LILLIAN SAT AT THE desk with her calendar pulled up on her laptop. “I am so behind.” She sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. “How have I been functioning?”

Andrew had been scheduled for appointments almost every day this week, and they were the he-can’t-miss appointments to check in how he was doing with acclimating to ‘normal’ life again. The osteopath and the cardiologist had praised his strength, and the physical therapists were impressed with how much he’d learned. And how hard he’d been working at getting his strength and motion back. Lillian tried not to roll her eyes when one female therapist marveled on and on at how in one week he had gone from very little knowledge of muscles and bones to understanding why these particular exercises were vital for recovery. And if he ever needed a dinner partner, she was available.

His head’s inflating, Amelia. I can literally see it getting bigger.

Aside from Andrew’s appointments, Lillian had to somehow fit all her clients into one week. She hadn’t expected being away for two weeks to set her so far behind—not that she wasn’t behind from L.A.—but she quickly realized that her clients here in Hanneston really depended on her more than she thought. Every day she had at least two meetings in addition to taking Andrew to his appointments.

“Thursday,” she said out loud. Today was the first day she and Andrew didn’t have anywhere to be. Staying at home all day had never appealed to her so much. She had woken up early enough this morning that she could stand at the kitchen window and watch the birds in the tree, but late enough that she could enjoy sleeping in. Winter was fully setting in now, and the days lacked the life and noise of nature as it prepared for its cold nap. Even the cats seemed less active.

Her phone also beeped less. Cayden had been largely missing this week.

She knew he had a lot of meetings and workouts in addition to finding replacements for all his clients. After he landed, he had given her a call on his way to Katharina’s. Since then, he sent her one or two messages a day. Not anything of enough substance to get a conversation going. Lillian had tried to ask how his week was going, but he hadn’t replied. This morning there were no messages from him, either.

She didn’t want to think about what was going on with his life in Los Angeles. He had told her to remember their steamy weekend if the thoughts were getting bad, and she had certainly given that a try. It didn’t help much. It seemed that the longer he was in Los Angeles, the more she started to overthink about him being around so many rich, successful, good-looking people.

He doesn’t belong here in Hanneston, she told herself for the umpteenth time this week. He deserves to be in a more thriving place like Los Angeles. He’s clearly wanted there, after all.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “Stop thinking about it, Lillian. You have work to do. Get on it.”

She ate a small breakfast, her heart sinking just a little as she scrolled through the messages she and Cayden had sent this week. She barely had to scroll, there were so few, and his were short. He wouldn’t ignore me for no reason, she told herself. He loves me. He means it, too. And now that he and Andrew are hitting it off much better, he shouldn’t be letting his thoughts get away with him either. She sighed, and logged her breakfast into her food journal. Her stomach grumbled. Please don’t have a flare-up, she begged her body.

Right as she sat down to check her email, she felt her body temperature rise so much that sweat droplets formed on her skin.

Oh, no. Please, no.

The light-headed feeling swept over her. She stumbled to the bathroom, catching a glimpse of her pale reflection in the mirror. It was happening. Everything had been so good for the past while. With all the stress and work, nothing had happened. Why now?

For half an hour she stayed in the bathroom, hugging her body and doing breathing exercises to stop the first flare-up in a couple of weeks. Gradually, the roaring of her insides subsided and the sweat evaporated. She hoped Andrew didn’t come around to hear her moaning.

Too drained to stand up straight, she trudged like a zombie back to her food journal and marked the time, mood, and triggers with a red pen. She flipped back to the start of her log, when she was having one or two flare- ups every week. Back then, she was on the wrong meds and hadn’t figured out her main trigger foods. Seeing so much red on those pages and so little on the current pages made her realize how much about her health she had to be grateful for now. But I’ve pushed myself too hard and let myself get too stressed.

She slumped in her chair, but knew she wouldn’t be able to get any work done in a sitting position. I should be napping, she thought, taking her laptop into the living room and lying on the couch with a cushion behind her back. I can answer a few emails.

One email got half-written before she faded off, her laptop still resting on her legs. The sleep was dreamless and black, and just what she needed. When she pulled her heavy eyelids open, her laptop was closed on the coffee table and a blanket was covering her.

Andrew. She listened for him, and heard something move on the back porch. Twisting her body to see outside, she saw him sitting in the chair in the sunshine, typing on his phone with one hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other. One of the cats was on his lap, and his crutches were leaned against the railing. She thought she heard the faint sound of music playing, but was too tired to figure out where it was coming from.

