by Diane Darcy
Dad lifted his head to reveal a defeated expression. “It’s okay, Izzy. This is my fault, not yours. You don’t need to do this. I’ll take the consequences.”
“Stephen, I’m not planning to take advantage of your daughter, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Isabelle looked between the two of them. “If I stay here and work for you, and if my father finds the necklace, will you agree to give him his job back?”
Adam didn’t even hesitate. “That’s not going to happen.”
Isabelle met Adam’s hard gaze. He was giving them a chance and she’d be a fool to turn it down. “All right. I’ll stay here today. Hopefully, my dad will find the necklace. If he doesn’t, I’ll move in tomorrow while the search continues.”
Izzy watched satisfaction build in Adam’s gaze.
“Fine. I’ll put off prosecution while you’re here.”
Standing here, looking up at the man, and then at the equally intimidating mansion, Isabelle felt like a cage was closing around her. She’d been so pleased with where her life was going recently, and she’d jinxed herself, hadn’t she? She, of all people, should have known better. Cosmic jokes played upon mere mortals seemed to strike her more often than most. Had she really thought this time would be different? “I’ll just go and drop my dad off and then come back here.”
Adam nodded, his gaze suddenly uncertain. “Okay. I’ll see you in a while.”
She looked at him one last time before turning away. Her father and her sister would find the necklace today.
They had to.
Chapter Three
ADAM SHUT THE DOOR AND paced to the living room. He couldn’t believe that he’d agreed to this. It was a $100,000 necklace and he was willing to put aside prosecution for what? To have a chance with Isabelle? He was acting like an idiot. They’d probably get to know each other and find they had absolutely nothing in common. He could find that out at the end of the summer when he collected on the date she’d promised him.
Of course, now that Stephen had stolen the Starfire, he doubted he’d ever actually collect on that date. Was that why he’d agreed to this? So he could pursue Isabelle? And then what? When they found out they weren’t suited for each other, what then? He’d kick her out and proceed with prosecution? He was making this whole thing a lot more complicated than it needed to be.
He should just call them back and tell them the deal was off. He should call his insurance company and let them call the police to take care of the whole thing. There were other girls to date.
Adam sighed. Part of the problem was he felt sorry for Stephen, now that his temper had cooled. He’d felt sorry for the guy when he’d hired him over a year ago. With Stephen’s history of alcoholism, Adam should never have agreed to hire him in the first place. But the man had touched something in him when, with quiet dignity, he’d told Adam about his past and his plans for the future.
Adam’s former commander had been a recovered alcoholic, having lost himself in drink after his teenaged son died in a car accident. After sobering up, he’d gone on to command their unit with efficiency and selfless leadership, until he’d lost his own life in the attack that had injured Adam.
So Adam had given Stephen a chance. Until now, he hadn’t regretted it. In fact, Stephen had proved himself brilliant at selling jewelry. His mixture of dignified charm and humble sincerity, along with his storytelling ability, had turned out to be the perfect combination to sell jewelry to men and women, alike. He’d earned the manager’s position within six months. As far as Adam knew, the guy hadn’t touched a drop in all the time he’d worked for him.
Adam stepped down into the living room and sank into one of the leather chairs. He drummed his fingers on the armrest. He liked the man. And apparently, he liked the daughter even more. Why did this have to happen? Why did he feel he’d handled it badly with Isabelle? He’d given her father a chance, hadn’t he? Using her as collateral had been her idea, hadn’t it?
He expelled a harsh breath. She’d like it here. And he’d wanted to get to know her since he’d met her. This gave him the chance. At the same time, it also gave Stephen a chance, so he wasn’t going to beat himself up about it.
He jumped up, flinching when he twisted his leg. After he’d rubbed it for a long moment, he moved toward the stairs. He’d make up a bed for her in the Rose Room. It had belonged to the former lady of the house, and while it didn’t suit Adam or any of his friends who stayed over on occasion, it seemed like a perfect fit for Isabelle. Or rather, Izzy. He smiled and slowly made his way up the stairs.
