“I’m not so sure I agree.” She smiled at him. “Not all men would let little girls paint their toenails and put barrettes in their hair.”
He grinned. “I can undo barrettes and nail polish pretty easily—no permanent harm done to my strapping masculinity.” Winking, he made his pecs dance beneath his shirt. “But those clip-on earrings Bianca kept talking about probably would have crossed the line.”
She laughed, adoring the man sitting with her on the kitchen floor. “Well, I can assure you that if I hadn’t already been desperately in love with you before today, I would have fallen hard after your little chat with Emilia.”
“She’s a good kid. I like her.”
Her eyes watered as she remembered the way Emilia had hugged him so freely. “You’re an amazing man, Reed.”
“I want to track her father down and beat the shit out of him,” he continued, shrugging again as he popped one of the leftover grapes from the small fruit tray she’d prepared for the girls into his mouth.
She felt herself frown, surprised by the abrupt turn their conversation had just taken. “Oh.”
“It’s the least the bastard deserves.”
“Yes, I imagine it is.”
He plucked up a cube of watermelon. “It definitely is. He’ll get out of his prison cell eventually, but Emilia will have to deal with her scars for the rest of her life.” He fed her the piece of fruit.
“Thanks,” she said with her mouth full of sweet, juicy goodness.
“You’re welcome.”
She chewed and swallowed. “I guess I can appreciate your sense of justice—even if it’s slightly violent.”
Chuckling, he scooted forward and kissed her.
Holding his gaze, she touched his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re mine.”
He let his forehead rest against hers. “The feeling’s mutual.”
She pressed her lips to his, still amazed that she was so deeply loved by such a wonderful man. “You really were good for Emilia today. She doesn’t trust men easily, but clearly she likes you.”
“You do amazing things for these kids. I want to do my part too.” He slid his fingers through her hair. “You make me a better person, Bella.”
She exhaled as her heart melted.
“Something was dead inside me before we met.”
She hugged him, holding on tight. “I don’t even know what to say.”
He wrapped his arms around her, sliding his hands up and down her back. “You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to know that everything about my life has been so much better since Lucy walked through my front door.”
She drew back. “This has been perfect. Today.”
“And last night—and not just because the sex was phenomenal.”
Flutters rushed through her belly as she thought of all the different ways Reed had driven her crazy. “It was, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, hell yeah.” He nipped and nibbled at her jaw. “That mouth of yours is pure magic.” He went after her chin. “And not just because you taste so good.”
She grinned, pleased that she’d driven him crazy too. “I love it when we get to be together like this—just you and me.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Ditto.”
“But I need to go see Dad.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“You know you don’t have to.”
“I want to. Plus, I promised you Saturday and Sunday. Whatever’s on your agenda is on mine.”
“All right then.” She moved, settling his foot in her lap again. “Let’s get the rest of this polish off you first. We probably shouldn’t leave without getting your last two toes.”
“I like the way you think.”
She went to work on his nails as her mind wandered back to yesterday—to Reed’s declarations on the beach and her impromptu stop off at the sweet little house she loved so much. “Um, what would you say if I told you I want to go somewhere before we head up to Dad’s?”
“I’d say let’s do it.”
She nodded, not wanting to mention exactly where she wanted to take him. Reed would more than likely give the place an automatic veto if she shared too many details, but she might be able to change his kneejerk reaction to say no if he could see their potential new home through her eyes. “I want to show you something.”
“Sure.” He ate a piece of pineapple. “We can do anything you want.”
She struggled with her conscience, knowing that her approach was a little on the sneaky side. “It’ll be quick.”
“It can be whatever you want. I’m just happy to be with my girl.”
She sent him a small smile and wiped off the last of the bold pink. “There.” Tossing away her trash, she stood and extended her hands to him. “Ready?”
He accepted her offer of help and gained his feet. “Yeah, let’s go.”
She made fast work of washing the scent of the nail polish remover off her hands and went to the closet for Lucy’s leash. “Lucy, let’s go see Grandpa.”
Lucy ran to the door.
Reed started outside, waiting for Bella to lock up as Lucy hopped in the back of the truck. “I guess she’s excited to see her Grandpa Vinny today.”
“I guess so.” She took his hand and walked with him to the passenger side.
“I believe this is your stop.” He opened her door.
“Thanks.” She got in and buckled up.
He moved around to his side, stopping to shut Lucy in the back before he took his seat. “Where to?” he asked, sliding his sunglasses in place.
“Head toward Ethan’s.”
“You’ve got it.” He backed out of the driveway and took a left out of their development, driving them through the posh Palisades neighborhoods. “Now what?”
“You can slow down a little. We’re just about there.”
He slowed, glancing around. “Where are we going?”
“There.” She pointed to the house.
He frowned. “Where, Bella?”
“That house for sale.”
He raised his brow as he pulled to the curb. “Huh.”
She nibbled her lip as he stared. “So, what do you think?”
“I think this place looks like a money pit.”