She groaned and sat up; her body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. The room was spinning just enough that she sat still for a few minutes, zoning out, until she felt strong enough to get some water. The glass was drained in three gulps; she refilled it and joined Andrew on the back porch.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” he greeted cheerfully as she walked out, but a look of concern shadowed his face as soon as he saw her. “Whoa. What happened?”

“Nothing,” she muttered, sitting in the other chair.

“Something happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re really pale, Lillian, and you’re walking like you haven’t slept in weeks.”

She rested her head on her knees. “I had a flare-up this morning.”

“Oh, no.” Andrew put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it softly. “I’m so sorry. What caused it?”

“Stress, I think. Busy week.”

Andrew thought for a minute. “I’m sorry. I probably haven’t helped at all, with you having to drive me places and—”

“Don’t even start,” she snapped, regretting her tone immediately. She tried softening it. “You know I want to take you places.”

He pressed his lips together. “Well, it’s almost the weekend. Cayden’s back this weekend. I can get him to take me anywhere. I’m almost ready to drive myself. That’ll help a ton. Plus,” he grinned, “Cayden will make you feel better,” he teased.

Lillian didn’t say anything.

Andrew frowned. “When is he getting back?”

“I don’t know.”

“Have you talked to him?” Andrew asked slowly.

“Not much.”

“I haven’t either. He’s messaged me about some exercises, and I sent him some new ones they gave me to do. That’s all.”

Lillian didn’t have the energy to reply.

“You’ll hear from him soon. He’s probably just busy. Probably this morning.”

“What time is it?”

“Ten-thirty.”

She nodded slightly. “Okay. I didn’t sleep too long.” She’d lost time on the bathroom floor and sleeping. That was a good part of her work day.

“You, miss, need to take it easy today.”

“I’m working from home today.”

“Good.”

Andrew’s phone vibrated, and he turned his attention to that. “Ah, crap. Lillian, I have to take a call. Just ignore me.”

“I need to finish some emails, anyway.” She braced herself on his shoulder and stood. “Probably should eat a snack, too.”

“Yeah, do that.” He shifted in his seat and stuck his phone to his ear. “Andrew Waters.”

Lillian sighed, and stared vacantly at the garden. I feel dead. She walked inside and got some soda crackers out of the pantry, eating them very slowly. Four crackers in, she began to feel some energy come back. Checking her phone, she saw that nothing monumental had happened while she was asleep.

She returned to the couch and opened her laptop, trying to remember what her train of thought had been when she was typing this email. Just as she put her fingers on the keyboard, her phone rang.

Cayden’s name and a photo of them lit up the screen. Her heard thudded, and she snatched up the phone.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, forgetting any of the negative thoughts that had passed through her mind this morning.

“Hi, darling!”

That’s not Cayden. “Katharina?” she asked, bewildered.

“Yes, I’m here!”

What the heck? “Uh, hey. You’re calling from Cayden’s phone.”

“I know I am, dear. He and I just finished a workout. I had to talk to you immediately.”

“Don’t you have my number in your phone?”

“I got a new phone, a better one.”

Better? She already had the latest one.

“I haven’t put my contacts in the new one yet. Call me lazy or whatever, but Cayden was here, and I have been telling him all morning about this amazing little guest house I have.”

“You have a guest house?” Lillian wasn’t sure what Katharina was trying to get at.

“I do now!” she squealed, taking a drink of something. “I just bought it last week and had it moved into my backyard.”

“That’s nice... Wait—you had it moved?” She blinked, trying to focus better.

“Yes.”

“As in, it was someplace else, and you physically moved it?”

“Yes! On one of those silly trucks that moves houses. Don’t they look ferocious? Anyway, the house isn’t very big, which is why I will use it as a guest house. For short-term guests only.”

“That’s great, Katharina,” Lillian replied, hoping she sounded enthusiastic enough to make the woman happy. “I bet it looks beautiful.”

“Actually, it looks like shit.”

Lillian’s eyes popped. “You say that very casually.”

“Well, it’s a fact. What can we do about it? Fix it up, of course.”

Oh, this is why she called.

“This is why I have called you, Lily of the Valley.”

Please don’t call me that. “I’m really glad you called, and I’m also really happy that you like my work so much!”

“So, can you come?”

Don’t beat around the bush, Katharina. “Um, when were you thinking? Because—”

“This weekend. I have company arriving in two weeks, and it must be beautiful for them. It greatly needs your touch.”

