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“Can’t a girl just be comfortable and happy, so she smiles?” Chloe asked. “Maybe you’re paranoid?”
“I may be paranoid, but I have good reason, a lot of the time.” I leaned back on the chaise.
Chloe eyed me suspiciously, then put another bite of dessert in her mouth. “It’s good you worked things out with her. It’d be a shame to see negative press just before you get married.”
Silence fell between us.
“When is your mail-order bride getting here?” Chloe gulped down the rest of her wine. “When do you get married?”
I sighed. So much for gradually easing into the subject. “That’s up to Mom. As you know, I asked her to pick for me. She did a great job for Parker with Mia.” I stood and rested my forearms on the balcony railing. “I’m supposed to get married the weekend of Memorial Day. I had committed to this before I met you.”
“Sounds like you’re ready to move forward as soon as Victoria picks for you,” Chloe said. “I’m happy for you. You’re an amazing man, and some girl will be extremely lucky to have you.”
A dagger of regret pierced me through the chest. “Chloe—”
“Look, I know there is this crazy attraction between us, but you have to remember that I have my life back in Australia and a little girl who is my whole world.”
“I know, but I have these feelings I can’t let go of.” I turned and leaned my back against the railing. “And I love kids. Sophie loves me too.”
Chloe held her hand up. “I understand how you feel. I do too. I’m just explaining why we won’t work. Why we can’t even let it start. I’ll be gone in a couple of weeks mostly because I have to. I’m not a citizen here.”
“When do you leave?” I asked, pushing my hair out of my eyes. “I get it. That’s your life, not mine. You have to do what’s best for you and Sophie.”
“I’m really happy to have had this time with you. Let’s just have some fun as friends before your government says I have to go home,” Chloe said. “Will that be okay?”
With a slight smile, I slowly refilled our wine glasses. “I’d like that.”
Chapter 60
Chloe
Sophie and I were having a luxurious bubble bath in the middle of the afternoon the next day in Mia’s olympic-sized bathtub. Amoeba, her puppy, was perched on the toilet and bit at any bubbles that floated her way.
“I guess this explains why you haven’t answered your text messages?” Mia walked into the bathroom, picked Amoeba up and lowered to the edge of the toilet seat with Amoeba on her lap. “I’ve been texting you for an hour. Have you two been in the tub for an hour?”
I whispered to Sophie, and we both turned at the same time and threw bubbles at Mia.
“Oh my God, you two are crazy. I have my nice dress on.” Mia tried her best to sound aggravated, but it wasn’t working. The more she complained, the more bubbles we threw at her. “That’s it, you two.” She kicked off her heels, pulled her dress over her head, grabbed the shower massage, and turned on the cold water.
I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe, while Sophie shrieked from the cold water. It wasn’t until we heard a whistle that we looked toward the door to find Victoria staring at us in utter surprise.
“Would it be silly of me to ask if I interrupted something?” Victoria asked, unable to resist a smile. “I don’t think we can go shopping looking like this.”
It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop, then all four of us burst out laughing.
“This is not over, you two.” Mia took the towel Victoria held up for her. “You better watch your backs. I will get revenge.”
“My driver is downstairs waiting on us,” Victoria said, still smiling. “What can I do to help you get ready to go?”
“Grandma Victoria, that was so much fun. Maybe next time you can play too,” Sophie said with all the innocence of a six-year-old. “Don’t wear your pretty dress, though, like Aunt Mia did, ‘cause she had to take off her dress and play in her knickers.”
We all laughed uncontrollably once again.
“Okay, chop-chop. Let’s see if we can get out of here in fifteen minutes or less.” Victoria took Sophie by the hand. “I’ll get this little prune dressed while you two fix your faces.”
What to wear? I pulled item after item out of the closet and tossed each onto the bed. I finally settled on a slim-fitting, pink V-neck t-shirt, jeans, and a navy blue blazer.
Mia shouted from the other room to not wear any jewelry and that it would just get in the way of trying on clothes.
