red trainers on her feet and a purple scrunchie holding up her long blond hair in a ponytail.
‘Am I over-the-top?’ she asked.
Elizabeth shook her head. ‘You can carry off anything, Lucy.’
‘I wish...’ she replied with a wry grimace as Elizabeth ushered her into the apartment and closed the door on the two men in the office.
Elizabeth eyed her quizzically, sensing something was weighing on her sister’s mind. ‘Is that a general wish or...?’
‘Oh, nothing really,’ came the airy reply, her hands gesturing dismissively as her gaze swung around the living room. ‘This is lovely, Ellie. Show me the bedroom and bathroom.’
She stopped at the queen-size bed, her sherry-brown eyes twinkling mischief at Elizabeth. ‘Have you shared this with Harry yet?’
‘Actually, no.’ Wanting to divert any further personal probing, she retaliated with, ‘Do you want to tell me what’s going on with Michael?’
She threw up her hands. ‘Everything is happening! I swear to you, Ellie, I’ve never been this mad about a guy. I’m in love like you wouldn’t believe, and while it’s incredibly wonderful, it’s also scary, you know?’
‘In what way scary?’
She flopped onto the bed, put her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. ‘Michael is smart. I mean really smart, isn’t he?’
‘Yes.’
‘So what happens when he finds out that my brain wasn’t wired right and I’m a dummy when it comes to reading and writing? So far I’ve been winging it as I usually do, but this is far more intense than it’s been with other guys, and he’s bound to start noticing I’m a bit weird about some things.’ She rolled her head to look straight at Elizabeth, a yearning appeal in her eyes. ‘You’ve worked for him for two years. Will it put him off me if I tell him I’m dyslexic?’
Having experienced how exacting he was about everything to do with work, Elizabeth could only answer, ‘I honestly don’t know, Lucy. Does it feel as though he’s in love with you?’
‘Well, definitely in lust.’ Her forehead puckered. ‘I can’t be sure that’s love, but I really want it to be, Ellie. More than I’ve wanted anything. I want him to care so much about having me, it won’t matter that I’m flawed.’
Elizabeth sat on the bed beside her and smoothed the worried furrows from her brow. ‘It shouldn’t matter if he loves you. And stop thinking of yourself as a dummy, Lucy. You’re very smart, and you have so many talents...any man would be lucky to have you in his life.’
She heaved a rueful sigh. ‘Well, I don’t want him to know yet. I couldn’t bear it if...’ Her eyes shot a pleading look at Elizabeth. ‘You haven’t told Harry, have you?’
‘No. And I won’t.’
‘I need more time. To give it a chance, you know?’
‘Yes, I know.’
‘I’ve been running off at the mouth about me. What about you and Harry?’
Elizabeth shrugged. ‘Same thing. More time needed.’
‘But you do like him.’
‘Yes.’ The hostility towards him had completely dissipated last night, as had the steaming vexation and resentment he had so frequently stirred. As it was now, there was nothing not to like.
Lucy propped herself on her elbow, an earnest expression on her face. ‘Promise me you won’t go off him if things don’t work out between me and Michael.’
She hadn’t expected Lucy, who had always seemed to be a live-in-the-moment person, to look ahead and see complications arising from the situation. It took her by surprise. Before she could consider the promise, Lucy rattled on.
‘Harry could be the right guy for you. Let’s face it...he’s gorgeous and sexy and wealthy and obviously keen to have you in his corner. You could be great together and I don’t want me to be the reason for you not having a future with him. I’d be happy to see you happy with him, Ellie, regardless of what happens between me and Michael.’
Deeply touched by her sister’s caring, she couldn’t help replying, ‘But being so madly in love with Michael, you’ll be hurt if he walks away from you.’ Just as she had been on Monday—totally shattered and never wanting to see him again.
‘Oh, I’ll muddle along like I always do,’ Lucy retorted with a wry grimace. ‘I’m good at putting things behind me. I’ve had a lot of practice at it.’ She reached out, took Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. ‘You mustn’t worry about me. Go for what you want. You deserve a good life, Ellie.’
‘So do you.’
‘Well, maybe we’ll both achieve it. Who knows? I just want to clear the deck for you and Harry. Now tell me you’re okay with that.’
Elizabeth heaved a sigh to relieve the heavy emotional fullness in her chest and finally said, ‘I’m okay if you’re okay.’ She squeezed her sister’s hand back. ‘Whatever happens with either of us, we’ll always have each other, Lucy.’
‘Absolutely!’ she agreed, the earnestness breaking into a wide grin. ‘Now let’s go get our men!’ She bounced off the bed and twirled around in a happy dance. ‘Let’s have a fabulous weekend, following our hearts’ desire and not thinking about tomorrow.’ She paused in the doorway to the living room to give Elizabeth a wise look. ‘You never know when something might strike us dead so we do what we want to do. Right?’
‘Right!’ Elizabeth echoed, suddenly wondering how much of Lucy’s attitudes and behaviour stemmed from their mother’s early death and the suffering that had preceded it. She’d only been seventeen. Would Michael wrap her in the loving security blanket she needed? It was simply impossible to know at this point.
When she and Lucy emerged from the apartment, the two men were still standing where they’d left them in the office. Michael’s attention instantly swivelled away from Harry, his face lighting up with pleasure at seeing her sister again. He held out his arms in a welcome-back gesture and Lucy waltzed straight into them, laughing up at him as she curled her arms around his neck.
‘All done here?’ he asked indulgently.
‘Yes. But I want all four of us to lunch together in the restaurant.’
He threw a quick appeal to his brother. ‘That can be arranged?’
‘Leave it with me,’ Harry said, not exactly committing to the idea. ‘Why don’t you take Lucy across to the restaurant, order a bottle of wine, and we’ll join you when we’ve cleared the way?’
‘See you soon,’ Lucy tossed at Elizabeth as Michael scooped her away with him.
Which left her alone with Harry.
She’d been watching Michael very intently, wishing she could see into his mind and heart, knowing now that he could hurt Lucy very badly if lust didn’t turn into love. This wasn’t another flash-in-the-pan