“This weekend?” she repeated, surprised.

“Yes, this weekend.” Katharina never sounded taken aback by anything.

“I’m not sure. Andrew’s still wearing his brace and—”

“There is no one else in the world I would trust to transform my space but you,” Katharina interrupted. “And Andrew’s leg is going to be fine.”

Lillian had no idea how to respond. She looked outside at Andrew, who was still on the phone. His leg sat straight out in front of him, propped up on the edge of a clay flowerpot.

“Katharina, Andrew can’t really move around much. He’s still using crutches.”

“Can he shower?”

Lillian paused, wondering if she heard right. “What?”

“Can your brother shower?”

“Uh, yes, he can. He’s actually—”

“He can shower by himself?”

“Yes...”

“Do you have frozen meals that he can warm up for himself?”

“I mean, I have leftovers and—”

“He should be fine for a few days by himself. I’m sure he has plenty of things to keep himself occupied.”

Lillian’s brain collapsed. There was nothing else she could say that would be a valid excuse to not come back to Los Angeles. “Let me give it a think, all right?”

“You think and tell me later. By tomorrow morning. This is plenty of time for you to arrange your house and pack to come.”

“Um...”

“I’ll talk to you in the morning, then. I do miss you, Lillian!” The phone shuffled around for a few seconds until it cut off. Lillian stared at the screen. It faded to black.

“What just happened?” she muttered to herself. Her first instinct was to text Cayden and ask him what to do, but Cayden was with Katharina right now. Just wait a little while, she decided, and picked her laptop back up. Send your emails and wait until you know he’s gone from her house.

She did just that. After her inbox was cleared, she pulled up her thread with Cayden. Hey. Are you still at K’s?

He didn’t respond immediately. She got up to fix some tea, worrying about whether he would reply. He hadn’t even sent her his flight details for coming home. He’d said he’d be home on Friday, right? She wasn’t sure this time.

Maybe he wants to stay in Los Angeles. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about it, but the thought just came. How is he supposed to tell me that he doesn’t want to be back in Hanneston, especially when we’ve only just gotten back together? The thought of being long distance again brought tears to her eyes.

Her phone buzzed, scaring her. It was him. Nope, I left. Getting a burrito until my next thing.

What’s your next thing? She hoped she wasn’t sounding possessive or controlling.

Long story. Are you free?

Yes, she replied instantly.

The ellipses at the bottom of the screen that showed he was typing stayed there for a few minutes. She kept her phone open, glancing every couple of seconds. Finally, he was responding. She wasn’t hoping for something positive, but maybe whatever he was spending so much time explaining would clear things up.

From across the room, she glanced over and saw that he had finally sent his message. She scrambled over and gripped the phone as she read.

I would call but I’m in a yuppier part of town and you never know who’s who. I wouldn’t want any of the other people here to overhear anything. Whatever. Anyway, it hasn’t been a good week. One of my clients called Monday night. She was furious. The replacement I found last week is a total asshole, it turns out. He charmed me during the interview and played it cool. She liked him the first time they worked together. On Monday he started hitting on her and being way too forward for someone who is only supposed to have a business relationship with her.

“Crap, that sucks,” Lillian murmured, and typed back, Cayden, I’m so sorry.

I’ve been trying to fix it this week. Had to confront him about it. Big blowout. I lost my temper. She’s married, which makes it even more unprofessional.

Lillian felt herself getting irritated, knowing Cayden’s week had also been stressful and she couldn’t help him at all. That really sucks. Did your client hire you to find another one?

Yeah, she did. That’s where I’m going after this burrito. She still respects me, and was impressed that I told the guy off. Funny, huh?

She felt a sense of relief sweep over her. So, your reputation isn’t tarnished?

Not at all. I’m so ticked. I should’ve listened to my gut with that guy. He was just as good as the guy I found for Janine, but something about him made me second-guess myself.

That convincing, huh? Lillian replied.

Yeah, he was absolutely convincing. Just goes to show, always go with your gut.

Funny you should say that, she typed back. I had a little flare-up this morning.

You okay? Cayden’s response came immediately.

Yeah, I’m fine. It was a little one. It’s okay now.

Please rest.

I took a nap and am eating a snack now. Don’t worry about me.

He started typing and then stopped. She waited for his reply to come through, but nothing did for a few minutes. Finally, her phone beeped again. Hey, Lil. I lost my charger. Phone’s almost dead. I’ll grab one of your extras.