~~~
On the way home Isabelle sat stiffly in the passenger seat and tried not to notice her father wiping moisture from his eyes. She worried any show of sympathy on her part would unleash a flood of self-recrimination. When his tears started falling more swiftly, Isabelle slowly let out a breath and pointed to an upcoming ocean overlook. “Pull over there, Dad, and we can talk for a minute.”
When her father stopped the car, Isabelle reached into the glove box, extracted a napkin, and handed it to him. He blotted his eyes, then pressed his fingers to his temples and visibly tried to regain control of his emotions. “I’ve been a terrible father to you.”
“Dad, stop. The worst is over, and now you and Courtney are going to find that necklace, probably this morning. My bet is on the limo service. They probably have it and are waiting for someone to call. Or maybe a janitor found it last night when they were cleaning the school. In fact, maybe Courtney will have already found it on the beach by the time we get home.”
Dad nodded, but they both knew it wasn’t true. They both had their cell phones with them and if Courtney had found the necklace, she’d have called.
“Izzy, dear, you can’t go live with Mr. Wilder. I can’t let you. It would be wrong. It would be like you’re a hostage. I just keep doing things that mess up your life, don’t I?”
Izzy sighed. Things had been getting so much better lately. “Chances are this is a wasted conversation. You’ll find the necklace today. If no one is at the school, you can keep calling around until you find someone to open it. It’s going to be fine.” She had to believe the necklace would turn up. “I’ll probably only be at Mr. Wilder’s house for this one day.”
She leaned forward and kissed the side of her father’s head and his white hair tickled her nose. “Besides, it’s not exactly a prison, which is where you could end up if I don’t go over there. It’s a beautiful castle. It’ll be just like staying at a fancy resort. Just focus on finding the necklace. This will give you the time to do exactly that. Then you’ll have your freedom, and I’ll have mine.”
Her father’s brow furrowed. “Why does he want you there?”
“I really think he’s giving us a chance.” She smiled. “That or he just wants to keep me close so we don’t pack up and sneak out of town in the middle of the night.”
Dad shot a glance at her, not amused. “He’s always sort of scared me. The thought of you there, in that big house….”
Was she frightened? She visualized Adam’s scarred face, his size--from the breadth of his shoulders down his long, lean frame--and her stomach fluttered. She was certainly aware of him as a man.
When he’d come into the VA Hospital and tried to work up the nerve to speak to her each visit, she’d been flattered rather than anxious or repulsed. She’d be a liar if she denied the attraction between them. “One thing I can say about him is that he doesn’t scare me in the least. He’s a pretty straightforward kind of guy. Let’s just take this one day at a time, starting with today. Okay?”
Dad sighed and nodded. “Okay.”
“Now, let’s get back to the house and see if Courtney has any good news for us.”
Her father took a shuddering breath. “Just promise you’ll leave if anything happens that makes you uncomfortable. I’d rather be in prison than have you hurt in any way.”
“I know. I promise. But Adam Wilder doesn’t strike me as a bad guy. Just someone makin
g the best of a bad situation. Do you want me to drive?”
He started the car. “No. It’s okay. I’m okay.”
As he pulled back onto the main road, she hesitated to say more, but decided she had to. “Dad, you have to promise me you won’t let the stress of this be a reason to take up drinking again. I’m doing this because I love you and I want to help you. But you have to promise me, okay?”
His lips trembled again. “I’m sorry that you even have to worry about that. I won’t touch a drop. I swear. I never will again.” He glanced at her, then back at the road, and his jaw firmed. “Don’t worry, I’ll find that necklace and everything will be back to normal again. That’s a promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” she said softly.
~~~
When Isabelle arrived back at The Castle, she parked her old Toyota off to one side of the driveway, retrieved her purse and overnight bag, then slowly made her way to the stone pathway.
