“We never could pull anything over on her,” Kate said, a note of pride in her voice.
They were laughing over one particular plan Isabel had hatched, when Regan came out to join them. Her reaction to Isabel’s news about Xavier was as enthusiastic as Kate’s had been, and she agreed they needed to go back to the clothing boutique tomorrow for Isabel.
“Where’s Laurant?” Kate asked. “She’ll freak when she hears.”
“She and Nick went home to be with the kids. They’ll be back tomorrow with Samantha and Tommy for the family dinner.”
Isabel sat quietly while the two women discussed what she should wear to rehearse with XO and what she should wear onstage. Every time Xavier’s name came up Isabel could feel her stomach tighten. She wasn’t sure if it was due to excitement or anxiety. When she wasn’t worrying about XO, she was thinking about Michael. He’d been crowding her thoughts since she’d arrived in Boston.
What was he doing now? she wondered, barely stopping herself before asking her sister. She really needed to get a grip.
Scotland was looking better and better. If she could, she’d leave tonight.
? ? ?
LATER THAT EVENING MICHAEL WAITED UNTIL ISABEL HAD LEFT THE LIVING ROOM TO TALK TO
the others about safety concerns, and it was decided that Nick would accompany her to the rehearsal with Xavier. Noah would let Nick know their plan as soon as he called to check in. It was up to Michael to let Isabel know what was decided.
She was out in the sunroom, curled up on the sofa with her pen and notepad in hand. He stood just inside the doorway, watching her. He noticed every little thing about her. Her legs were a bit
sunburned and so were her arms and her face. Her hair had white-blond streaks in it now, and he remembered how silky it felt.
Hell, he was at it again.
“Isabel.” He said her name as he walked over to the sofa and sat down next to her.
She moved her feet out of the way in the nick of time. “There are other places to sit in this room.”
“I like sitting here.”
She refused to get into an argument over such a silly thing. “Did you want something?”
“Yes,” he answered. “Nick is going to go with you to the rehearsal, and if I can move a couple of appointments, I’m going to tag along.”
“Why?”
“We want to meet him.”
“What’s the real reason?”
“We decided that Nick would go with you because he carries a badge and a gun.”
“Why is that important?” She was looking at him as though she thought he had lost his mind.
“We don’t know anything about Xavier and his crew.”
“His staff,” she corrected.
“Okay, staff,” he patiently repeated. “Better safe than sorry.”
“In other words, if anyone tries something, Nick will shoot him or you’ll punch him?”
That sounded good to him.
“Whose wacky idea was this?” she asked, and before he could come up with an answer, she guessed. “It was yours, wasn’t it?”
He shrugged, then decided to justify his actions. “You don’t know anything about these people, so yeah, I did suggest—”
“That you and Nick intimidate everyone?”
Okay, yes, that was exactly what he wanted to do. “I don’t want anyone messing with you.”
She couldn’t make up her mind if he was being sweet or insulting. She placed her notepad and pen on the table and stood. Crossing her arms, she said, “I can take care of myself, Michael.”
She turned to leave, then changed her mind. “And another thing. You told me to stay away from you, and you were going to stay away from me. Remember? So how come every time I turn around, there you are? You might as well stop trying to drive me crazy. Thanks to you, I’m already there.”
With those parting words, she stormed out.
TWELVE
WEDNESDAY WAS A BLUR OF ACTIVITY. AS MUCH AS ISABEL HATED SHOPPING, SHE HAD TO
admit she had fun with Kate and Regan at the Madison. She was sure she tried on at least a dozen outfits, and Kate insisted on buying most of them. Then Isabel was tugged and pinned by an exuberant alteration lady named Vera, who couldn’t stop raving about Isabel’s figure. And since she was a woman who liked to talk while she worked, she also told Isabel all about her cheating brother-in-law.
While the woman confided her long list of worries, Isabel stood patiently with her hands folded, nodding every now and then. Once Vera had marked her last hem and aired her last complaint, she packed her pins and tape measure back into her sewing basket, but before she left, she gave Isabel a warm hug as though she was saying good-bye to one of her closest friends.
Kate took the scene in stride, but Regan was mesmerized. When Vera had exited and Isabel had stepped behind the curtain to change back into her own clothes, Regan turned to Kate, “Did you hear what Vera said?”
Kate was flipping through the store’s catalog. Without looking up she said, “Yes, I heard.”
“Isabel barely said anything at all.”
“I know.”
“Yet Vera hugged her.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It was . . . bizarre . . . wasn’t it?”
“Uh-huh.”
Regan began to laugh. “You’re used to it, aren’t you?”
Kate looked up from the catalog, smiling. “Oh yes. It happens all the time.”
“Okay, I’m ready to leave,” Isabel announced, stepping out of the dressing room.
“Have you decided what you’ll wear onstage?” Regan asked.
Kate thought her sister should wear the hot pink top with a new pair of skinny jeans and stilettos.
The suggestion made Isabel laugh. “You want me to wear stilettos onstage? I’d fall on my backside in front of thousands of people.”
Regan stepped in before the argument escalated. She suggested that Isabel consider the black suit.
She could push the sleeves up on the fitted jacket and wear the brilliant blue sequined camisole with it to add sparkle. The skintight ankle pants would show off her long slender legs, especially if she wore the stiletto heels Kate wanted. She also suggested Isabel take a backup outfit and recommended
the gorgeous silk dress she’d chosen for her. The low-cut neckline was a bit daring, but the top was so fitted it wouldn’t slip or show anything inappropriate when she moved around, and the short, flared skirt swayed with each step she took. The color was stunning, a cerulean blue that brought out the exact color of her eyes. Barely-there nude high heels would be perfect. Although she had worn a blue dress onstage at Finnegan’s, there wasn’t anything similar about the two dresses. The new one was elegant, very sophisticated, and extremely sexy. Regan raved about it; Kate also loved it but worried it was a little too provocative.
“Spoken like a true big sister,” Regan said. “Admit it, Kate. She looks incredible in the dress. XO
is bound to lose his voice when he sees her.” Turning to Isabel, she said, “The clothes will be ready tomorrow afternoon. I’ll get them for you and bring them out. I have to be in the city anyway.”