After lunch, he brought her back to his office, and Greer’s thorny heart softened a little when he reached for her hand, holding it as they got into the elevator together. “You want a tour of the place?” he asked.
There was such boyish enthusiasm in his face, how could she possibly deny him? “Of course.”
So they toured the building, from the cafeteria on the first floor to the human resources department, to the call center that was buzzing with incoming calls. The place was busy but organized, and it was clear to Greer as they walked through department after department that Asher knew every inch of the company. He’d put in endless hours to make the place a success, and it was finally paying off for him.
He could be broke and you still wouldn’t care, a niggling voice whispered in her ear. You’re just as lovesick over him as you were before.
She wasn’t, was she? But when he reached for her hand and smiled at her as he led her through to the next area, she suspected that she was only kidding herself.
And heck, if she was kidding herself about that, why not go the full-court press? She stifled a yawn behind her hand.
“Tired?” Asher noticed it instantly.
She nodded. “Thinking maybe I should stay overnight again, if you don’t mind. I can fly back tomorrow with you.”
The pleased look on his face made her tingle with happiness.
This was how things should have been before. Of course, there was no reason why she couldn’t enjoy things as they were now.
Did it mean she had to stick her head in the sand a little and ignore any misgivings? Maybe. Did she care?
At the moment? No.
***
One Week Later
Asher: You ready for some practice tonight?
Greer: Are we still pretending it’s practice?
Asher: I’m pretty sure I could “bone” up on my skills.
Greer: Stop, seriously.
Asher: Should I send you a picture to convince you of my all-consuming lust, sweetheart?
Greer hid her phone as Kiki entered the dining room, just in case Asher was going to carry through with his threat and send her naughty photos. “Morning, Kiki.”
Instead of her normally bright and effusive greeting, Kiki just smiled and sat down across from Greer in her regular seat. She was dressed in a plain gray T-shirt and jeans today. No bikini, and no sight of her trademark blue anywhere. Strange.
“You’re not sick, are you?” Greer asked. They didn’t have time for anyone to be sick. The wedding was in a week and each day grew busier than the last.
Kiki shook her head and pursed her lips, then peered at the door to make sure no one else was coming in. When she was satisfied, she looked over at Greer. “I just . . .” She bit her lip and leaned in. “I’m having some misgivings,” she whispered.
Uh-oh. Greer’s heart sank. Kiki was the most sensible and easygoing of the triplets. If she had cold feet, who knew what the other two were thinking? Lots of brides tended to panic before the wedding, so that wasn’t so unusual. Greer handled that all the time.
But this was a different kind of wedding, and Kiki only had a one-in-three chance of actually becoming the bride. She was right to have misgivings, because one girl would end up married to Greer’s father, and the other two would just be dragged through the mud. Knowing Stijn as she did, she doubted he’d give up his other two girlfriends just because one was now a wife. It wasn’t an ideal situation for any of the girls but she’d assumed that they’d thought things through.
Guess not. “What do you mean, misgivings?”
Kiki’s expression was troubled. She picked up a pen and a pad of paper and began to doodle on it slowly. “Um.” Doodle doodle. “It’s not that there’s a problem, really. The dresses are nice. I’m really happy with how things are turning out. It’s classy, just like you said it would be.” Her smile was polite. “I just . . . I’m worried.”
“Do you not want to marry Stijn?”
She thought for a moment and then shrugged. “It’s not that he’s a bad guy. I really like Stijn. And I like living here.” She gestured at the room, indicating the Dutchman castle. “It’s just that . . . I never really imagined it to be permanent, if that makes sense. And now there’s a chance for it to be permanent and, well.” Her lower lip trembled. “If I win, that means my sisters lose.”
Greer nodded sympathetically. “It’s hard, I know. The entire situation is . . . unique.”
“It’s awful,” Kiki said bluntly. “He’s pitting me and Bunni and Tiffi against each other and not telling us which one he’s going to marry. We’ve been tiptoeing on eggshells for the last month, worried about saying the wrong thing and killing our chances at the altar. It’s hell. Poor Bunni’s so stressed out she’s been doing yoga three times a day. And Tiffi keeps buying stuff to distract herself. She’s turning into a hoarder.”
“And you?” Greer asked, curious.
Kiki licked her lips and looked away. “I just . . . Tell me. Are you sleeping with Asher?”
The conversation change was startling. Greer blinked and then adjusted her glasses. “Of course not,” she lied. “We’re just working together on the wedding.”
“I won’t say anything,” Kiki said. “I just . . . I know something’s up. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I guess that’s one reason I’m freaking out. I wish Stijn looked at me like that. Or one of my sisters like that. Then I’d feel better about the whole thing.”