Maid for the Millionaire (12 page)

She glanced at Cain in apology, but opened her phone and answered. “Hey, Ayleen. What's up?”

“We got an emergency call tonight. Is the old Rogerson place clean?”

An emergency meant a woman had suddenly run from her husband or boyfriend. She could be hurt. Mentally and physically. She could have kids with her.

Liz sat up, coming to attention, breaking eye contact with Cain. “Yes. It's ready.”

Ayleen breathed a sigh of relief. “Great. Can you be there to meet the family?”

“Absolutely.” Once again, she didn't hesitate but she caught Cain's gaze. “I can be there in a half an hour.”

“No rush. The family's in transit. Their estimated arrival time is forty minutes.”

“Ten minutes to spare.” Ten minutes to talk Cain through this. “I'll call you later, after they're settled.” She snapped her phone closed. Her gaze still clinging to Cain's, she said, “I'm sorry.”

“For a miscarriage that wasn't your fault? For not telling me you were pregnant? Or for leaving me now before I can even wrap my head around it?”

“For all three.”

He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, and turned away. Fear trickled down her spine. Not for herself, for him. She didn't want him to blame himself. Or be angry with himself.

“I know you have questions. I'm not sure I can answer them all, but I'll try.”

He faced her again. “You know what? I get it.” He shrugged. “We were both in a bad place. You did what you had to do. I'm stunned about losing a baby, but I can deal with that.”

Her phone rang. She longed to ignore it, but knew what happened when A Friend Indeed was in crisis mode. The troops rallied. They called each other, making arrangements for what each would do. She couldn't ignore a call.

She flipped open her phone. “Hello.”

“It's me, Ellie. Who's getting the groceries for the Rogerson house? You or me?”

“Could you do it?”

“Sure. See you, boss.”

Warring needs tore her apart as she closed her phone. She wanted to be here for Cain, but he seemed to be handling this well. Three years had passed. Though she was sure he'd mourn the loss, it wasn't the same as actually going through it.

And the woman racing to the Friend Indeed house needed her. This was what she was trained to do.

Before she could speak, Cain did. “Go. I'm fine.”

Liz studied his face and he smiled weakly. “Seriously, I'm fine. I'll call you.”

His smile, though shaky, reassured her.

She rose. Her voice carried a gentle warning when she said, “If you don't call me, I'm calling you.”

He smiled again. This time stronger. “Okay.”

She turned and walked back into the house, through the downstairs and to the front door. On her way to her car she stopped and glanced back.

He'd taken that so well that maybe, just maybe, they really could have the new beginning he wanted.

W
ALKING INTO THE SHOWER
the following Saturday, Cain cursed himself. He'd hardly slept since Monday night, and, when he had, he'd dreamed about things that made him crazy. The smoothness of Liz's perfect pink skin. The way her green eyes smoldered with need in the throes of passion. The feeling of her teeth scraping along his chest.

He shouldn't want her.
Shouldn't.
He was smarter than to want somebody who didn't want him.

She'd been so hesitant about spending time with him, to befriend him, to even consider anything romantic between them, yet he'd been oblivious to what her behavior was telling him. Just as he had been in their marriage. Now that he knew the real reason she'd left him, her not wanting anything to do with him made perfect sense.

He ducked his head under the spray, trying to rid himself of the overwhelming shame that wanted to strangle him, but he couldn't. After his three years of guilt over his brother's death, he knew he couldn't assume responsibility for something that had been out of his control. And if her secret had simply been a matter of a miscarriage, he probably could have ab
solved himself. But how could he forgive himself for being so self-absorbed that his wife couldn't tell him she was pregnant? How could he forgive himself when her telling him about their baby might have been the thing that brought him back to life, bridged their marital gap, kept them together?

Stepping out of the shower, he grabbed a towel, telling himself to stop thinking about it. Running it over and over and over in his head wouldn't change anything. But memories of those final few months together had taken on new meaning and they haunted him.

And he could not—he would not—forgive himself.

 

At Amanda's house, Cain told Billy to take his time, hoping to delay seeing Liz. He hadn't called her as he told her he would but she also hadn't called him. He suspected she'd been busy with the new family moving into the Friend Indeed house. And for that he was grateful. He'd wanted to be alone. He didn't want to talk this out with her. Worse, he didn't want her to tell him it was “okay” that he hadn't been there for her. It wasn't “okay.” It was abysmal—sinful—that he'd been so oblivious that his wife had to suffer in silence.

But the bad thing about avoiding her all week was that Billy would now witness their first meeting since she told him about their baby.

He pulled his truck into Fran's empty driveway. “No Liz,” he mumbled, hardly realizing he was talking.

Billy pushed open the truck door. “Isn't there some kind of big party tonight?”

