Chaperoning Paris (Collins Brothers)

by Victoria Pinder

  Hope grew in her heart. She hugged him and watched his eyes grew larger. Without prompting, he nodded, stepped back, and watched her walk away.

  Once in her room, she took off the dress and found her white shirt with a belt. She checked her shoes matched the outfit then left. In ten minutes, the bus would leave for their practice on stage without Sean. He had the day off while she coached.

  In the elevator back down, Gigi forced herself to relax. Today she’d straighten out her life. Smoothing her pants, she stepped out of the elevator and approached Sean. “Morning.”

  “Morning. I ordered your breakfast.” He continued beside her as she headed to the lobby. “Sean, everything will be fine today. Thank you.” The twinkle in his eye fueled her hope she’d come back to him. She hadn’t told him. A but appeared, but she shoved that annoying self doubt away. She would find a way to help him and convince herself.

  “I still don’t get it. While you are at rehearsals, I’m taking my jet to Geneva to have lunch with Daniel. With the charges all around, it’s best to let the students have time to practice without me.” Sean nodded. “If there are any issues, please call my phone, and I’ll be back to help with dinner and nerves before tomorrow’s big competition.”

  “Smart.” She needed to think of her way of helping him. She’d prove to herself she had the right to be Mrs. Sean Collins. “Our students have an amazing opportunity. Today and tomorrow my life is theirs.”

  He had a strange glint in his eyes that caught her off guard. “You get your reprieve, but, Gigi, you’re going to need to be fast with whatever it is.”

  Her spine straightened. “I agree. Sean, we both want the happy-ever-after.”

  He shook his head. Her hands inched up to her neck. The moment she found what she needed, she’d explain. She clutched Sean’s ring. Then she sighed. Soon she’d run into his arms, tell him how she felt, and unlock a piece of eternal heaven in her heart.

  Today had to go right.

  Chapter 32

  Sean de-boarded his plane and caught the limo to the chalet. His brother greeted him at the door with a bro hug. “Glad you’re in the area. I’ve seen you more on this continent this year than our own.”

  “Holidays will force the hour drive from Boston back home where you belong, Daniel. Just buy a house,” Sean said, and preferred to think about his family rather than Gigi.

  “I’ll probably move home in the next couple months. I’ll know for certain in two days if I bought out Dr. Soliwitz’s practice.”

  “Good.” Sean’s right arm twisted into an air fist, then he laughed. “If you do, Mom and Dad will double up forces on Gerard and Liam.”

  “Gerard owns a home in town, but stays on the North Shore a lot,” Daniel said. “Some big case.”

  “True, but that excuse can’t last forever.”

  “Gerard’s good. Liam’s the one they stress out about the most with his putting himself in danger.” Daniel held up a glass, and motioned for Sean to join him. “You’re the prodigal son, taking the glory, marrying your childhood sweetheart. You, Sean, are the luckiest one of us.”

  “I’ve not asked her. Don’t jinx my pursuit. And you’re the perfect one.” He cleared his throat and admitted to his brother, “Gigi might not be forever in my life. She’s acting skittish, and I need to tread carefully.”

  “What did you do?” Daniel’s gaze narrowed on him, with his determined to fix everything attitude.

  “I don’t get it.” Sean nodded. “Nothing. First she acted happy, then her friend, Cary, spoke to our mother, and now she’s on some secret plot. But she’s less sad and completely focused.”

  “She hasn’t said no?”

  “No. And I haven’t asked her anything.”

  “Smart man,” Daniel said. “Don’t throw in the towel on her yet. Remember what Dad always said when Mom went on one of her laundry or dishes rants after she never let us help her do anything. She’s nervous to be this happy. Ignore her for an hour.”

  “Gigi kept smiling a lot this morning.” Sean’s pulse calmed down. His mother had snapped out of her fits whenever her chores had ended. Sean took the advice. And for now, he’d focus on his plan and his brother. “You’re the oldest and single. Doctors are the men that women on television talk about constantly. Doctor Steamy or Love or Hot. I want to hear about your women.”

  Daniel shook his head. “There is no one and to go out every night would drain me.”

  “Are you getting old?”

  “No.”

  Sean smiled. “Good. Let’s go play ball, keep you looking the part at least.”

  Daniel put the drink down. “It’s on like Donkey Kong, baby bro. Remember who kicked whose butt the last time.”

  “Doesn’t count. I had cancer. We both know I’m in better shape than you now.” Sean laughed.

  Both of them stood over six feet tall and had muscles from working out. He, however, played outside with Patrick and had more time to run than his always-working brother.

  Daniel directed them to a basketball court, joking, “They called this the American men room.”

  “They have a professional team here.” Sean took off his tie and button-down shirt. Exercise had to be better than sitting around waiting for Gigi.

  Daniel bounced the ball over to him.

  Sean grinned. He needed to kick his brother down a few pegs.