She shook her head. “You have to look past that.”
He slid his gaze her way, clearly unimpressed. “This place needs a lot of work. The windows and doors. New paint. The landscaping would have to be completely redone. And that’s just a starting point.”
“Yes. That’s all true. But think of the potential.”
He killed the engine. “To go bankrupt?”
She grinned, shaking her head. “We wouldn’t go bankrupt.” She opened her door and got out. “Come look with me.”
He sighed. “Bella.”
“Live on the edge and come look with me.”
He got out and walked to the driveway, kicking the toe of his flip-flop against the pitted concrete. “This would have to be resurfaced.”
“Yes, but imagine sparkling new windows and thick wooden double doors.” She wrapped her arms around his waist as she stood by his side. “Can you see the fresh paint and pretty pots of flowers?”
Hooking his arm around her shoulders, he narrowed his eyes. “If I try really, really hard.”
She laughed.
“It could be nice,” he conceded. “We could rip out those ugly bushes ourselves. Plant something better.”
She beamed. “Exactly. Let’s look at the backyard.” She took his hand and pulled him around the side with Lucy following behind.
He winced, stopping abruptly as they rounded the corner. “Jesus, look at this mess. It’s dirt and more overgrown bushes. This thing must be a mud pit when it rains.”
“Possibilities,” she whispered. “A garden. A little patch of drought-resistant grass. A sweet table and chair set with a big chunky candle in the center. Dinners and breakfasts while we sit out here. The patio’s actually in good shape.”
; “This would take months of work.”
“Some things are worth it. I can see it all in my head—what we could do. How we could make this ours. That would be our bedroom right there.” She pointed to the far end of the second story. “The one with the picture windows and little deck.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck. “You really want this place?”
She nodded. “I’ve been inside a couple of times. Three,” she amended. “It’s so charming. It has the most amazing curving staircase, but it needs new flooring, and the bathrooms need updating—the kitchen too.”
“Bella.”
“Potential.” She clasped her fingers at the back of his neck as she smiled into his eyes. “So much potential.”
He settled his hands on her hips. “What’s the asking price?”
“It’s a pretty good deal, actually, especially for around here.”
He lifted his eyebrow. “And what’s your idea of a pretty good deal?”
“Um, four seventy-five.”
He puffed out a laugh as he rolled his eyes to the sky. “We’d spend that much on a remodel.”
She shook her head. “I had Stone come with me the last time I visited. He thought maybe a hundred grand would fix most everything. And I can do a lot of the stuff he was talking about, which would cut down on the price. If we do it together, we could cut costs even more. And I’m sure Wren can give us a hand with the decorating.”
He huffed out another incredulous laugh. “Isabella Colby, I love the absolute hell out of you. If I could give you everything you want, I would, but we cannot afford this house, renovations, and Wren too.”
“Sure we can.” She pressed her lips to his. “I’ll just barter with her like I always do. She gets stuff at a discount or has pieces on hand that clients let her take after she redecorates. I get some of the stuff for free and pay for a lot of it in spa packages—some services for her personally and some for her VIP clientele. I do that with Abby and Sophie too. It works out well for all of us.”
“That’s how you decorated your place?”
“Mmm-hmm. My bedroom set and kitchen table didn’t cost me a thing.”
He bobbed his head. “No kidding.”
“Wren has been very good to me.”
He studied the house again. “This is really what you want?”
“It’s nineteen hundred square feet, three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, which means there’s a room for your boxing stuff and a guest room for now.”
“And when we have kids?”
She loved the idea of raising children with Reed. “You’ll go to the gym and we’ll get a comfy pullout couch.”
He grinned. “I have some money. Not enough. My dad left me an inheritance that I haven’t touched. And I didn’t do much with my NYPD paychecks except pay rent and eat.”
“My mom left me an inheritance too. Sort of.” She stepped back from Reed and turned toward the overgrown bushes, tracing a leaf as some of the excitement of the afternoon faded away. “I kind of sold off everything she owned after she died—furnishings, her art collections, her car, jewelry.” She flicked him a glance, trying to bury the guilt of casting away the pieces of her mother’s life so easily. “I didn’t want any of it,” she rushed on, “just the pictures of her and my dad that I have upstairs and the engagement ring he gave her.”
“Okay.” Reed tugged her around to face him. “What’s wrong with that?”
She jerked her shoulders. “Sometimes I think that makes me a bad person.”
“Not even close.” He wrapped her up in a hug. “There is nothing about you that fits into the bad person category.”
She wasn’t so sure. “All of that stuff was from men—gifts or tips for…for being what she was.”
“Hey.” He cradled her face in his hands. “There is no shame in getting rid of stuff. Objects. You kept what was important. That’s what felt right for you. You took care of you.”
She nodded, forever cherishing the way he understood her so well. “It’s a couple hundred thousand, and I haven’t been able to bring myself to spend it—not one dime. It’s just sitting in a savings account. It feels wrong—like I would somehow be benefiting from the fact that she prostituted herself.”