Cain turned to Billy. “Yes.” How could he have forgotten? “A Friend Indeed's fund-raiser.” On top of the new family that had moved in on Monday night, Liz
had probably been occupied all week with last-minute details for the ball.

Billy jumped out of the truck. “And she's the boss of the whole deal, right?”

Cain nodded.

“So she's not going to be here.” Billy slammed his door closed.

Cain's entire body sagged with relief. Until he remembered that he'd see her that night at the ball—

Unless he didn't go.

All things considered, that might be the right thing to do. Not for himself, but for her. This was her big night. He didn't want to ruin it. And seeing him sure as hell could ruin it for her. He'd been a nightmare husband. And when they'd “met” again in his kitchen when she came to work as his maid, she hadn't wanted to be around him. Yet he'd forced himself back into her life. He couldn't even imagine the pressure she'd endured for the weeks they'd worked together, the weeks he'd insinuated himself into A Friend Indeed. Not going would be a kindness to her.

For the next eight hours, he kept himself busy so he didn't have to think about Liz or the fund-raiser ball or their God-awful marriage. But at the end of the day he remembered that he'd promised Ayleen he would mingle with the guests, talking about the work he'd done, hoping to inspire other contractors and business owners to get involved in a more personal way. So if he didn't show, Ayleen would get upset and then Liz would worry about him.

He didn't want Liz to have to worry about him anymore. He wasn't her burden. He'd fulfill his responsibility and go to the ball, but he'd let her alone.

 

Liz had spent all day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Brill, the couple who had volunteered their mansion for the ball for A Friend Indeed. After seeing to all the last-minute deliveries and details, she'd even dressed in one of their myriad spare bedrooms.

The event itself wasn't huge. Only a hundred people were attending. That was why the Brill mansion was the perfect choice. It was big enough to be luxurious, but not so large that the fund-raiser lost its air of intimacy. But the ball didn't need to be immense. All the people invited were big contributors. Liz expected to beat last year's donations by a wide margin, especially with the new guests Cain invited.

Walking into the empty ballroom ten minutes before the guests were due to arrive, she pressed her hand to her stomach.
Cain.
Just thinking his name gave her butterflies. He hadn't called her as he had promised, but she'd been overwhelmed with the ball, the new family in the Rogerson house and Happy Maids. He probably knew that and didn't want to add any more stress to her week.

But she remembered the expression on his face when she left, the calm way he'd taken the explanation of why she'd ended their marriage, and she not only knew she'd done the right thing by telling him, she also knew they were going to be okay.

Maybe better than okay.

“You look fabulous!” Wearing a peach sequined gown Ayleen floated across the empty dance floor to Liz, who pirouetted in her red strapless gown.

“Wow.” Ellie joined them. “You two are going to be the talk of the town.”

Liz laughed at Ellie, who looked like a vision in her
aqua halter-top gown, her blond hair spilling around her in a riot of curls. “I think
you're
going to be the talk of the town.”

She laughed. “Maybe we should all just settle for making our special men drool.”

“My husband's past drooling,” Alyeen said with a laugh, but just as quickly she frowned and her eyes narrowed at Liz. “I know Ellie is dating that lifeguard, but I've heard nothing about a special man in
your
life.”

Liz felt her face redden and suspected it was probably as bright as her dress.

“Oh, come on!” Ellie chided. “Tell her about Cain.”

Ayleen's eyebrows rose. “Our Cain?”

Ellie leaned in conspiratorially. “He was Liz's Cain long before he was A Friend Indeed's. He's her ex.”

Ayleen's mouth dropped open. “No kidding.”

“And I have a feeling,” Ellie singsonged, “that they're not going to be exes long.”

“Is that true?” Ayleen asked, facing Liz.

Liz sighed. “I have no idea.”

Ellie playfully slapped her forearm. “You need to be more confident. That man loves you. I can see it in his face.”

“But we have issues.”

“Oh, pish posh!” Ayleen said. “Do you love him?”

“I don't ever think I ever stopped.” As the words came out of her mouth, Liz realized how true they were. That was why she'd been so afraid to tell him about the miscarriage. She didn't want to hurt him or lose him. Which was why she was so grateful he'd reacted as well as he had to the news. She loved him. She always had and now that her secret had been confessed, they could finally move on with their lives.

“Then trust our magic friend. If she says he loves you, he loves you.” She patted her hand. “You need to relax.”

 

Cain strode up the stone sidewalk to the elaborate entrance of the Brill mansion. Twin fountains on both sides of the walk were lit by blue-and-gold lights. At the top of ten wide stone steps, columns welcomed guests to a cut-glass front door.

He could see why A Friend Indeed had chosen the Brill residence for their ball. It was one of Miami's most beautiful mansions. Plus, it was small enough to create an intimate atmosphere for guests. The kind of atmosphere that would allow Ayleen to personally walk among the guests and gather checks. Cain himself had an obscenely large check in his pocket. He wanted Liz to succeed.

