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“Those two dinners you left in the freezer were really good. We had each of them over the weekend.”
“I’m glad.”
I’d just pulled onto the motorway when she turned to me. “So…I was thinking…”
“That’s dangerous,” I taunted.
She rolled her eyes. “I’d like to have a car while I’m here, Sig. It would make it easier for me to go to the market to buy stuff for Lavinia and me. Calling a ride every time I have to leave the house isn’t practical. I’m not asking you to pay for it. I just wanted you to know I don’t want to have to depend on anyone for rides, so I plan to get something of my own.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t afford to buy a car when you’re only here temporarily.”
“Sure, I—”
“I have a car for you.”
She blinked. “Really?”
“It’s parked at Leo’s. It’s not being used currently.”
“Wow. Okay. That’s awesome.”
“I purchased it as a gift for Felicity, actually.”
“That’s quite an expensive gift.”
“Well, she’s been a good friend. And it’s sort of an inside joke. I couldn’t pass it up when I found it.” I checked the rearview mirror as I switched lanes. “Anyway, I’m certain she’ll have no problem with you using it while you’re here. It’s only been collecting dust in their garage. It would actually be good to have it driven once in a while.”
Her face brightened. “That would be great.”
“Shall we head over there now and pick it up?”
“Do you think they’ll mind if we pop over unannounced?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time I dropped in on them, but I should probably call. If they’re not there, their house manager, Nathan, can let us in. He’s an old chum of mine.”
“What does the house manager do?” she asked.
“Normally, someone of Leo’s stature would have an entire staff twenty-four/seven. But Felicity insisted she didn’t want to live that way—with virtual strangers in their home. So they compromised. They operate with the bare minimum: security at the gate to their property, one house manager, and one part-time housekeeper. It’s about one-tenth of the staff Leo had growing up.”
“It’s hard to imagine that anyone needs that many people roaming around their house, fluffing their sheets and fanning them.” She laughed. “I’m with Felicity.”
I rang Leo on the way to fill him in. He told me he and Felicity weren’t home, but I was welcome to enter the garage and take the car. I had all the security codes to his property, and Nathan was apparently off tonight, so there would be no staff there.
When we arrived, Abby seemed surprised to find six cars parked inside the garage. We passed the luxury vehicles to get to the one she’d actually be driving. I chuckled at the shocked expression on her face when she saw it.
“Wow, this is…”
“Small?” I offered.
“Yeah, but it’s perfect.” She brushed her fingers along the hood. “A Fiat, right?”
“Yep. My legs barely fit inside,” I said. “But it should suit you just fine.”
“Lime green. Quite the color.” Abby opened the door and got in. “What’s the story behind it?”
“Felicity drove an older version of this car when Leo and I met her in Rhode Island. I used to tease her about how ridiculous it looked. After she moved here, she was always mentioning how much she missed that car, so I found one and gave it to her on her birthday.”
“Wow, Mr. Moneybags, that was quite a gift.” She rubbed her hands along the leather steering wheel.
