Spanish-style house was crawling with ivy and, as far as Emily could tell, seemed to go on forever. From where she sat under the portico, she could see the kidney-shaped pool, cabana, and a large, landscaped patio area that must make for wonderful parties.
Emily was beginning to wonder if she’d been hit by a car on the freeway. She was sure she’d died and that St. Peter was lurking somewhere beyond that fabulous pool. Sighing, she smiled up at Tyler.
“The pizza should be here in about half an hour or so,” Ty said as he pulled his keys out of the ignition. “That should give us enough time to get you settled in.” An earthshaking snore came from the back seat. “I hope.” He looked doubtful.
“Sure.” She nodded encouragingly at him. “Why don’t you get Helga’s cart out of your trunk, and I’ll get these guys up?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Ty nodded, unfastening his seat belt. He disappeared toward the back of the car to wrestle with Helga’s worldly possessions, while Emily lifted a sleepy Carmen into her arms.
“Come on, honey,” she murmured into the child’s dark hair. “We’re home now.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Helga howled, struggling to emerge from the confines of Ty’s snug back seat. “I thought I warned you not to screw up my stuff!” Bursting out of the car, she hustled around to where Ty was grappling with tons of dirty plastic and shoved him out of the way. “Not like that, you knucklehead! What are ya trying to do?”
Wondering what the normally amiable Helga was up to, Emily gently pulled her out from under Tyler’s impatient feet.
“What are you doing?” Emily chided, her brow drawn into a worried frown.
“Seeing what he’s made of.” Helga grinned at her and winked. “Thought I’d test him out a little bit. Make sure he’s a nice guy.”
“Well, tone it down a little, will you? We need to get some medicine for Carmen.”
“Killjoy,” Helga muttered, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
His starched white shirt was somewhat the worse for wear as Ty marched over to Emily, indignation written all over his face.
“Is she always like this?” he demanded, and plunged his hands through his corporate haircut, giving himself a cute, disheveled look.
Emily, now able to stand and really watch him in action, was again struck by how appealing he was. There was something vulnerable behind that big-business facade he presented to the world. Something tenderhearted and loving.
“No,” she replied, biting back a smile. “Sometimes she’s worse.”
“Great. Just great,” he muttered under his breath. “Roxanne’s gonna love this. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
Roxanne? Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? He was married. Obviously to someone named Roxanne. Fighting a fanciful wave of melancholy, she took Carmen by the hand and led her into the house. What difference could it make that he was married? He wasn’t really a knight in shining armor. Besides, she was here to get help for her two friends, not play the part of damsel in distress.
And what about Will? She was already interested in a man back home. Will Spencer, the man she’d been working for this summer as a nanny—that is, until the university had requested her research results three months early. Will thought she was still there, performing her job. And she was—in the form of her identical twin sister. She wondered how Erica was faring up there in Harvest Valley, posing as her. Probably just fine. It wasn’t as if Will had ever paid that much attention to her. Her infatuation with him had always been one-sided. No, most likely Will hadn’t even noticed the difference. It was kind of funny how she hadn’t really thought much about him since she’d left.
Tugging on her hand, Carmen skipped into the house, chattering a mile a minute. “La casa es muy, muy, muy bonita!” she chirped happily, sneezing several times in quick succession, as she stared at the interior of
Emily was beginning to wonder if she’d been hit by a car on the freeway. She was sure she’d died and that St. Peter was lurking somewhere beyond that fabulous pool. Sighing, she smiled up at Tyler.
“The pizza should be here in about half an hour or so,” Ty said as he pulled his keys out of the ignition. “That should give us enough time to get you settled in.” An earthshaking snore came from the back seat. “I hope.” He looked doubtful.
“Sure.” She nodded encouragingly at him. “Why don’t you get Helga’s cart out of your trunk, and I’ll get these guys up?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Ty nodded, unfastening his seat belt. He disappeared toward the back of the car to wrestle with Helga’s worldly possessions, while Emily lifted a sleepy Carmen into her arms.
“Come on, honey,” she murmured into the child’s dark hair. “We’re home now.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Helga howled, struggling to emerge from the confines of Ty’s snug back seat. “I thought I warned you not to screw up my stuff!” Bursting out of the car, she hustled around to where Ty was grappling with tons of dirty plastic and shoved him out of the way. “Not like that, you knucklehead! What are ya trying to do?”
Wondering what the normally amiable Helga was up to, Emily gently pulled her out from under Tyler’s impatient feet.
“What are you doing?” Emily chided, her brow drawn into a worried frown.
“Seeing what he’s made of.” Helga grinned at her and winked. “Thought I’d test him out a little bit. Make sure he’s a nice guy.”
“Well, tone it down a little, will you? We need to get some medicine for Carmen.”
“Killjoy,” Helga muttered, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
His starched white shirt was somewhat the worse for wear as Ty marched over to Emily, indignation written all over his face.
“Is she always like this?” he demanded, and plunged his hands through his corporate haircut, giving himself a cute, disheveled look.
Emily, now able to stand and really watch him in action, was again struck by how appealing he was. There was something vulnerable behind that big-business facade he presented to the world. Something tenderhearted and loving.
“No,” she replied, biting back a smile. “Sometimes she’s worse.”
“Great. Just great,” he muttered under his breath. “Roxanne’s gonna love this. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
Roxanne? Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? He was married. Obviously to someone named Roxanne. Fighting a fanciful wave of melancholy, she took Carmen by the hand and led her into the house. What difference could it make that he was married? He wasn’t really a knight in shining armor. Besides, she was here to get help for her two friends, not play the part of damsel in distress.
And what about Will? She was already interested in a man back home. Will Spencer, the man she’d been working for this summer as a nanny—that is, until the university had requested her research results three months early. Will thought she was still there, performing her job. And she was—in the form of her identical twin sister. She wondered how Erica was faring up there in Harvest Valley, posing as her. Probably just fine. It wasn’t as if Will had ever paid that much attention to her. Her infatuation with him had always been one-sided. No, most likely Will hadn’t even noticed the difference. It was kind of funny how she hadn’t really thought much about him since she’d left.
Tugging on her hand, Carmen skipped into the house, chattering a mile a minute. “La casa es muy, muy, muy bonita!” she chirped happily, sneezing several times in quick succession, as she stared at the interior of
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