Liz.

He could picture her now, excited about being pregnant and not being able to tell him. Then devastated by the loss and not being able to depend on him.

He cursed himself in his head for remembering, just as Leonard opened the front door.

“Cain! Welcome.”

Cain pasted on a smile and stepped into the foyer. “Good evening, Mr. Brill.”

“Call me Leonard, please,” the older, gray-haired gentleman said as he directed Cain to the right. “Everyone's in the ballroom.”

Nerves jangled through Cain as he entered the grand room. His eyes instantly scanned the crowd milling around the room, looking at artwork that had been donated for a silent auction that was also part of the
event. A string quartet played in a corner as a dance band set up across the room.

He didn't see Liz, but he knew she was here and his heart began to hammer in anticipation. He shook his head. He had to get over this. Let her go. Let her find somebody worthy of her love.

Plus, he had a job at this fund-raiser. Ayleen had assigned him the task of walking around, talking about what he'd done for the houses so he could generate support and bigger contributions.

But only ten minutes into a conversation with a potential contributor he spotted Liz. As he spoke to Brad Coleman, his eyes had been surreptitiously scanning the room and he saw her standing with a small group of women, engaged in lively conversation.

He'd missed seeing her before because her beautiful black hair wasn't cascading over her shoulders, in a bouncy ponytail or even pulled back into a Happy Maids bun. It had been swept up into an elegant hairdo that gave her the look of a princess or aristocrat.

He let his eyes move lower and his breath whooshed from his lungs. Her dress was red—strapless—and didn't so much cling to her curves as gently caress them. He swallowed hard just as she turned and noticed him. She smiled hesitantly and his heart swelled with something that felt very much like love. But he stopped that, too.

He didn't deserve her. He never had.

“Why didn't you tell me that you and Liz had been married?”

Cain spun around and saw that Brad had deserted him and Ayleen had taken his place.

“It didn't seem relevant.”

She laughed. “Men. You never know what's relevant.”

Since he was the one so distant his own wife couldn't tell him she was pregnant, Cain couldn't argue that.

“She looks very beautiful tonight, doesn't she?”

Cain's gaze followed the direction of Ayleen's. Taking in the way her gown clung to her curves, and the sparkle in her brilliant green eyes, his blood raced in his veins, but his chest tightened in sadness. He had to walk away from her. Give her a chance for a real life.

“Yes. She is beautiful.”

“You should ask her to dance.”

“I don't think so. In fact,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket and producing his check, “I'll just give this to you.”

Ayleen glanced at the check, then up at him. “This is the second time you've tried to give A Friend Indeed a check without going through the proper channels.”

“I thought you were the proper channel.”

“And I thought you'd want to give it to your ex-wife, so she could be impressed and proud of you.”

He reared back as if she'd physically slapped him. If there were two things Liz should never be of him, they were proud or impressed.

He pressed the check into Ayleen's hand. “You take it.”

She studied his face. “So you don't have to speak with her?” She smiled ruefully. “Cain, this is wrong. She's excited to see you tonight and you're running?”

“Believe me. This is for her benefit, not mine.” He lifted his eyes and luckily saw one of the guests he'd had Ayleen invite. “And before you ask why, I see one of my contributors.” He slid away. “I'll see you later.”

 

Liz shifted through the crowd, pausing to speak with people, asking if there was anything anyone needed, wishing everyone a good time. The dance band had been playing for about an hour. Dancers swayed and gyrated around the room. The silent auction proceeded as planned. Still, she walked around, introduced herself, saw to every tiny detail.

After another hour of pretending it didn't matter that Cain had ignored her when she'd smiled at him, she couldn't lie to herself anymore. He'd chosen not to speak with her. He hadn't said hello. Hadn't even returned her smile.

Pulling in a breath, she greeted a passing couple who praised her for the beautiful ball. But questions about why Cain wouldn't talk to her raced through her head. What if Cain hadn't taken her news as well as he'd seemed to? What if he'd been pretending? Or what if he was angry with her for not telling him she was pregnant?

It could be any of those things or all of them. She longed to find him and simply ask him, but she had a job to do. As if to punctuate that thought, a woman caught her hand and asked her a question about the auction. An elderly gentleman handed her a check. She couldn't walk two feet without someone stopping her.

The band took a break and the auction results were announced by Ayleen, with Liz by her side on the small elevated platform that acted as a stage for the band.

“Those are our winners,” Ayleen finally said, having given the final name on the list of those who'd won the bids. “You know where the checks go,” she added with a laugh. “Thank you very much for your participation in this event. A Friend Indeed couldn't exist without
you and on behalf of the women we've helped, I thank you.”