When are you coming home? Send me your flight info so I can pick you up! she replied, but the dreaded red exclamation point popped up. The text didn’t go through.

Unsure of what to do, she walked outside. Andrew sounded like he was ending his conversation, so Lillian sat there and played with Gray Cat in the meantime.

“Thank you, everyone. I’ll email you the documents after lunch. Great. Thanks again.” Andrew hung up and let out a groan that echoed to the edge of the woods.

“How was that?” Lillian asked, poking the cat’s ear.

“Wasn’t expecting to be in a conference call this morning,” he replied, rubbing his face. “It went fine. If I was still unconscious they would have seriously messed up some of our operations, but it’s fine now. I really need to hire an assistant who’s on the same wavelength as I am.”

“Is it hard to hire one?”

“Just have to get approval and then do a bunch of interviews, I guess. I could pick an insider and just move them up. I don’t know. I need lunch first.” He looked at her. “What have you been up to?”

“Well, I’ve had a phone call from Katharina.”

“The Los Angeles girl?”

She nodded. “Yeah. She bought a guest house, had it moved on a truck into her backyard, and wants me to decorate it.”

Andrew clapped. “Hey, that’s awesome!”

“In theory, yes. But she wants me to come this weekend.”

“What’s the problem?”

“The problem is you being here alone.”

“Oh, come on. It has nothing to do with Cayden coming back?”

“Maybe a little of that,” she admitted.

“Is Katharina hot?”

Reluctantly, Lillian nodded, and pulled up the photo of Cayden and her working out last week. Holding the phone up, she watched Andrew’s jaw drop.

“Dude,” he said.

“I know.”

He shook his head back to normal. “Does you not wanting to go have anything to do with her and Cayden working out together every week?”

Lillian scowled. “Maybe. I mean, she loves my work. Which is cool, I guess. She said she wouldn’t hire anyone else to fix up her place, so it makes me feel good.”

“It should make you feel good! She’s a sexy, rich woman who has the world at her fingertips, and she wants you to organize and decorate her place.”

“I’m not a decorator.”

“You always say that, but you really are. You can do both; it’s just natural for you.” He gave her a little push. “Come on, Lillian. You have to go. Why not? None of your excuses are good enough to not go to Los Angeles, on a paid trip, to do something you love and are good at.”

“Last time I wanted to go,” she pointed out, “you thought it was a mistake.”

Andrew got solemn. “I was more cautious then.”

“Then? That was less than a month ago.”

“You and Cayden were having a hard time, and I was worried you would drive yourself crazy being in the same place as him.”

“Did you think Cayden was a mistake?”

“I didn’t know him. Now that I’m getting to, I don’t think it’s a mistake. That’s the past, and we don’t need to bring it back up. Things are good with you two?”

She nodded.

“That’s all I need to know.”

“He had a bad week.”

“He did?”

“Yeah.” Lillian draped her legs over the side of the chair. “One of the replacements he hired for a client ended up being an ass. Hit on the woman, who happens to be married.”

“Ouch.”

“That’s why we haven’t heard from him much.”

“Did he tell you when he’s coming back?”

“His phone died. He said he would get one of my extra chargers.”

“Because he can’t get one in Los Angeles?” Andrew chuckled.

“Right?” She smiled. “Well, maybe the airport will have a charging station he can use. I guess I’ll just be ready tomorrow night to go pick him up when he calls.”

They sat there, looking out at the trees, until Lillian heard Andrew’s stomach growl. “Hungry?”

“Getting there. Let’s grab some grub.” He stood up with his crutches no problem.

“You’re a pro now!” she whistled.

“Well, you know,” he replied, flexing his triceps as he walked. “They do call me the magic maker.”

“In all the years I’ve known you I have literally never heard anyone call you the magic maker.”

“That’s because you’ve never slept with me.”

“Oh, did you have to go there?” Lillian moaned loudly.

“You and Cayden make jokes about it all the time! Why can’t I?”

“You’re the one making those jokes for us, dumbass! Why would I ever want you to know about Cayden’s and my sex life?”

“Fetish?”

She hit him harder than just a playful slap. “You are so weird. Please stop talking about this. Let’s just have a nice lunch and carry on with our day.”

“Fine, then,” he said, “but when nighttime comes...”

“No way!” She held her finger up to his lips. “Stop that.”

The familiar, mischievous glimmer that danced in his eyes since he was a kid came back full force. “Okay, I’m done.”

“For real?”

