“Claire,” he pleaded. “I love you.”
“There was a time when I actually believed that,” she yelled. “Until I saw you with someone else.”
“Claire, that was…Gosh! It’s not what you think,” he said, frustrated. “Just let me come over and I will explain.”
“You think I’m stupid? Don’t call me again,” she said and hung up before he could plead with her.
“Trent?” Willow asked from behind her.
“Unfortunately,” Claire said, her palm on her forehead. “Not quite the welcome I needed.”
“Just ignore him,” Willow said. “I know you have a lot to deal with, but just give it some time.”
“All I have is time,” she said sarcastically. “I’m not in a rush.”
“I know, Claire, and I feel terrible for the part I played in this.”
Claire didn’t respond; she simply sighed and wheeled her luggage upstairs and sat on her bed. She looked at the house that had been home to her for so many years. So much had changed for her in such a short time. She had lost her fiancé, had sex with her stepbrother, acquired a stepfather, and was preparing to leave the home she had grown up in. To be honest, she didn’t mind moving to Bryan’s because that meant Chance would be more accessible, but she had so much to do before she actually left town. She had to quit her job, change her address, cancel accounts, and say goodbye to her friends. Claire wasn’t sure she was ready for that, and she laid sprawled on the bed while her world spun out of control.
Three days later, she only had her personal items to pack. Her office hadn’t been pleased when she’d informed them of her immediate resignation, but they understood she had no choice.
Willow was in high spirits, and Claire didn’t blame her. After all, she was a new bride. By the time the moving truck pulled up a week later, Willow was over the moon. To Claire’s disappointment, Chance wasn’t there, but Bryan had flown in ahead of the truck. They would ship some of the items Willow wanted to keep, and the truck would take the rest to a storage facility Bryan had leased. It wasn’t a long drive to the airstrip where they saw the same jet they had seen at the island. They boarded the plane, and for most of the flight, Claire kept to herself while watching her mother and her lover talk for a time that seemed endless.
When they finally landed on the drive outside the home in Los Angeles, Claire was awed by the size of the place. “This is your house?” she asked Bryan. “It’s more of a mansion than a house.”
“Well, it isn’t really a mansion based on the actual proportions of the land…okay, it’s big,” he conceded and laughed when he saw the look on Claire’s face.
“Yes it is; no need to play it down,” she told him. “And it is nice.”
“A shame we don’t spend a lot of time in it,” he told them, moving to Willow. “But we have a ton of staff; even a maid if you need one.”
“No, thank you,” Claire grinned, amused at the thought of a random stranger bathing her. “I think I’m capable of washing myself.”
Willow and Bryan laughed as he led them across the marble walkway that led to a front porch that could pass for a courtyard. Inside was no less magnificent, with high vaulted ceilings, huge tapestries that fell to spotless tiles, and marble top counters that reflected the light pouring down from the chandeliers that dotted the ceiling. A pair of staircases went from east to west and wound to the first landing where they came together. Claire’s eyes were wide as she admired the carvings in the wood, the designs on the walls, the crystal, and the gold-plated rails that bordered the stairs. When she reached the landing and looked down, she was breathless.
“So, what do you think?” Bryan asked.
“I’m confused. Why don’t you spend time here? This place is a palace. I feel like I’m missing a crown.”
“They are in those drawers right there,” he said, pointing to her right. “Pick any one you like.”
“Are you kidding me?” she asked him, looking at him to see if he was really serious.
“Yes,” he laughed. “But I am glad you like it. You can have your choice of rooms in either wing. Just tell Mandy, our head of housekeeping, and she will get you all set.”
As if on cue, a middle-aged woman came into view wearing a pale blue and white dress and a bright smile.
Claire pointed to the west wing. “I think I’ll take this side. I don’t want the sun in my eyes first thing in the morning.”
“Good choice,” Bryan confirmed. “Mandy, this is my new stepdaughter. Please, make her feel at home.”