She stood in front of the huge arched wooden door for a long moment, wiped one palm down the side of her jeans, took a deep breath, then pushed the doorbell.
Adam Wilder opened the front door as if he’d been waiting on the other side. “Hi. Come on in.” He moved back to allow her entrance.
“Thank you.” She walked past him and crossed a few feet over the tiled floor before stopping uncertainly, her head down.
He closed the door, shutting them both inside. “Is that all you brought?” he asked, his voice gruff.
Isabelle glanced up, then followed his gaze to the small overnight bag she clutched in one hand. For some reason she felt slightly embarrassed, as if she were a stray he was taking in against his better judgment. “Yes. That’s it.”
She glanced around the large living area, and her mouth fell open. The place was fabulous. Dark wood floors partially covered with a giant rug. A high cathedral ceiling made of boards and supported by logs. A chandelier made from a huge wagon wheel hung over the center of the room.
Antique furniture, a gold couch, velvet-covered chairs. She could see a staircase curving up against the far wall, leading to a balcony that overlooked the entire room. Cut, yellow stone walls ran the length of the ocean view with one arched window and two sets of red-draped French doors that led to an outside balcony.
From where she stood she could see red brick, stone, stained boards, and yellow tiles. And that was just the walls. Some of the windows were outlined in stained glass. Amazing. “Wow. Just wow.”
Adam laughed a little self-consciously. “Yes. A little overboard, I know. When I bought the place, it came furnished.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Someone put a lot of time and effort into this place.”
“The former owners worked on it for about ten years before they sold it to me. I hope that…I hope you’ll be happy while you’re here. Let me show you to your room.”
Limping slightly, Adam led the way and they crossed the room and headed up the stone steps. The wrought-iron banister was set into a brick wall, and when they reached the top and rounded a stone wall, an office alcove overlooked the area below. A roll top desk was set against the wall and an easy chair sat beside a bookshelf loaded with paperback books. Again, wow.
Adam pointed to the left. “That’s my bedroom, and my workshop is the door on the end there.” He indicated the closed door at the very end of the hallway, an arched medieval door covered in black iron spikes, sporting a small piece of stained-glass in the middle. “No one is allowed in there but me.”
“Not even for cleaning?”
“I clean it myself.” He gave her a slight grin. “Or not. But regardless, it’s off limits.”
Adam turned to the right and stopped at the second door, square cut this time, with more medieval spikes, and burnt squiggly lines from top to bottom. He cleared his throat and swung the door wide. “I hope you like it here.”
Isabelle managed not to gape. The room was fabulous. A big four-poster bed dominated the area, the intricately carved bed posts reached almost to the ceiling. The walls, a paler rose color than the bedspread and pillows, were angled, one wall sporting a brick fireplace, another double windows with a view of the ocean.
As she slowly stepped inside, she noticed the yellow tiled bathroom, a large standing mirror, and a small sitting area. When she’d won Miss Laguna Beach years before, she’d stayed in a fancy hotel for a few nights. But nothing like this. This place was amazing. Like nothing she’d ever imagined.
“It’s called the Rose Room.” Again, Adam’s voice was gruff. “My friends won’t ever stay in this one. They say it’s too girly. But you’re a girl, so I thought…” He shrugged. “Do you like it?”
Isabelle breathed in. “It’s amazing.” She walked into the little nook with its armchair, light to read by, and view of the ocean. “I don’t know what to say. It’s fantastic.” She finally looked at Adam. “I love it.”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck. “The guy who built this place, built it for his young bride. Apparently she loves to decorate, and after she finished this place, she was ready for something new.”
“Everyone in town calls it The Castle.”
Adam sighed. “I know.”
“But I’ve never known anyone personally who’s ever been inside.” Isabelle turned and smiled at him. “I’ve always shared a bedroom with my sister, Courtney.” She set her bag down on the chair. “And when I went away to college, I lived in a big house with a ton of girls. It was fun, but I shared a room with two other girls.” She looked at him shyly. “This might only be for a few hours, but this is the first time I’ve ever had a bedroom to myself.”
