes, Laurie Fields. Right. She’ll need to be next door in the same wing.”
“And Ms. Parker?” Fordham inquired, in the same impassive tone.
“Carina? What about her?”
“She’s here, waiting for you.”
“What?” Bran choked, gasping to catch his breath as his mind spun. Why is Carina here?
“She’s in the parlor, asking where she can put her things. Shall I have her trunks moved to your master suite?” This time, Bran noted the edge of a laugh in Fordham’s voice.
“She can’t move in here.”
“Evidently, she’s unaware of that restriction. She was quite perturbed to be kept waiting. I believe my ears are still burning.”
What a disaster. We haven’t even drawn up the pre-nuptial agreement. “No. I’ll deal with her. You can go, Fordham.”
“With all my heart, I thank you.” As Fordham fled the room, Bran’s traitorous friends howled their laughter.
“I’m guessing you weren’t quite prepared to live together,” Finn remarked, the direction of his voice rising as he stood. “That’s what you get when you sleep with a woman. Of course she expects to move in once you’re engaged.”
“We aren’t sleeping together.”
“Sure, you aren’t,” Finn said, with unwelcome sarcasm.
“We aren’t. At least, not anymore.” Bran’s head throbbed, as he tried to explain the complicated relationship. “Not for a long time.”
Bran flinched as a hand clasped his shoulder.
“Good luck, Bran,” said Finn. “We’ll see you at lunch, if you’re still alive.”
“Where’re you going?” Bran demanded. “You can’t leave me at a time like this.”
He heard the other chairs creaking and scraping and retreating footsteps. Cole’s voice answered from the kitchen door, “I’m off to your workout room. Gotta burn some calories after scarfing all those cinnamon rolls. Later, bro.”
The door clicked shut, muffling the laughter and leaving him alone with his scrambled thoughts. With hardened resolve, he pushed away from the table and strode out, down the hallway to face his formidable fiancée.
What have I gotten myself into?
Chapter 3
This place looks like a country club. Or maybe a resort.” Laurie’s eyes bugged out of her head. “I can’t believe we’re actually going to live here.”