  Chapter 33

  Gigi tensed, unsure the second she stared at Sean. He stood at the entrance of the local restaurant near the hotel ready for dinner. The restaurant had a black bar separating the patrons from the street, and inside, the walls were a dark wood. The students’ pressure to win was taking its toll on both her and the students, and tomorrow, their big day, weighed on everyone’s spirits. The students had been nervous, jittery, and excited all at once. At dinner, the students chose to sit alone in the back again, and she tucked her shirt back in her pants. Then she went over and joined Sean at the door. “Hey. You coming in?”

  “Hey back. How’d practice go?”

  “Good. Are you going to watch tomorrow?” she asked, then escorted him to her table. He sat and then she offered him a bread roll the second she sat next to him.

  “Of course. The press won’t get in our way.” In a booming voice for the students to hear, Sean said, “I’ll be there to see my team, win or lose.”

  Kendra called back, “Mr. C, we’re going to win. Bring your party shoes for tomorrow night.”

  The students laughed and went back to their conversation. Sean leaned closer. “Should I have scolded her for the nickname?”

  “If they nickname you and say it to your face, they like you,” Gigi whispered back. Her hand began to inch toward his. “It’s better to smile.”

  “Are you ordering extra tomatoes for your salad, Geegs?”

  “Thank you for letting things between us lie.”

  “‘Lie’ is interesting word. We’ll talk about it soon.”

  Gigi gulped her water. She had no idea what to say. “Don’t make me nervous when I have to be coach.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, Gigi. I’m here for moral support.”

  Her entire body tightened up. She needed Sean near her or else she’d lose her nerve. She blinked and understood that wasn’t enough. She needed to be strong, capable of loving him and standing up to him. The Collins family never backed down. She lost her ability to speak. Then she pleaded, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Help.”

  “How?”

  “The woman I want back in my life is acting strange. What do you recommend?”

  “Give her one more night. The pressure of the competition takes time from what she needs to do. When she has her moment…” Gigi stopped, realizing she was talking about herself in the third person. “I’ll never leave you, ever.”

  His face beamed and he moved to get closer. “Good.”

  She nodded, but she had a tingling quiver throughout her body. She gulped, then she met his gaze.
“I need to be free first. Give me this space.”

  He didn’t blink but reached over to touch her hand. She sucked in her breath and hoped he didn’t push. “Relax, Geegs. Your team has this in the bag. And I can wait.”

  Had she explained herself?

  The waiter came with the meal.

  You’ll never be good enough for the Collins family.

  Don’t let sex get confused with love.

  I don’t know how I ended up stuck with you.

  Her mother’s ghost hit her stomach, and left her tied in knots. If she didn’t justify to herself her mother had been wrong about her, then she shouldn’t be with anyone.

  “Gigi, eat. You’re white as a ghost. What’s wrong?”

  “I’m fine.” She gulped.

  “No, something serious is wrong with you. No one is going to attack you. You are right here with me.”

  “Wait. I forgot.” Attack. She had forgotten about the threats. She’d been focused on Sean. “I don’t have the money to pay off people. If the video goes viral, I’ll lose my job and what’s left of my reputation. I have a right to worry.”

  “I have it under control. You won’t lose your job. Focus on the students.” He squeezed her hand.

  Sucking in her breath, she blinked. He should be focused on the murder charges.

  Wasn’t this supposed to be the other way around? She’d targeted helping him first, and forgotten about the dangers. “How do you know?”

  “I own the school.”

  “Not about the job. How will you find the blackmailer?”

  He shrugged. “I made arrangements to corner whoever this is and find them.”

  She trusted him. He’d take care of her.

  He continued with his hand on her knee. “Once this is done, we can focus on our lives.”

  Her pulse ached for him to hold her, but she dared not. Not yet. “Thanks. Let’s go to bed, then tomorrow face the big day.”

  Tomorrow she had the competition. But her heart beat faster. Maybe she’d find her answer, too. Her shoulders lightened. Soon, she’d find her way.

  Despite everything, she found herself starting to believe in happy-ever-afters again. But first, she needed to find her place in this one.

  Chapter 34

  Sean kept his phone on ‘silent’ but he kept the mobile in his hands for most of the morning. At ten o’clock, his brother Liam called. Sean took note that his students were not yet on stage and proceeded out into the lobby. In a corner, he leaned against the wall and tried to appear casual and happy. “What’s going on?”

  “You’re not going to be happy, but I’m handling it.”

  Not good. “What?”

  “The video was put online. A few hundred people have seen it, but my IT guys have isolated the computer that uploaded the video. I’ll be there in three minutes, and most of my men have blocked the world from viewing. I’ll call you back in ten minutes or less.”

