Keera was getting ready to settle down with a good book. She had the house to herself, which should have been much more pleasant than it was, but she was lonely. When the front door swung open, it caused her to jump as she turned to find four women walking inside.
“Good evening,” a cheerful voice called.
Angela was back wearing a grin, looking absolutely stunning. She was accompanied by Roxie, who was married to Arden’s brother Kian, and two other women she recognized only from pictures throughout Arden’s home.
“Hello,” Keera said, unsure what was happening. They were carrying what appeared to be a dress wrapped in plastic, and a couple of bags. They all looked as if they were ready for a night on the town.
“Keera, this is Roxie, Dakota, and Eden,” Angela said. “We’ve come to take you away from this place—just for tonight.”
“I have a bunch of work to do,” Keera said, automatically taking a step back. Most of her things had been destroyed, and there was no way she could match these women. Even before her clothes had been ruined, she hadn’t owned anything like what they were wearing. She was far more a business-casual type of dresser.
“It’s Saturday night. Work can wait,” Roxie said. “I’ll be the first to say you’re now living in Edmonds, and we like to know our neighbors. Since you’re running the high school, and you and Arden have become such good . . . friends,” she added, after a wiggle of her brows and a long enough pause to make Keera squirm, “it’s time we hang out.”
“I’d love to do that. How about coffee tomorrow?” Keera asked, thinking that was an acceptable compromise.
“Not a chance. I have a sitter tonight, and my husband’s waiting. We’re going out,” Dakota said as she moved forward. “We brought you a killer dress. There’s no excuse.”
“Oh, well . . .” Keera really didn’t know what else she could say without coming across as rude. And as she gazed at the bag, she felt a deep yearning to get dressed up. She’d heard the saying about all work and no play being a bad thing, but work was what sustained her, so she didn’t put much stock into it.
“We brought everything you’ll need, so we’re going to do a rush job getting you ready. Of course, you have flawless skin and luxurious hair, so it won’t take much to make you shine,” Eden told her.
“I can’t believe you’ve been so thoughtful,” Keera said, feeling a sting in her eyes. She blinked them rapidly, in no way wanting to break down in front of these strong women.
“We take care of each other in this town,” Dakota said. “And just ’cause I moved away doesn’t mean I don’t still consider this home,” she assured her.
“Before I came here I had no support at all. Now, I truly do feel like this is home,” Angela said with a smile. “It won’t take you long to feel as if you’re right where you belong.”
Keera didn’t feel as if there was anything going on between Arden and Angela, but she was sort of surprised by it. The woman was absolutely stunning, with her dark hair, dark eyes, and olive complexion. She was shocked she had been working in Arden’s home for a while now with nothing happening. But maybe there had just never been a connection.
Or maybe it was just that she read far too many romance books where the maid and homeowner fell in love. Come to think of it, Ruth Cardello’s Maid for the Billionaire had been a story like that, and it had been smoking hot. Keera shook her head, getting romance-book stories out of her head. She was already having too many thoughts of Arden and didn’t need to make it worse.
“Do you guys go around doing this for everyone?” Keera asked as they handed over the dress.
“Can you imagine how fun that would be?” Eden asked. “We could be fairy godmothers with Prada and Jimmy Choo.” She laughed.
“We can stand here and talk all night, but I’d much rather see you getting all hot so I can see Arden’s eyes bulge when you arrive,” Dakota said with evil glee. “I love watching my brothers take the fall.”
Keera held up a hand to stop that train of thought. “Arden and I are just friends,” she said, her voice a bit too high. She was trying to convince herself of this as much as these four women.
All four of them chuckled. “Mm-hmm, that’s what I thought, too, about Kian,” Roxie said. “I had no intention of going there again with him. But the funny thing about love is that we don’t always get to choose it. As a matter of fact, we rarely get to choose. One day we’re moseying along, thinking we’re perfectly content, and bam, out of the blue we’re shot with an arrow, and no matter how much we try to fight it, we can’t.”
“Sometimes we also mistake lust for love,” Keera pointed out.
“There’s nothing wrong with lust,” Eden said with a sigh. “I could definitely use some of that right about now.”
Dakota laughed as she patted her friend on the arm. “Owen’s in town,” she said with a wink.
“Yeah, that ship sailed a long time ago,” Eden said. But there was something in her eyes that spoke of pain, and Keera knew that was a story worth hearing. Maybe if she got to know these women more, they’d let her in on the details.
“My brothers are a lot of bark, and no bite,” Dakota said as she rubbed Eden’s shoulder.
“They are good guys,” Angela said with a slight blush that intrigued Keera. She really hadn’t thought there was anything between her and Arden, but that blush meant something. What was it?
“Most of them are,” Eden said, but the words were softened by a smile.
“You know Arden needs to make sure you’re safe,” Angela said. “When this all began, he was a mess.”
