him the home and family he'd never had, could provide things he didn't realize he needed.
"Should I call him?" Faith asked.
"Absolutely."
"What would I say?"
"Thank him for the earrings and flowers, then suggest another date. Dinner or something."
"What if I went away with him for a few days? Would you mind?"
"Sneak off for a year if you want. If you can keep him in bed that long, have at it."
Faith frowned. "I don't know if he'll agree."
Grace's gaze started at the top of Faith's head and wandered down, taking in the pretty face, the curvaceous body.
"He'll agree, Faith. Don't you worry."
Faith smiled. "You always make everything seem so easy."
"And you always make everything too hard. Getting Lucas Merriweather into the sack will be a piece of cake."
"I hope you're right."
"Trust me on this one: you invite him away for the weekend, and he'll go. You won't have to convince him."
"I'm sure he'll be putty in my hands."
"Yes, he will be. The poor guy doesn't stand a chance."
Faith chuckled and walked out.
Grace sat, contemplating the strangeness of life—Harold, the Merriweather family, Lucas and where his relationship with Faith might lead them.
Shortly, Angela stumbled back in. She poured another cup of coffee, then she grabbed Faith's earrings and stood in front of the mirror on the fridge as Grace had a bit earlier.
She took off the clasps and stuck the posts in her ears, and she tipped from side to side, watching the swing of the diamond clusters against her neck.
"Do they look good on me?" she asked Grace.
"Fabulous," Grace lied. Angela had no class, and the most expensive diamonds couldn't give her any.
"I wish I had a man who'd shower me with stuff like this."
"You gotta find somebody rich. That's the tricky part."
"Faith found Harold." Angela's eyes narrowed. "And now she found Harold's grandson. It's not fair."
She removed the earrings and set them on the counter, then she strolled out. As she reached the stairs, Grace heard her mutter again, "It's just so not fair."
CHAPTER FIVE
"Why aren't you wearing the diamonds I gave you?"
"I'm uncomfortable accepting them."
Lucas leaned across the table and took Faith's hand. They were in a small, quaint restaurant up in the mountains. It was located on the ground floor of an old mansion, the upper rooms converted into a bed and breakfast.
He'd never been to the place before. Faith had suggested the spot and handled the reservation, and his head was still spinning, trying to unravel her ploy.
The meal had been delicious, the company charming. He was liking her more and more, which scared the hell out of him. Something was happening between them, and he was terrified over where it might lead.
If he wasn't spending time with her in order to coerce her into providing information about her treatment of Harold, what was he doing?
She was particularly beautiful, in another great dress, this one a silvery white, cut low in front, the hem at mid-thigh. She'd accented it with black jewelry, a clunky necklace, bangles, and an ankle bracelet that highlighted her sexy legs.
But it wasn't the jewelry he'd bought her, and he was irked by the slight.
"I was going to give them back," she absurdly claimed.
"Why didn't you?"
"Gracie wouldn't let me. She said you can afford diamonds, and I should keep them."
"She's right. I can afford diamonds."
"That's not the point."
"What is the point?"
"I don't like you plying me with expensive gifts."
"Maybe I'd like to see the earrings brushing your neck. Maybe it would have made me happy."
"Poor baby. You didn't get what you wanted."
"No, I didn't, and it galls me."
She laughed, her voice rolling over him in a soothing way that rattled his senses and heightened his concern. He was attracted to her on so many levels, and he didn't understand why.
He had a type of woman he liked, a type he chased after, and she wasn't it. So why was he fascinated?
She was the first female of his acquaintance to whom he'd
"Should I call him?" Faith asked.
"Absolutely."
"What would I say?"
"Thank him for the earrings and flowers, then suggest another date. Dinner or something."
"What if I went away with him for a few days? Would you mind?"
"Sneak off for a year if you want. If you can keep him in bed that long, have at it."
Faith frowned. "I don't know if he'll agree."
Grace's gaze started at the top of Faith's head and wandered down, taking in the pretty face, the curvaceous body.
"He'll agree, Faith. Don't you worry."
Faith smiled. "You always make everything seem so easy."
"And you always make everything too hard. Getting Lucas Merriweather into the sack will be a piece of cake."
"I hope you're right."
"Trust me on this one: you invite him away for the weekend, and he'll go. You won't have to convince him."
"I'm sure he'll be putty in my hands."
"Yes, he will be. The poor guy doesn't stand a chance."
Faith chuckled and walked out.
Grace sat, contemplating the strangeness of life—Harold, the Merriweather family, Lucas and where his relationship with Faith might lead them.
Shortly, Angela stumbled back in. She poured another cup of coffee, then she grabbed Faith's earrings and stood in front of the mirror on the fridge as Grace had a bit earlier.
She took off the clasps and stuck the posts in her ears, and she tipped from side to side, watching the swing of the diamond clusters against her neck.
"Do they look good on me?" she asked Grace.
"Fabulous," Grace lied. Angela had no class, and the most expensive diamonds couldn't give her any.
"I wish I had a man who'd shower me with stuff like this."
"You gotta find somebody rich. That's the tricky part."
"Faith found Harold." Angela's eyes narrowed. "And now she found Harold's grandson. It's not fair."
She removed the earrings and set them on the counter, then she strolled out. As she reached the stairs, Grace heard her mutter again, "It's just so not fair."
CHAPTER FIVE
"Why aren't you wearing the diamonds I gave you?"
"I'm uncomfortable accepting them."
Lucas leaned across the table and took Faith's hand. They were in a small, quaint restaurant up in the mountains. It was located on the ground floor of an old mansion, the upper rooms converted into a bed and breakfast.
He'd never been to the place before. Faith had suggested the spot and handled the reservation, and his head was still spinning, trying to unravel her ploy.
The meal had been delicious, the company charming. He was liking her more and more, which scared the hell out of him. Something was happening between them, and he was terrified over where it might lead.
If he wasn't spending time with her in order to coerce her into providing information about her treatment of Harold, what was he doing?
She was particularly beautiful, in another great dress, this one a silvery white, cut low in front, the hem at mid-thigh. She'd accented it with black jewelry, a clunky necklace, bangles, and an ankle bracelet that highlighted her sexy legs.
But it wasn't the jewelry he'd bought her, and he was irked by the slight.
"I was going to give them back," she absurdly claimed.
"Why didn't you?"
"Gracie wouldn't let me. She said you can afford diamonds, and I should keep them."
"She's right. I can afford diamonds."
"That's not the point."
"What is the point?"
"I don't like you plying me with expensive gifts."
"Maybe I'd like to see the earrings brushing your neck. Maybe it would have made me happy."
"Poor baby. You didn't get what you wanted."
"No, I didn't, and it galls me."
She laughed, her voice rolling over him in a soothing way that rattled his senses and heightened his concern. He was attracted to her on so many levels, and he didn't understand why.
He had a type of woman he liked, a type he chased after, and she wasn't it. So why was he fascinated?
She was the first female of his acquaintance to whom he'd
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