Fairytale Come Alive (5 page)

Flinch?

No, no, Fiona’s paranormal senses were heightened but no way would butter-wouldn’t-melt Isabella Austin Evangelista
flinch
.

And if she did, why would she, simply upon hearing Prentice say her name?

“This calls for champagne!” Annie screeched, taking Fiona’s thoughts from the impossible flinch and rushing forward, tugging the man along with her and linking arms with Isabella.

“I’ll get it,” Dougal said immediately. “Prentice, a little help?”

“Of course,” Prentice murmured but Isabella spoke.

“One moment, please.”

Everyone stopped, as they would, her voice was still soft, slightly breathy but there was something about it that made you pay attention.

God, Fiona hated her.

“Prentice,” she held her hand out toward him and Fiona would have sucked in breath (again, if she had any), then Isabella turned to the unknown man, “this is Mikey. A friend of Annie and mine from –”

“I remember you mentioning Mikey,” Prentice interrupted and before Isabella could say more, Prentice walked forward hand extended to Mikey.

Isabella dropped her hand, her gaze moved to Dougal then away as Prentice shook Mikey’s hand.

“Pleasure,” Prentice muttered but Mikey pumped his arm like their handshake was the last thing he’d do before he died and he never wanted it to end.

“Prentice Cameron,” Mikey was staring avidly at Prentice then he turned to Isabella and Annie. “Girls, you were holding out. You said he was delicious but you didn’t say he was
dee-lish-us
.”

Dougal and Fergus (who had joined them) laughed.

Prentice chuckled and carefully disconnected his hand.

Annie giggled.

Isabella adopted her butter-wouldn’t-melt smile, effectively removing herself from the humorous situation entirely as if she was a casual observer, not a participant.

Yes, Fiona hated her.

Before Fiona could let the depths of her hatred settle (which would probably take a million years), the door flew open and Debs, Prentice’s sister, flew in.

Everyone turned and then they tensed.

Fiona grinned. She
loved
Debs.

And Debs
hated
Isabella Evangelista.

This, she thought, was going to be
good
.

Debs, as usual, didn’t disappoint.

She slammed the door behind her, took a step forward and opened her mouth.

Then she shouted, “You
fucking
bitch!”

Fiona looked at Isabella, her grin still in place but it faltered when she saw the cool look the heartless cow was directing at Debs who, Fiona knew, adored Isabella like a sister (once).

“Debs –” Prentice said warningly and started forward but Debs was not to be denied (again, as usual).

“I could
not
believe it when I heard you were going to be here.” Debs glanced at Annie and snapped, “I’m sorry, Annie, but you know it has to be said.”

“Debs –” Prentice repeated, reaching his sister and taking her by the upper arm which she yanked from his grip while her gaze snapped to his face.

“I know
you’re
over it because, luckily, you found a better one and married
her
. But me and everyone else,” Debs threw her arm wide to indicate the entire village, “wants her to know she is
not
welcome here.” Her eyes went back to Isabella. “So don’t think of playing any of your fancy rich girl games with any of our men this time around. Got me?”

“Who
is
this interesting creature?” Mikey muttered to Annie.

“Debs, really, this isn’t necessary, nor, might I add,
nice,
” Fergus cut in.

“I’m not known for being nice,” Debs retorted.

“You can say that again,” Mikey told her.

Debs’s eyes narrowed on Mikey. “And who are you, her newest victim?”

“No,” Mikey replied. “I’ve been her second best friend for over twenty years and if you don’t mind your manners, miss priss, I’ll be forced not to mind mine and you won’t like that. Do
you
have
me?
”

“
How dare you!
” Debs screeched.

“I dare
easily
, darling,” Mikey returned, completely unperturbed.

“Dougal, Prentice,
do something,
” Annie beseeched, looking like she was about ready to cry and Fiona forgot how much she hated Isabella and felt badly for her friend.

Surprisingly, Isabella forged into the breach.

“It’s perfectly fine,” she said, again softly her voice somehow carrying that weird authority and even Debs stopped her tirade and stared at her.

Then, even more surprisingly (and strangely, to Fiona’s way of thinking), she murmured, “It’s nothing less than I deserve.”

“You have
that
right,” Debs snapped back.

Isabella leveled her gaze on Debs and, if Fiona could still feel she would have felt a chill.

“Yes,” she said in a strong, cultured, not at all soft or breathy voice, “I do.”

Then without looking at Prentice, who was staring at her in what Fiona knew exactly was shock, or anyone else, Isabella turned to Annie and said, back to her soft voice, “I need to freshen up. I’ll be back for champagne.”

She leaned in and kissed her friend, nodded to Mikey and then gracefully and slowly walked up the stairs, arse swaying, like she hadn’t a care in the world.

Fiona’s apprehensive eyes moved to Prentice knowing he was an ass man and that was one fine ass, even as a woman she had to appreciate it. One could safely say Isabella Austin Evangelista had, somehow, since Fiona had died and seen any photos of her, put on a few pounds but, for her, they were a few
good
pounds which Fiona thought was distinctly
unfair
.

But Prentice wasn’t checking out Isabella’s arse, he was pulling his sister to the door.

“A word,” he said in his deep, warning voice that said, quite clearly, Debs was
in trouble
and not a little bit of it.

The door closed behind them and Annie swung around on Dougal.

“Debs is now officially uninvited to the wedding.”

“Annie, luv –”

Annie shook her head and lifted her hand. “Nope, nuh-unh, no. Un… in… vite… ed.”

