AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her face flamed red, and Ian turned and looked too. He sucked in a breath and said, “Billie?”
“Hey, Ian,” she said just as Aaron arrived at her side. Silence had fallen over everyone in the house, and Eloise’s stomach flipped.
Definitely not stress-free.
“It’s time to eat,” Alice said into the quiet, obviously trying to cover it up. “My parents are almost here, so let’s get this party started.” She stepped past Liam and his son and said, “El, could you?” right before she slipped James into her arms.
Robin started talking too, as did Maddy. Smaller conversations broke out, and Eloise went into the formal living room with the baby. She could eat later. Billie joined her, and El said nothing as the girl sat across from her, her foot bouncing a mile a minute.
“What’s wrong?” she finally asked.
Billie shook her head, her face definitely more pale than usual. Eloise didn’t like the clear agitation in the girl, but Aaron came into the smaller, quieter front room before she could think of what to say.
“Food for you, sweets.” He set down a plate filled with all of the things Eloise would’ve picked for herself and then looked over to Billie. “What’s eating you?” he asked.
Billie looked up at her father, and Aaron moved over to her and crouched in front of her. “Bills, talk to me. I don’t like how white you’re getting.”
“That’s—” She swallowed and tried again. “That’s Ian Coldwater. He’s the one that Addie really likes, and then he askedmeto the Christmas Ball.”
“Okay,” Aaron said, but this was the first Eloise had heard of the Christmas Ball.
“I told him you wouldn’t let me go.” Billie hung her head. “He said he’d talk to you, because he really wants to go with me, and I never responded after that.”
Aaron said nothing, and Eloise rocked with baby James in her arms. “When was this, Billie?” she asked.
“A couple of days ago,” she said. “I didn’t want to hurt Addie.” She looked from El to her father. “He’s going to talk to you, Daddy.” She hung her head again. “Probably tonight. As soon as he can.”
Aaron looked over to Eloise, which she appreciated. She raised her eyebrows as if to tell himshe’syour daughter. If they had a baby together, she wouldn’t be able to do that.
“Hon.” He straightened. “I can’t crouch like that.” He shook his head and offered Billie his hand. He pulled her to a stand too and put his arm around her. “What do you want me to say? That you can go, or that you can’t?”
“I didn’t mean to lie to him.”
“Would I have let you go with him?” Aaron asked. “Wait. I know the answer to this one. He’s the son of one of my ‘better cops.’” He grinned at Eloise. “Who me and El keep trying to set up. So my guess is, I wouldn’t have objected to this particular boy.”
Billie shook her head. “Probably not.”
“Billie,” Eloise said gently. “You can’t let your father take the heat on this one. He’s willing to do it for you when it matters, right, sweetheart?”
“Yes, always,” Aaron said, but Eloise was trying to get Billie to take some heat this time.
“I think you should talk to him,” she said. “Right now, before he has a chance to talk to your dad. Then he won’t embarrass himself, and your father won’t have to lie for you.”
Billie started nodding. “Okay. I can do that.” She drew in a deep breath. “I can.”
“I’ll send him in here,” Aaron said. “El? Do you want to sit in?”
Billie turned to stone, and Eloise smiled at her. With a bit of difficulty, she got to her feet with the baby in her arms. “Nope. Grab my food, baby, and let’s go find a place in there with our friends.”
He led the way, and Eloise gave Billie a kind smile. “You can do this, honey. Just be nice to him—and be honest.”
“Nice,” Billie said. “Honest. Okay.”
Eloise nodded, and she left the room. She passed Ian at the mouth of the hall, and he wore questions in his eyes. “She’s this way?”
“Yes.” Eloise blocked him from continuing. “She is an amazing girl. Try to remember that.”
The teenager swallowed, and Eloise liked the air about him as he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