“He’s a good guy and has been wonderful to me,” Keera said, not wanting any of them to think she didn’t appreciate what he’d done for her. “He really takes ‘helping thy neighbor’ seriously.”
“Yeah, I think it’s a little past helping his neighbor, or wanting to keep you safe,” Angela said with a wink, confusing Keera even more.
“Well, I . . . uh . . .” Keera just closed her mouth. She was going to deny it, but the two of them had already combusted once together. But then again, maybe that had waned for him, because he hadn’t touched her since she’d moved into his place.
“Just enjoy a sexy man wanting you,” Roxie suggested.
Keera felt her cheeks heat. She didn’t think he wanted her anymore, but she wasn’t going to say that. For one, she didn’t want him to want her. Well, maybe she did, but she didn’t want to feel that way.
“I’ll go change. You’ve convinced me to go out. However,” she said, holding up a hand when they all grinned, “it’s not for a date with Arden.”
She turned with her dress and a bag they’d handed her. She shut the door to the bedroom she was using and nearly cried again when she saw the beautiful undergarments they’d purchased. Normally, to receive such items would make her uncomfortable, but she was literally starting over from scratch, and everything she’d been given in the past week and a half was a blessing.
But to receive such gorgeous items was a real treat. She really should tell them they shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble, but that would take the value of the gesture away, and she didn’t want to do that. She was very much appreciative of what they were doing for her.
When she looked in the mirror after putting on the formfitting gown, she felt like a princess going to the ball—a modern-day princess. There were no big, poufy skirts with this dress. However, it was the most elegant, stunning thing she’d ever worn, and that was saying a lot, considering she’d grown up with money. But she’d just been a kid then. She was all woman now, with the curves to make her feel positively sexy in the dress they’d picked for her.
When she walked out, they were standing around the kitchen island, hair irons plugged in and makeup set up. She was a little nervous in her four-inch heels, and taking smaller steps so the slit up the side of the dress wasn’t quite so revealing.
“Oh, Keera, that dress is utter perfection on you,” Roxie said with a sigh. “The color, the cut, the sexy dip in the back. Perfect, absolutely perfect.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Dakota agreed as she moved over and pulled Keera up to the counter where a stool was waiting. “Sit.” Keera was practically shoved into the chair as her hair band was pulled out and Dakota started curling her long strands.
“Let’s just add the finishing touches,” Eden told her.
Keera couldn’t ever remember being made up before. But she felt like a rock star about to go out onstage as the women fussed with her hair and makeup. She hoped they weren’t making her look like she should be on a street corner instead of hanging with them. Even as she had the thought, though, she wasn’t worried. These women were far too classy to do something like that.
When they were finished, they stood back, grinning. Angela pulled out a mirror and told her to take a look. Keera wasn’t able to speak as she gazed at her reflection. They’d curled her hair so it fell in soft waves across her bare shoulders and down to the middle of her back. They’d highlighted her eyes, and insisted she wear a darker shade of pink than she was used to. She barely resembled the woman she was on a daily basis.
“This is . . . wow . . . ,” Keera said, unable to come up with the proper words. Would Arden think this was all for him? Would the townspeople? She began to worry, but then pushed those thoughts away. This was about her, and her alone. It was okay to want to look in a mirror and feel beautiful every once in a while. It was okay to do it every single day, if a person wanted. How you felt about yourself on the outside reflected how you felt on the inside, and it also impacted how you treated others. The more secure you were with yourself, the happier you’d be.
“Stunning is the word you’re looking for,” Dakota said.
“Sexy as sin,” Eden added.
“A vision,” Angela told her.
“Thank you,” Keera said, the two little words seeming inadequate.
“Not a problem,” Roxie told her. “Let’s get you to the ball before midnight. We don’t want any pumpkins tonight.” She waved her imaginary wand in the air, and Keera appreciated the laugh that eased the tension she was feeling at stepping out of the house all dolled up.
As they stepped from the house, a large SUV waited, a driver immediately moving to open the back door. “None of us wanted to be the designated tonight,” Dakota said as she led the way.
“Good thinking,” Keera said.
“To a beautiful night,” Roxie said after pouring them each a glass of wine. They clinked glasses and took a sip, and Keera sat back, wondering how this had become her life.
“And to the wee hours of the morning,” Dakota added with a wink that had Keera’s cheeks turning red again.
She couldn’t deny there was a part of her hoping to get a reaction out of Arden. She wasn’t sure when her thinking had begun to change, or when she’d started wishing he’d come visit her bed again, but tonight, that’s exactly what she hoped for.
Maybe one more time would be enough . . . Yeah, she was very aware that was a lie she was telling herself to make her think this train of thought was okay. Still, she refused to analyze it too much. She was letting go, for tonight at the very least. And she was going to have a wonderful time. She hoped Arden was a part of that.