Then she flounced from the room toward the kitchen.

Dougal cast an apologetic glance to Fergus and Mikey and followed her.

“I’m thinking this is going to be an interesting week,” Mikey commented blandly.

Fergus looked at his guest. “And I’m thinking you’re not wrong, lad.”

Fiona couldn’t agree with them more.

Then her mind switched to Isabella’s (possible but not probable) flinch when Prentice said her name and, again, she had to ponder what was
that
all about?

Accommodation Arrangements

Prentice

Prentice opened the front door to his home, trying to unclench his jaw, and turned to Isabella, sweeping his arm wide to indicate she should precede him.

She nodded and did as he indicated, gracefully carrying one of her four suitcases as if it weighed no more than a feather when he knew it did not.

His six year old daughter, Sally, followed, not gracefully at all lugging an enormous cosmetics case not wanting to be left out and having a strange, six year old girl fascination with a fancy, huge cosmetics case.

His ten year old son, Jason, manfully heaved up the third largest suitcase and entered the house.

Prentice followed with the largest one, dropped it in the vestibule and then moved through the three of them, all of whom stopped and looked at him questioningly.

“Leave the luggage in the hall, kids, I’ll see to it later,” he ordered, his voice tight and Jason gave him a look Prentice carefully didn’t return as he passed his son and went into Fiona’s huge, open plan great room.

Prentice was going to kill his sister because her behavior had made it impossible to say no when Annie had announced her ridiculously inappropriate plans for the accommodation arrangements of two of her many wedding guests.

Mikey would be staying at Fergus’s house.

Isabella would be staying with Prentice, Jason and Sally.

Dougal’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when Annie made her announcement. Fergus’s eyes had rolled to the ceiling. Mikey’s lips had twitched and he looked carefully to the side. Isabella had remained completely cool and took a sip from her champagne.

Then she said, “I’d like to stay with you and Fergus, if you don’t mind, Annie.”

“
I
don’t mind but Richard and Robert are going to be here later tonight and
Mikey
might mind.” Annie leaned into Mikey and whispered loudly, “They’re both
fit
and they’re both
gay
and they’re both
single
.”

Mikey leaned to Annie and whispered back (loudly), “
Really?
”

Annie widened her eyes comically and nodded.

Mikey turned to Isabella. “You’re staying with Prentice.”

Isabella sighed then replied, “I couldn’t impose. I’ll get a room in a hotel.”

Dougal started nodding and sat forward but Annie got there before him.

“You’re in the Scottish Highlands, my lovely, the closest hotel is twenty-five miles away and it’s booked with my party guests. Not… gonna… happen.”

Isabella didn’t lose even a little of her composure as her eyes moved to Prentice. “Perhaps we should ask Prentice if it’s okay if I stay with his family. I’m sure they’re very busy with school and work and activities and the like.”

She was, to his vague surprise, trying to give him an out.

Or, more likely, covering her own hide as she probably didn’t want to sleep under the roof of a man who she’d heartlessly played twenty years ago.

However, twenty minutes after his sister had verbally accosted her in the foyer of her friend’s home, he could hardly say no.

Therefore, he said, “We have plenty of room.” Then he lied, “You’re more than welcome.”

She didn’t miss a beat, nodded to him and said, “Well, that’s kind of you.”

Then she took another sip of her drink and started to study the carpet.

Complete cool.

In fact, ice cold.

How was he once in love with this woman?

An hour later, when he had to pick up the kids, he took her to the school and she stood beside him while Jason had sauntered and Sally had rushed toward the 4x4.

Sally came to a skidding halt and stared at Isabella. Then her wide, glittering,
happy
eyes swung to her father.

“Is she a
movie star?
” Sally breathed.

Isabella startled him by laughing. It was not the uproarious, full-throated laughter he knew from decades ago. This was more controlled but, nevertheless, authentic.

“You’re my new best friend,” she told Sally.

Prentice mentally braced.

His daughter was all girl, all girl with no mother and the likes of Isabella was undoubtedly a dream come true.

“I am?” Sally whispered.

“You are,” Isabella confirmed on a nod then went on, sealing Prentice’s doom, “I like your nail polish.”

Sally held up her hands and surveyed them. “It needs changed.”

“I’m a pretty dab hand with a manicure,” Isabella replied.

Prentice had no doubt of
that
.

“You’d give me a
manicure?
” Sally asked, like this was her most fervent wish when he knew that morning (because she told him, twice), her most fervent wish was to have a horse and the morning before it had been to go shopping at Harrods, not that he knew where she picked up that ludicrous idea and lamented the fact that his daughter had to go to school at all, especially when there were other girls there with imaginations far more vivid than Sally’s, which was saying something.

“I’m Bella,” Isabella said softly and Sally sighed.

“No, you’re Mrs. Evangelista,” Prentice stated firmly and Isabella’s head turned to him enquiringly but he ignored her and looked at his daughter. “And she’s staying with us for a week. She’s Annie’s maid of honor.”

“And I’m the flower girl!” Sally trilled, rushing up to Isabella and grabbing her hand. “We
are
going to be best friends, even better! Annie’s-wedding-friends!”

Prentice sighed, Jason, who had arrived, stared at his sister like she was from another planet.

“This is my son, Jason,” Prentice offered.

“Hello,” Isabella said softly, studying his son.

Jason moved his stare to her, pink hit his cheeks then he moved to the 4x4 and muttered, “’Lo.”