“Yeah. I’m done. Let’s just eat.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll save the jokes for when Cayden’s back.”

“You can joke with him in private.”

“Are you giving me permission?”

“I decline to answer that question.”

Andrew tsked and got out a loaf of bread. “Smart one, you are. Almost as smart as me.”

“Thank you for lunch, Andrew!” Lillian called as she walked back to her room.

“Wait, aren’t you eating?”

“Call me when it’s done!”

“Where are you going?” he yelled.

“Back here until you’re ready to stop talking about sex!” She took refuge in her room, trying to focus on herself for a few minutes. Sitting on the floor, she opened her lingerie drawer again.

“Now,” she murmured to herself as she searched through everything, “what will Cayden want to get his hands on this weekend?”

***

SHE POURED THE SECOND cup of coffee, taking extra care to make it less coffee and more milk. After yesterday’s flare-up, she was on high alert to avoid her trigger foods at all costs.

Andrew was using her laptop in the living room. Jazz music was floating through the house, giving the particularly cold air some sense of intangible warmth. She joined him, plopping down in her reading chair and pulling a blanket over her legs. “Why is it so cold today?”

“Ask Jack Frost,” he said, not paying her much attention.

“What are you working on?”

He kept his eyes glued to the laptop screen, craning his neck over it intently. “Yesterday, when I sent my colleagues those documents they needed, they made some suggestions that would be more suitable for this thing we’re working on.”

“That’s so vague.”

“I’m distracted.”

“Sorry.” She shut her mouth and looked out the window. The only place she was planning on going today was the airport to pick up Cayden. Until then, she was making time to look through all the pages of Claire’s infamous “idea binder.” Most of the storage and space-efficient ideas weren’t usable in her house, but some of them would work very nicely. Lillian had already scribbled notes in the margins of the good ideas.

“It’s almost one,” she said at last. “Are you hungry?”

“I’ll be in a little while,” he replied, still focusing on the laptop.

“I’m going to eat something.” She got up, but before she could take a step the doorbell rang, accompanied by rapid knocking.

She and Andrew looked at each other suddenly. “What the heck?” he remarked, leaning to the side to look at the door.

“It’s locked,” Lillian said. “I’m not expecting anyone.”

“Do you know anyone who would try to get in the front door?”

“No.”

“Are you going to answer it?”

The bell rang again, and there was more knocking. She looked at Andrew. “I guess I have to, right?”

“I’ll be here. It’s broad daylight; I can’t imagine anything horrible happening.”

“Thanks for the comforting thought,” she said, walking on her tiptoes to the door. Cautiously, she unlocked it and opened it.

There, on her front porch, stood Cayden and Katharina.

“What the...” She stared, her mouth agape.

“Darling!” Katharina embraced her, and kissed her on both cheeks. “Surprise!”

Shocked, Lillian looked at Cayden. He stood there, an unreadable expression on his face. “I don’t know,” he mouthed, shrugging, and gave her a kiss. “I wanted to let you know, but my phone died.”

Katharina stepped into the house. “It’s charming!”

“It’s a mess,” Lillian countered. “So, uh, welcome, I guess.”

Katharina laughed her tinkling laugh. “I suppose you are curious why I’m here in Hanneston.”

“You suppose right.”

“I surprised even Cayden!”

Cayden nodded. “I had no idea she was on the same flight until we got off.”

“I was first class,” Katharina informed them. “So, he didn’t see me when he boarded.”

“Didn’t you book Cayden’s flight home?” Lillian asked.

“Yes. That’s how I knew which plane he was taking. When you said you were unsure about coming back to Los Angeles, I knew I would have to come here myself to convince you.”

The sound of uneven footsteps approached, and they all looked to see Andrew coming toward them on his crutches. “Was I not invited to this party?” he asked, beaming at Cayden and Lillian. Then he saw Katharina and his demeanor totally changed. “You must be Katharina.”

“I am.”

Andrew extended his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. All good things, of course.”

Katharina smiled, studying Andrew for a moment. “I heard you were unwell recently. You don’t look so bad now.”

“I don’t feel so bad now,” he replied. Lillian saw that twinkle in his eyes.

“Andrew,” she jumped in, “Katharina came with Cayden to convince me to go to Los Angeles again.”

“Oh,” he said, looking at Katharina, “she was going to come anyway.”

“Really?” Katharina showed her perfectly straight teeth. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I, uh, I was about to.”

“Well, now that we have that settled, we can prepare to leave. I don’t know how long I am going to need you. Maybe four days, maybe five, maybe a year.”