  Sean kept the painted smile on his face. Gigi’s video had the potential of going viral. When the video was deleted, her blackmailers would be caught, and no one would care. Who in Hyannis would dare question her if he stuck to her side? He inhaled deeply, pocketed his phone, and retook his seat in the theater.

  Ten minutes on the clock dragged as he stared at the time above the stage. Gigi had stayed backstairs, and he’d never had the chance to tell her any developments. Unease plagued him as he shifted in his seat, then crossed his legs. The program read that the students were not performing yet.

  This was taking too long. Sean quickly returned to the same spot he left. He decided to call his other brother, the lawyer, Gerard.

  Gerard answered on the first ring. “Hey, I planned on calling you any minute now. I have news on Gigi’s mother’s will.”

  “Beat you to the punch then.” Good. Sean checked one thing off his list. “Who owns the Rebecca Foundation and inherits if Gigi doesn’t?”

  “Jennifer, your dead wife,” Gerard said. “Which means the money reverts to you because she died before the divorce proceedings. Even if Gigi gets disinherited, you give it all back to her. She won’t lose anything.” Gerard changed tone. “But, Sean, this gives you motive for those charges. I’m waiting on a callback from my friend at the station who needed my help a few years ago when a prostitution scandal almost destroyed his family. I’ll get who filed the complaint this morning.”

  “It wasn’t Gigi.” Planting his legs a little apart signaled Sean had been ready to pounce, but what could he say?

  “I know. Two minutes.”

  Sean told Gerard, “Thanks. Call me the minute you hear anything. I want everything cleared up.”

  “Sure. Talk soon, bro.”

  Sean stared at the digital clock on his phone. Besides having more money than he’d ever be able to spend, his brothers’ career choices had useful perks. Liam’s experience meant he picked out the men on his special team, but Sean paid for everything.

  Once, the British and the Brohmin’s of Boston had kept the Irish poor in the past, but the Collins family had a proud heritage to keep up. Their money was a spit in the eye of the past. The marble statue of his great-grandfather in Boston, Patrick, the poor, penniless Irish boy who’d become mayor meant no Collins would ever go backward into extreme poverty. Sean would keep up his end of his family heritage.

  The wait made his stomach turn so Sean walked away and peeked inside the theater. His students were not on stage yet. Good. He returned to his spot against the wall and finally Liam called him back. “It’s offline. The files have been deleted. There were a few downloads across the country, but we’ll have those places searched within the hour. The normal online viewer is getting the message now to delete the video because it contains viruses. This is much smaller in number than another case, and we have more money for this operation.”

  “It’s good it’s under control,” Sean said. “Who put the video online?”

  “Right now we know it was a woman, short blond hair, blue eyes. We have a picture and video surveillance, and we’re running it through the databases for an identity match.”

  “Daisy is real then.” Sean closed his lips and nodded his head, pretending not to be surprised. There were too many coincidences and links to Jennifer. Whatever the women had planned, they would fail. “Gerard said Jennifer owned the Rebecca Foundation.”

  “I have to go. I’ll call you back.” Liam hung up.

  Again not enough answered, and Sean hated waiting. He went to the bathroom, splashed water on his face, and returned to his seat. His students had not made their appearance yet, but Gigi sat in the front row now. With her hair tied back in a bun, she epitomized the naughty teacher fantasy. He blinked and told himself later. He found his seat and calmed down. The students must be on soon.

  A cool short-haired blond woman took the seat next to him. He ignored her at first, but she made quiet scratching noises for attention. The same way a cat begged for food. He rose his eyebrows, then asked, “Ma’am?”

  “You’re Sean Collins, no?”

  The fake Georgia accent stuck out. He knew people from the south, and her voice mimicked a bad joke.

  “You’re the one who owns a school and is engaged to be married to the porn star while still up on murder charges.”

  “Excuse me. Gigi is nothing of the sort.” He clamped his hands down on her arm. “Are you Daisy Patterson?”

  “Who?”

  She sounded defiant and proud. He glanced at Gigi in the front row. She had no idea, and he’d keep it that way. With his free hand, he redialed his brother, and let him listen in to the conversation. “Daisy, what made you think you could frame me then show up here?”

  “What made you think you could turn my sister into a gold digger then dump her?”

  “Your sister?”

  She struggled to take her hand back, but he held firm.

  The curtain opened and the students came out to have an entire conversation in French.

  Sean glanced to check to see
if someone answered the phone. Confident, he said loudly, “Daisy, Jennifer was your sister? She never mentioned you.”

  “Did you ask her about family or did the marriage get based entirely on what she gave between her legs, providing you with your heir?”

  “My son is the best thing that came from Jennifer.” People stared at them.

  Then sirens blasted outside the theater.

  Gigi’s gaze met his across the darkened theater. The question and protective lioness stare she threw his way made him pause. To appease her, he nodded at her, but Sean let the woman go. Then Daisy took off running. Gigi’s gaze never left his until he nodded at her then ran after Daisy.