Adam stared at her for a little too long, and Isabelle was suddenly embarrassed for sharing too much. She looked down at the plush carpet. “Anyway, it’s great. Thanks.”
“Sure.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll let you get your things put away. I’ll see you later?”
Isabelle nodded. “Thanks.”
He moved away.
“Mr. Wilder. Wait. I’m not exactly sure what to do. I mean, if you could just give me a little clarification about what my duties will be?”
“Call me Adam. You’re not going to convince my neighbors you’re my new girlfriend by calling me Mr. Wilder.”
Isabelle could feel herself blushing, but was glad to be a little less formal. “And I’m Isabelle.”
“Your dad called you Izzy.”
“Yes. That’s fine, too. So, what exactly will my duties be?”
Adam’s shoulders hunched, his body language visibly uncomfortable. “If you could make some refreshments for tonight, that would be great. I have four guys coming from my unit for a couple of hours. We meet once a week to play poker, usually at my place since it seems to be the most convenient. You’ll probably have to go shopping. Or, if that isn’t enough notice, you could just order in a few pizzas. That’s what we usually do if I don’t feel like cooking. It’s up to you.”
“I’ll make something,” she was quick to insert, relieved to have something to do.
“Sounds good.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her some money. It was more than she usually had for two weeks worth of shopping. She had to wonder if he was testing her honesty.
“I’ll bring back the change with a receipt.”
He looked uncomfortable again as he nodded at her. “Fine.”
She took a step forward. “I just want to thank you again. For giving my father a chance. He really is a good man. He just did something very…uncharacteristic. But I’m sure they’ll find the necklace today.”
His lips twisted into a grimace. “I hope that’s true. I don’t want to press charges. I really don’t.”
Isabelle swallowed. She nodded once.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but then he turned away without another word.
She watched him go. He’d seemed uncomfortable with her gratitude and with listing her duties. He couldn’t seem to
get away from her fast enough. But if Adam Wilder hadn’t been so nice about the whole thing, her father would no doubt be talking to the police right now, and she’d be trying to hire a lawyer and find some way to make bail. She was grateful.
So, while she waited for news from her father, she’d do whatever she could to make herself useful. And if it made Adam uncomfortable to order her around, she’d just figure out what to do on her own.
~~~
Determined to prove her worth, Isabelle grabbed her purse and headed down to the kitchen. She was relieved Adam was nowhere to be seen.
The kitchen, like the rest of the house, was beautiful. Rectangular canary–yellow tiles covered one wall, while the rest of the kitchen was painted white with black accents. Wooden panels hid the refrigerator, and cherrywood cupboards featured pretty silver handles. A vase full of yellow flowers sat on the light-colored granite countertop. One arched entry led to a breakfast nook, and another to the dining room.
Outside the kitchen windows, she could see a swimming pool and a barbecue area. She thought about the view outside her kitchen window at home--a pretty hummingbird feeder and more apartments--and was amazed at how other people lived.
She turned away and started searching cupboards, pantry, and refrigerator. Other than the basics, Isabelle didn’t normally cook with most of the ingredients she found: artichokes, cooking wines, jars of peppers, and unrecognizable spices weren’t in her repertoire. She decided she’d better stick with what she knew.
She didn’t know what Adam or his friends would like, but Adam had mentioned pizza, and that was pretty basic. So, while she was no gourmet chef, and had always had to live on a very strict food budget, based on what she’d heard about guys, they were pretty easy to please in the food department. Anything she made would probably be okay.
She checked the phone to see if it was on, and if Dad had called. It was, and he hadn’t. She considered sending a text message to Courtney, but decided against it. She knew they were searching, and they didn’t need her looking over their shoulder. She didn’t want to add to the stress.