“So let it be her last gift to you—a legacy from the woman who told you that smart, pretty girls can have it all.”
She closed her eyes as they filled, completely undone by his ability to take away the shame. He always knew just what to say. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“No.” She shook her head, looking at him again. “You don’t understand. I love you so much. It’s so big, so…” She faltered, unable to find the words. “It makes me feel like I can’t breathe.”
“I get it.” He pressed his mouth to hers. “Perfectly.”
She smiled.
Sighing, he studied the house again. “We can call the real estate agent.”
She beamed. “We’ll think about it for a while. You deserve the opportunity to make sure this is what you want.”
“What if someone buys it?”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be ours.”
He kissed her again. “I love the way your brain works.”
She hooked her arms around the back of his neck and gained her tiptoes. “But I want it to be ours,” she whispered next to his ear. “I want to make a baby with you while the moon shines through our brand-new picture windows. In that room right up there.”
“We’ll call the agent.”
She laughed her delight. “Our children are going to run around out here, Reed. I can feel it right here.” She brought his hand to her heart.
He smiled. “I like that idea. A lot.”
“Me too.”
“How many do you want?”
“Two. I hated being an only child.”
He nodded. “Two’s a good number.”
“A family of four in this sweet little house.”
“Once things settle down, we’ll make an appointment and bring Stone with us for another whirl.”
“Okay.” Her phone rang, bursting her bubble of sweet dreams and contentment. “It’s Dad.” She pressed talk. “We were just on our way to come visit.”
The line stayed silent.
She frowned. “Dad?”
“Bella,” he gasped.
She pressed her hand to her stomach as her heart rate accelerated. “Dad, what’s wrong?”
“I can’t—I can’t—”
She gripped Reed’s arm as her fear compounded. “Daddy?”
Reed took her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Call 911 and send them to my dad’s.”
He nodded. “My phone’s in the truck.” He booked it around to the front of the house.
She followed as Lucy ran after Reed. “Daddy, can you talk to me?”
“Bella.”
“Reed’s calling for an ambulance. They’re going to come pick you up. They’re going to help you.”
“Bella.”
She hurried to the truck, half listening to Reed communicating with the 911 operator while she signaled for Lucy to hop in the back. “Just hang on.” She slammed the gate closed and gripped the warm metal, struggling to stay calm when all she felt was helpless. “Please hang on, Daddy. Please.”
He breathed in her ear.
Reed walked over, still on the line with dispatch. “They’re sending someone over. Get in.”
“Did you tell them he has cancer? That he gets light-headed and he’s using oxygen?”
“I told them what we know.”
She sat in her seat, shutting her door as Reed pulled away from the curb.
“They’re coming, Daddy. They’re coming.”
“Buckle up, Bella,” Reed said.
She absently secured her seat belt as Reed sped through the neighborhoods to the highway.
Tense moments passed, and finally there was a commotion in the background. “Ma’am?”
She clutched her
phone tighter. “Yes?”
“This is Wade with Reseda Fire and Rescue. We’re going to take your father to the hospital.”
She closed her eyes with the rush of relief. “Thank you. Tell him I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Thank you.” She hung up and let her phone fall from numb fingers, staring at her lap as she sucked in several shaky breaths, surrendering to her tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong—why he couldn’t talk to me.”
Reed took her hand, pressing a firm kiss to her knuckles. “They’re taking him to the hospital, and we’re on our way.”
“If we’d left sooner, we would almost be there.” She swiped at her cheeks. “We shouldn’t have gone to see the house.”
“Of course we should have. Neither of us had any idea this was going to happen.”
She sniffled. “I talked to him last night. He didn’t sound great, but he didn’t sound like…that.” She started crying again.
“Hang on, Bella.”
“I’m trying.” She glanced behind her and gaped. “Lucy. Oh my God. I forgot about Lucy. What about Lucy?”
“I’ll call my mom. She can go stay with Mom and Aunt Bonnie for a while. Their house is a couple blocks from here.”
She stared at her puppy lifting her face to the breeze, oblivious to the fact that there was a crisis going on. “Do you think that’ll be okay?”
He nodded and dialed. “Mom? Hey— Yeah, I’m okay. Yes, I’m still with Bella. We’re good. Mom—” He shook his head, muttering a curse. “Mom, I need to drop Lucy off with you. Bella’s father is having a medical emergency. He’s on his way to the hospital. Thanks. We’ll be over in a few minutes.” He hung up. “Everything’s all set.”
“Okay.” She wiped at her tears again, trying to pull herself together, knowing that her falling apart wasn’t helping anything. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Moments later they pulled up in Aunt Bonnie’s driveway.
Linda hurried outside with Bonnie following behind.
Bella got out as Reed did.
“Bella.” Linda hugged her tight. “Sweetie, it’s so good to see you again.”
Bella held on. “I’m so sorry about this. Thank you for taking Lucy for us.”
“Of course, sweetie.”
Lucy walked over, wagging her tail.
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 46
