Page 13 of Enchant Me

“He’s lucky he walked away.”

“I think he knew it, because he quit racing after that, though he does the occasional exhibition now.”

“So what’s he do now? Own a racing team?”

“I think he might, actually,” Damien says. “But it’s not his primary focus. Turns out that in addition to being extremely talented behind the wheel, he has an exceptional head for science and technology. He blew through MIT and recently pulled together funding for his own startup.”

I bite back a smile. Apparently Ashton Stone resembles my husband in more ways than one. “He’s working on something that interests you,” I say. “He’s the meeting. The one you mentioned when you got that text earlier.”

“How well you know me. Yes, he’s come up with the design for an automotive power system that intrigues me, especially if the rumors I’m hearing about how far he’s developed it are true. He described it to Noah, and told him he was looking for financing.”

“He knows Noah?”

“Apparently they met at a function. Someplace Kiki was performing,” Damien adds, referring to Noah Carter’s wife, a multiple Grammy Award winner.

“And you either want to buy out his company or license the design.”

Damien grins at me as he puts a hand over his heart. “It’s like you know me.”

“Let me guess, you already have a meeting on the books?”

“Next week, actually.”

“Well, he’d be an idiot not to want to work with you.”

“We’ll see,” he says, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “But I very much appreciate the endorsement.”

5

I check on the girls and find them in the guest cottage located off the patio with Bree, where she’s biting her lower lip as she holds a curling iron near Anne’s head. With skill reminiscent of a superhero, she pulls it away, releasing my little girl’s head in almost the same instant as Anne turns, squeals, “Mama!” and leaps toward me.

“You are one lucky little rug rat,” Bree says. “What have we talked about moving when I’m curling your hair?”

Anne turns to her, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. “I’m sorry, Ms. Bree.”

Bree meets my eyes, clearly fighting a grin. “It’s okay, princess. I just don’t want to burn your sweet little skin.”

Crisis averted, Anne returns her attention to me. I scoop her up and hug her next to me. “Are you about ready for the party?”

“It’s not a party, Mommy. It’s a wedding.”

“I stand corrected. Where’s your brother?”

Anne points to the bedroom. “He’s in with Lara.”

“I decided to set up the beauty salon in here. That way they could watch cartoons in the back while I’m working on the other ones.”

Bree’s been working as our nanny for a few years since returning from a short stint in grad school in New York. Originally, this guest cottage had a television in both the bedroom and the living room, but when she moved back, Bree asked us to remove the one in the living room.

“Too distracting,” she’d said, and since she’d returned to Los Angeles to work on a novel, I could hardly argue. We replaced the television console with a huge writing desk. Today, that desk has been transformed into a station for dressing my kids.

“You could’ve done this in their rooms, you know.” I hear the amusement in my voice.

She shrugs. “They like coming over here. And I think it makes them feel special to go out to get all fancied up. It’s a big day, after all. It’s not often that kids get to be involved in their grandparents’ wedding.”

That much was true.

Anne slides down my body, then tugs at my hand. “Bradley and Lara are already dressed. Come see? Come see?” I let her drag me into the bedroom then bend down as my little boy and oldest daughter run towards me.