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Bliss cut her off before she went any further in that direction. “I can’t stay at Daddy’s place. No way.”
“That’s what I thought at first, too, but then I tried it and found it almost comforting.”
Bliss kept shaking her head. It felt like the head-shake that would never stop, as if Carly would leave, night would fall, the sun would rise, and she’d still be shaking her head. There was no way on this earth she was going to set foot in her father’s old apartment. If she did, she’d start crying and possibly never stop. “Thanks, but no, I’m very happy with my hotel room. I spend most of my time in hotel rooms anyway. Life on the road, you know.”
Carly gave up, though Bliss could tell she wanted to say more. This was what always happened with her and her siblings. Why couldn’t she just say the truth? Everyone else seemed to have come to terms with Gault’s death, but she was still stuck in shock and denial, as if a sudden freeze had encased her in ice.
But she didn’t know how to talk to her siblings. They always treated her like a cute baby duckling who had no worries in the world. To be fair, that was how she generally acted, so how were they to know any different? It was her fault, not theirs. But after all this time, she didn’t know how to fix it.
They made plans for a dinner gathering at Carly and Thomas’ house, then said goodbye. During the elevator ride back to the suite, neither she nor Granger said anything. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, Bliss found it relaxing. She could let her thoughts run free without having to worry about carrying on a conversation.
Granger seemed like the type of person who took part in conversations only when necessary. Maybe that was why she felt oddly comfortable with him.
Or maybe it was because he seemed uniquely unimpressed with her. For once, her modeling fame meant nothing to him. What a relief.
He followed her into her bedroom and set her luggage down. A forbidding expression had settled onto his face; maybe that was his resting-face. “I’ll let you get settled in.”
Why did that deep voice of his affect her so much? She shivered slightly, then nodded. “Have a good night.”
He continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “Once you’ve unpacked, we need to have a conversation.”
“A what?”
“That thing when people exchange information.”
She laughed. “That’s not what a conversation is. A conversation is about getting to know someone, creating a bond.”
“Then we’ll skip the bond part and focus on the information exchange. I need to know what I’m potentially dealing with.”
“Did that dinner invitation scare you? Don’t worry, my sister’s much less annoying than I am.” She gave him a teasing smile, hoping for a crack in his stern expression.
If anything, it did the opposite. “That remains to be seen.” His dry-as-a-desert tone delighted her. “Besides, that invitation wasn’t for me.”
“It is now.” She made that decision on the spot. “If you’re going to be my bodyguard, isn’t that exactly the kind of thing you should do?”
“Head of security, and no, family reunions are a whole different can of worms. Unless…” He cocked his head and glanced down at her with a frown. “Are you worried about your own family? Is that why you need security? I did some research before you arrived and found out that your father died of a heart attack onboard an airplane. Do you suspect foul play? Maybe there’s an issue with your inheritance?”
The thought was so ridiculous that she burst into laughter. “Do you always jump right to the worst-case scenario?”
“Yes. I find it saves time.”
She laughed again. “Well, it’s nothing like that. You should really work on your pessimism. I can recommend some self-help books and mantras that can really make a difference. If you like, you can stay right here while I smudge my room. Have you heard of it? It means burning sage to chase out the negativity. Maybe it will work on you if you…”
She trailed off, fighting back laughter, as he backed out of her room, wearing a horrified expression.
“I’ll have the fire extinguisher on standby,” he said as he closed her door.
Mission accomplished. She wasn’t ready to answer his questions. Her hippie-chick schtick had bought her some time.
Four
Granger had to hand it to Bliss. She’d outwitted him without breaking a sweat. She’d used his previous comments about “hippie-chicks” to deflect his very reasonable demand for information.
Note to self:she’s not nearly as flighty as she seems.
Note to Bliss:you have no idea how persistent I am. You can’t avoid my questions forever.
The scent of burning sage drifted from under her door. Unless that was…weed? Either way, it worked even better than a “keep out” sign.
