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Asking Ethan for romantic advice was harder than he expected. Paul didn’t have a lot of practice putting his feelings into words. Nor was he good at sharing what was bothering him. That he wanted to try was another example of Lia’s influence.
“Are you asking because you’re attracted to her?” Ethan asked.
Feeling cornered, Paul kept his expression neutral. “She’s pretending to be our first cousin.” Yet he couldn’t deny that it was getting harder and harder to avoid letting his feelings for her show.
“She’s not our first cousin, though,” Ethan countered. “And once the truth comes out the situation will get even more complicated. She’s not going to want to stick around.”
“No one will blame her for the testing service getting it wrong. Let’s just see if she’ll delay leaving for another week.” Seeing his brother’s worried expression, Paul added, “For Grady’s sake.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Ethan said. “But you need to be clear about what you want. Lia isn’t someone you can toy with until an exciting project comes along that takes all your focus and energy.”
“What are you saying?” Paul demanded, bristling at his brother’s criticism.
“That if you’re leading her on, you can do a lot of damage in a very short period of time.”
* * *
Even though Ethan had invited his brother to go fishing, by the time their conversation concluded neither one was in the mood to take the boat out. Instead, after Paul left, Ethan wandered into his home office and contemplated the second genetic testing kit he’d ordered, but hadn’t yet used.
As much as he wanted to satisfy the ever-intensifying craving to connect with his biological family, he recognized the revelations could come at a cost. Not only did he risk upsetting the people who loved him, but also he could be opening himself up to disappointment and heartbreak. Ethan couldn’t explain his pessimism over the outcome, but recognized that not taking the test left him no better or worse off than he was at the moment.
And after watching Paul struggle with his fears and desires concerning Lia, Ethan was even more wary of throwing himself into an emotional maelstrom.
When he’d introduced Lia to his family as Ava’s daughter, the last thing Ethan had imagined was that Paul would complicate the situation by developing feelings for her. Paul was too logic-driven to appreciate Lia’s spiritual nature and too skeptical to ever trust her motives for helping them. Then again, physical attraction was a powerful thing and could lead to an emotional connection. Even in someone as jaded and pragmatic as Paul.
While Ethan enjoyed seeing his guarded older brother thrown off-balance, concern for Lia tempered Ethan’s satisfaction. Although she claimed that traveling around so much kept her from getting too attached to those she met, Ethan sensed that this time was different. If Lia fell for Paul the way he appeared to be falling for her, she’d throw her heart and soul at him and if Paul didn’t wise up, she might end up hurt.
Turning away from the complicated and messy ramifications of his actions, Ethan focused on the trio of good things that had resulted. Grady’s improved health. The healing rift between Paul and his grandfather. And one that Ethan hadn’t expected, but found himself grateful for—the renewed connection with his brother.
Ethan hadn’t realized the cost of pushing Paul away until the scheme with Lia had brought them together again. Setting his fingertips on the genetic testing kit, Ethan shoved it away. Maybe it was time to appreciate the family who loved him and not chase something that might not be out there.
* * *
The Sunday morning after Ryan and Zoe’s wedding dawned as clear and golden as so many others Lia had experienced in her sumptuous bedroom. Despite her late return to the estate, she was awake with the sun. On a typical morning, she would bound out of bed and begin her day with yoga on the terrace overlooking the lush garden. But today didn’t feel typical. Her mind raced, but her body felt sluggish. She curled herself around a pillow and clung to the glow from the previous night with Paul.
Three short days from now the news would break that she wasn’t Grady’s granddaughter, freeing her from the lies and obligations keeping her in Charleston. In the beginning, with Paul treating her like a criminal, Lia had dreaded the deception and longed for the moment when she could get back on the road. The sheer size and elegance of the Watts estate, not to mention the rules and traditions that operated within its walls, had been overwhelming. She wasn’t used to being around people so much and missed the long hours of solitude to meditate or read or daydream.
But one thing that all her traveling to new towns had instilled in Lia was adaptability. Her acquaintances and jobs were constantly changing. So she’d learned how to function within the tight-knit Watts clan with their frequent visits to check on Grady, outgoing natures, busybody ways. And to her surprise, she’d started to enjoy the fun-loving twins, the kind mothering of Lenora and Constance and even Paul’s unsettling presence.
Confronted with the reality that she would soon be leaving it all behind, sadness sat like a large stone in her stomach, weighing her down. Yet she couldn’t deny there was relief, as well. Living with the lie that she was Grady’s granddaughter made her anxious and her attraction to Paul complicated everything.
With her emotions seesawing with each breath she took, Lia struggled to maintain her usual equanimity as she ate with Grady on the back terrace. She knew his family credited her with his daily improvement, but Lia put the credit squarely on his shoulders. His determination was only matched by his enthusiasm to try anything she’d suggested. The singing that had worked in the beginning hadn’t been the only method to help him communicate. She’d created a notebook of common words and phrases that he could point to, which sped up conversations and eased frustration all around.
Grady had improved to the point that he intended to join the family for dinner that night. Leaving him to rest, Lia took a taxi to a nearby discount auto sales lot where she’d identified a truck that she hoped might be a good fit. The price was higher than she’d anticipated paying, but she was running out of time to find something that could pull Misty. Unfortunately, when she got to the lot, she discovered that the vehicle had already been sold, and nothing else they had would work.
She was on the verge of heading back to the estate when Ethan called her. When she explained what she was up to, he offered to act as her chauffeur.
“How was the wedding?” he asked as she slid into the passenger seat of his bright blue Mercedes twenty minutes later.
“It was beautiful. The ceremony was so heartfelt and romantic. I cried.” She sighed at the memory. “Silly, isn’t it? I don’t even know Ryan and Zoe, but all I could think was how they belonged together.”
A lump formed in Lia’s throat as she recalled the way Ryan had looked at his bride. The love between them was like a stone tossed into a pond, rippling out from the couple to touch all the guests. She trembled as she recalled a moment during the vows when Paul’s gaze had found hers amongst the well-wishers. The fleeting connection had sent a shock wave through Lia from head to toe.
“They really do,” Ethan agreed. “It’s as if everything that they went through created a one-of-a-kind connection between them.”
Lia nodded. “That’s what Paul said, as well.”
