Taking my hand firmly in hers, Catharina leads me up the front steps. Halfway up, the door swings open, and a giant of a man looms in the doorway. Despite his size, however, he isn’t nearly as scary as the woman beside me. If anything, the smile on his face is the most welcome sight I’ve seen since I stepped on that damn plane.
“Gavin.” There’s a warmth to Catharina’s voice that has me looking from her to the man in the doorway and back again. “I trust everything has been taken care of in my absence?”
“It has.” His voice is a deep rumble that I find oddly soothing. “Though you might want to give the nursery a bit more time to air out. The paint is dry, but the fumes are still a bit strong.”
“We’ll just pop up for a few minutes, then. In the meantime, would you mind sending word to the others that we’ve made it home safely? I know her uncles are eager for a visit, but if you could ask them to give us an hour or so to settle in, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll take care of that for you right away, ma’am.” Gavin’s smile widens as he bends down to eye level with me. “Welcome home, little one. Your Mommy is very happy to have you here. If you ever need anything and she isn’t around, you can just ask me and I’ll take care of it for you.”
“Could you take care of getting me a flight back to the states?”
“Alexis Paige!”
In direct contrast to Catharina’s scandalized tone, Gavin only laughs and taps me on the nose. “I can see your Mommy is going to have her hands full with you. Do you have any special requests for dinner tonight?”
“Lasagna.” Leaning toward him, I drop my voice to a loud whisper. “With a file baked into it so I can saw through the bars of my cell.”
His gaze flicks up to the woman beside me, and when he looks back at me, he winks. “Lasagna I can do. The file might have to wait, though. Between you and me, your Mommy is kind of scary, so I try my best not to get on her bad side.”
“Oh good, I thought it was just me.”
Beside me, Mommy sighs. “You’re both incorrigible and if you don’t cut it out, I’m sending you both to bed with no dessert and well-spanked bottoms.”
Gavin doesn't seem at all worried, judging by the way his smile widens. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Cat.”
“I’m going to threaten you with a hell of a lot more if you don’t stop teaching my Little girl naughty habits.” But even though she’s clearly scolding him, Catharina’s lips twitch with amusement. “Now, go do as I asked before I decide you need a lesson in manners.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” With another saucy wink in my direction, Gavin turns and disappears down the hall.
It’s only then, with him no longer blocking my field of vision, that I can truly take in my surroundings. The interior of the house is no less charming than the exterior. Walls painted a pale, calming yellow are decorated with artwork. And not just prints, either. Actual paintings on canvas, and I let go of Catharina’s hand as I step toward a depiction of a dark-haired mermaid on the rocks of a rather choppy-looking sea. The closer I get, the more detail I can see, and my heart fractures at the forlorn expression on the mermaid’s face.
“This is beautiful. Where did you get it?”
“Somewhere.” Catharina’s tone is breezy, but there’s a hint ofsomethingunderneath, like she doesn’t want to tell me where she got the painting from.
Interesting.
I’m tempted to push the issue, but before I can, my attention is drawn to yet another painting. This one of a fairy in the woods,watching from the sidelines as other fairies play in a circle. Again, my heart breaks for this poor magical creature, sitting on the outside with such longing I swear I canfeelit.
“Come, little imp. Let’s go see your nursery.”
Once again taking my hand, Catharina pulls me away from the painting and toward the stairs. I trip a few times, too busy trying to take in every inch of her gorgeous house to pay attention. By the third, Catharina pauses to frown down at me. “If you can’t be trusted to walk on your own, I can call Gavin to come carry you.”
Surprise freezes me in place, staring up at her. “He can’t. I’m too heavy.”
“I’d like to see you tell him that,” she says with a wry smile. “Now, are you going to pay attention or do you need to be carried?”
Part of me is tempted to tell her I need to be carried, just to prove to her that as giant as Gavin might be, there’sno possible wayhe could pick me up.
But there’s something about the way she’s watching me, as if that’s exactly what she’s expecting me to do that ignites the stubborn brat inside me. “I can walk.”
“All right. But watch your step. Mommy doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
I don’t want to feel the flutter of pleasure in my tummy at her words, but my body seems intent on betraying me as I follow her up the stairs. At the top of the steps, Catharina turns right, leading me toward a door with a wooden sign hanging on it. My heart beats faster with every step closer, and it damn near leaps out of my chest when we get close enough for me to read what’s written on the sign.
Alexis’s Nursery.
The words are painted in bright red, my favorite color, with playful little strawberries dancing around my name. It’s… Well, it’s really fucking adorable if I’m being honest.
