weren’t what she wanted to hear.
“It will! There are cures out there. Some foods and natural spices have healing powers. We just have to find the one that will work for her.”
Chase had stopped walking, and she turned to see why. He was staring at her with his eyebrows raised.
“What?”
“I think …”
“Chase? Is that you?” A doctor stopped beside him, and they shook hands as the doctor continued, “How is your leg?”
Chase seemed to pale a little at the question. “It’s fine. Good as new.” He gave his knee a little pat. “Do you work here now?”
“I’m still at the Veteran’s Hospital too. What can I say? I get around.” They both laughed.
“Well, it was good seeing you, Doc.” Chase started to walk forward, and the doctor resumed his path the other way.
“You too, Chase. Take care.”
Katie couldn’t contain her curiosity. “What happened to your leg?”
“It’s just an old injury from my tour in Afghanistan.”
“You were in the military?” For some reason, she’d thought he was just a volunteer like her mother.
He nodded quickly, and she knew he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Let’s go see if the cab’s here.”
As they opened the hospital doors, a cab was parked at the curb, and Katie and Chase got in.
“Thanks for your help tonight.” Katie yawned as the cab rumbled down the street.
“Sure,” Chase answered.
“I really mean it. You were there for us tonight, and you barely know us.” Katie’s eyelids began to fall, and she leaned her head back against the seat of the car. A warm hand covered hers, and she couldn’t help the tiny smile that came to her face. Taking a deep, satisfying breath, safety and peace enveloped her as she drifted off to sleep. Her last thought was of how soft Chase’s hand felt against her skin.
Chapter Nine
Katie took a deep calming breath, and then another. Today would be Duchess’s first television interview. Although she’d been prepping for a month, she didn’t feel ready. Plus, her mother had spent the past three days in the hospital, and no one could tell her when she could bring her mother home. Frustration battled with nerves, and she wasn’t sure which would win out.
Katie had worked hard to fix every detail of Duchess’s persona. But could she do a television interview without blowing her cover? The answer was simple—she’d better. If she didn’t, the record label took everything. Including Duchess. She’d signed over the rights to Duchess in that fateful contract two years ago. She’d been so focused on getting signed that she hadn’t paid attention to the fine print. All she’d wanted was to make sure she could take care of her mother.
“Duchess?” A knock on the bedroom door brought her back to the task at hand.
“Coming, Maria.” Katie didn’t bother disguising her voice. Her loyal housekeeper was one of the few people who knew Duchess’s true identity. Katie wasn’t sure what she thought about it—she mostly spoke Spanish—but the woman hadn’t spilled her guts in the year she’d been with them.
Katie looked at her reflection in the mirror one more time before leaving the house. The wig was actually a light pink one today. It matched the Jane Austen-era dress. The wig was also styled in the same era, though she was pretty sure no one had hair the color of cotton candy two hundred years ago. Her contacts were violet. They made her eyes pop out amongst all the pink. The fake nose was flawless—she’d gotten really good at making it look real.
Before leaving, she added one final, but important, part of her costume. The synthesizing head mic nestled around the back of her wig, coming over her ear and hanging delicately next to her cheek. The tiny speaker attached to the inside of one of her sleeves. This way, no one would hear her real voice.
With a satisfied smile, she turned on her heel and left the house to the waiting limousine. The driver held the door open, and she
“It will! There are cures out there. Some foods and natural spices have healing powers. We just have to find the one that will work for her.”
Chase had stopped walking, and she turned to see why. He was staring at her with his eyebrows raised.
“What?”
“I think …”
“Chase? Is that you?” A doctor stopped beside him, and they shook hands as the doctor continued, “How is your leg?”
Chase seemed to pale a little at the question. “It’s fine. Good as new.” He gave his knee a little pat. “Do you work here now?”
“I’m still at the Veteran’s Hospital too. What can I say? I get around.” They both laughed.
“Well, it was good seeing you, Doc.” Chase started to walk forward, and the doctor resumed his path the other way.
“You too, Chase. Take care.”
Katie couldn’t contain her curiosity. “What happened to your leg?”
“It’s just an old injury from my tour in Afghanistan.”
“You were in the military?” For some reason, she’d thought he was just a volunteer like her mother.
He nodded quickly, and she knew he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Let’s go see if the cab’s here.”
As they opened the hospital doors, a cab was parked at the curb, and Katie and Chase got in.
“Thanks for your help tonight.” Katie yawned as the cab rumbled down the street.
“Sure,” Chase answered.
“I really mean it. You were there for us tonight, and you barely know us.” Katie’s eyelids began to fall, and she leaned her head back against the seat of the car. A warm hand covered hers, and she couldn’t help the tiny smile that came to her face. Taking a deep, satisfying breath, safety and peace enveloped her as she drifted off to sleep. Her last thought was of how soft Chase’s hand felt against her skin.
Chapter Nine
Katie took a deep calming breath, and then another. Today would be Duchess’s first television interview. Although she’d been prepping for a month, she didn’t feel ready. Plus, her mother had spent the past three days in the hospital, and no one could tell her when she could bring her mother home. Frustration battled with nerves, and she wasn’t sure which would win out.
Katie had worked hard to fix every detail of Duchess’s persona. But could she do a television interview without blowing her cover? The answer was simple—she’d better. If she didn’t, the record label took everything. Including Duchess. She’d signed over the rights to Duchess in that fateful contract two years ago. She’d been so focused on getting signed that she hadn’t paid attention to the fine print. All she’d wanted was to make sure she could take care of her mother.
“Duchess?” A knock on the bedroom door brought her back to the task at hand.
“Coming, Maria.” Katie didn’t bother disguising her voice. Her loyal housekeeper was one of the few people who knew Duchess’s true identity. Katie wasn’t sure what she thought about it—she mostly spoke Spanish—but the woman hadn’t spilled her guts in the year she’d been with them.
Katie looked at her reflection in the mirror one more time before leaving the house. The wig was actually a light pink one today. It matched the Jane Austen-era dress. The wig was also styled in the same era, though she was pretty sure no one had hair the color of cotton candy two hundred years ago. Her contacts were violet. They made her eyes pop out amongst all the pink. The fake nose was flawless—she’d gotten really good at making it look real.
Before leaving, she added one final, but important, part of her costume. The synthesizing head mic nestled around the back of her wig, coming over her ear and hanging delicately next to her cheek. The tiny speaker attached to the inside of one of her sleeves. This way, no one would hear her real voice.
With a satisfied smile, she turned on her heel and left the house to the waiting limousine. The driver held the door open, and she
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