“You’re too funny, Katharina.” Lillian tried to sound cheerful, but the guys knew she was uncomfortable with all of this.

“Shall we sit and talk about the plan?” Katharina set her designer purse on a small table and swayed into the living room, observing every detail of the house. Andrew was lost for a minute, staring at the way she walked.

“Holy shit,” he whispered, and Lillian hit his shoulder.

She ran ahead to the living room, folding up a couple of blankets. “My house is very, um, lived in,” she said. “It doesn’t look picture-perfect all the time.”

“It is truly lovely. I am very glad I have seen it now. I understand you and your work so much better!” Katharina held out her hand for Black Cat to sniff before rubbing his head against her fingers.

“You understand better?”

“Yes, dear. Seeing where you live tells me a lot about the kind of person you are. It helps me see the back-story.”

“Oh. Interesting.”

“Anyone want water?” Cayden asked, standing in the kitchen doorway.

“No, thank you, handsome,” Katharina called back without looking. Her gaze caught on a collection of random trinkets on the wall unit. “Lillian, these are adorable. Where did you get them?”

“I just collected them at thrift stores a long time ago. With Andrew’s sister, actually.” She looked at Andrew, who very obviously was not interested in Lillian at the moment. He was trying so hard not to stare at Katharina, but she kept catching him looking.

“Beautiful. Where’s your sister now, Andrew?”

“She, uh...”

“She passed,” Lillian said.

Katharina frowned. “I’m terribly sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you.”

“Well,” she announced as she gracefully lowered herself onto Lillian’s chair, “let’s talk about the plan, shall we? We can fly tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Lillian gasped. “I’m not prepared to leave that soon, Katharina.”

“Because he’s unable to take care of himself?” Katharina looked at Andrew. “You’re a child, yes? You can’t take care of yourself?”

Knowing he was at risk of getting himself into a sticky situation, he replied, “I think Lillian should go with you. I would be fine here for a few days. There are no appointments scheduled for the next week, and—”

“There’s still a lot you need help with, though,” Lillian objected.

“You sound like my parents, debating to go to Europe or not.”

“They wouldn’t have if I wasn’t here.”

“I can move around and do basic things by myself, Lillian.”

“If you could drive to the grocery store, I would feel better about leaving you behind for several days.”

“This is not worth arguing about,” Katharina said coolly, looking at her manicured fingernails. “Andrew will come with us. That way he can be cared for, and you can work your magic on my new guest house.”

Andrew’s gaze glassed over. “Wait, you want to take me to Los Angeles?”

“Yes, is it a problem? Do you have something keeping you here?”

“Um, no...”

“Then, why not?”

“I don’t have a reason,” he confessed. “I mean, can a leg brace even fit on a plane?”

“Anything can fit when I book a plane.” She raised an eyebrow, and Lillian saw a strange twinkle in her eye. Andrew saw it, too.

He looked at Lillian. “So, what do you think?”

She sighed. “I have to call my clients.”

“How many meetings do you have next week?” Katharina demanded.

“Two.”

“Bah!” she scoffed. “Reschedule them. Meet with them on video chat or something. You won’t be gone forever.”

“Claire seems to think I’ve abandoned her,” Lillian muttered.

“Lillian,” Andrew said, flashing her a smile, “this will be fun.”

“It will be even more fun for you!” Katharina leaned forward and poked his knee. “I will show you the best places in Los Angeles. What food do you like?”

“Everything.”

She smirked. “I will give you the best food you have ever put in your mouth.”

“I’m drooling already,” he said, his face practically glowing.

This can’t be happening, Lillian thought.

“So?” he asked. “What about it?”

“You should come to Los Angeles with all of us, Lil,” Cayden yelled from the kitchen.

She stared at her feet, thinking hard. How is this happening again?

“Lillian! Come on. This will be so much fun. We’ve never taken a big trip like this together,” Andrew pushed.

“I will spoil him, I give my word,” Katharina said. “Andrew will be in the best hands.”

Lillian took a breath, and told herself everything would be okay with rescheduling her two appointments. “Fine,” she agreed at last. “Okay, fine, I’ll make it work.”

“She’s going!” Andrew called to Cayden.

“I figured she couldn’t say no to Katharina.” Cayden’s laugh made Lily’s chest warm.

Katharina smiled, still looking as peaceful and poised as ever. “Wonderful,” she said, unlocking her phone and typing something. “We leave tomorrow.”