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Buck: I told you. You live with me now.
I stare agog at my phone. Am I really going to go along with this?
Hmm.
Yeah…I’ll deal with him later.
Staring down at my list of tasks, it occurs to me that I completely forgot to ask Presley to pull together a nice outfit for dinner tonight.
Well, crap.
I’ll have to wing it like I do for most things.
CHAPTERTWELVE
Buck
I’m picking up Grace much later than I intended to for dinner.
After dealing with the contractor issues, I drove to her old apartment to discover Toby having a hissy fit. We negotiated the terms of breaking Grace’s lease, and he eventually saw reason. I also told him I’d be complaining to the city code department if he didn’t install a code lock on the outside door.
It’s now seven thirty, and I’m hauling ass back to the Paget Mansion.
I bound up the front stairs, push into the front hall, and immediately stop short. Something feels…different in here.
I look up, and above me hangs a Gilded Age chandelier that wasn’t here before.
“What the…?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see more. A lot more. To my right, the main parlor has been completely outfitted with furniture and decorated. Everything chosen matches the historical era of the house but with coordinating modern pieces. It’s simple but elegant and not overdone. Various vintage prints hang over the fireplace, ferns and plants adorning every corner, and one or two luxurious throws and fringed pillows. There’s even a baby grand piano.
She started already? Not the timeline I was thinking, but okay. The girl is a self-starter. Great!
“You’re back!”
My chest expands three sizes when Grace appears at the end of the hall, bounding from the kitchen.
“Babe!” I exclaim, marching to meet her halfway. “The parlor looks incredible. Love it. You hungry?”
“Starving! I’ve been at this for hours!” She jumps into my arms, and though I’m tired as hell from the day I’ve had, I cage her against me, her full weight in my arms as her limbs circle me. This feels so good, as natural as if we’ve been greeting each other like this for a hundred years.
I kiss her silly.
“Hours…baby, you shouldn’t have worked so hard just to surprise me by working ahead.”
Her brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean, a surprise?” Grace laughs. “This was the test! I take it I passed?”
I study her eyes to see if she’s been hit on the head. “Test? What test?”
Grace blinks at me. “The preliminary. Wade said you would discuss my performance today and decide if I’m worthy to stay on…”
My severe look stops her.
“Wade said that?” I rasp.
Realization slowly dawns on her face. “Um…so…there was no test?”
I shake my head.
