Page 16 of Frosted Hearts

"Wow, Mrs. Francine, it almost sounds like you have a crush. If you want, I can put in a good word for you," I offer. The words aren't even completely out of my mouth before she pulls tightly on my ponytail in scolding.

"Hush your mouth, young lady. I should tell you to go wash your mouth out for that. You know that young man is way too young for me. I meant he would be good for you. You need a strong man in your life who is just as outgoing as you. Someone who will protect you but also let you shine. I think he could be that for you if given the chance," she answers with a smile, patting my shoulder. "You need a good man in your life, dear. Don't be afraid of your father and the shadow he casts upon you. I've always told you that you are a bright, shining star, and the right man will see that."

"Steel's my bodyguard, Mrs. Francine. He was literally hired to protect me. There are no feelings there," I retort, shaking my head as I turn in my seat to look at her. "I'm not looking for a man to protect me or even be in my life. I want to discover who I am and prove to myself and everyone else that I can thrive following my dreams. Dating would just be a distraction."

"You can tell yourself that all you want, but I know better, Illeana. You can hide from it and deny it all you want, but just wait. Just promise me when the opportunity arises, you won't fight it, you'll chase after it with everything you have," she pleads with me.

"I promise," I answer, giving her a soft smile. "I'll try my best to be open when the opportunity presents itself."

"That's all I can ask. Now, go get your sister and get down to dinner," she instructs with a soft smile. When my mom died, I felt super lost, and Mrs. Francine was there to help me when I needed advice. She didn't necessarily take over the role of mom, but it was close enough. She has always given great advice and is rarely wrong, but this time I think she is. Steel is my bodyguard and nothing more.

Mrs. Francine reaches out and grasps my hand tightly before dropping it. Together, we walk out of my room. She heads to the kitchen, while I turn to go to my sister's room.

"Knock, knock," I call out as I knock on the door to get Grace's attention. She's sitting at her desk, head bent over intently working on something. I'm betting it's homework, but I could be wrong.

"Is dinner ready?" she questions, lifting her head to look at me as I enter.

"Yup, Mrs. Francine sent me to get you. Is that homework?" I question, nodding at the book lying open before her. Whatever book it is, I can tell it has some large chunks of text with a few pictures sprinkled within it as well.

"Don't tell, Dad," she huffs, closing the book quickly. "I told him I finished it Friday. I promise it'll be done tonight."

"Your secret is safe with me. Just make sure it's done tonight." I give her a pointed look. We both know how our father looks at grades. He expects excellence in all parts of our lives. I understand what that pressure is like, and I'm not going to add to it for Grace.

"I will, I promise," she smiles brightly, rising from her seat. "Care to tell me why you were called back home and why Dad is so pissed off? I know you did something."

When she asks questions like this, I tend to forget how young she is. Grace notices everything. Even if you try to hide something from her, she knows. "Who says I did something?Maybe he's pissed about something else and just wanted us to have a family dinner." I retort, trying to divert the attention from me.

"Because you're home, and I heard Dad yelling about something on the phone, and your name came up," she answers as she walks up to me and pats my arm. "It's okay, sis. Not everyone can be perfect like me."

Snorting, I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. "Grace, you are far from perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. It's what we learn from those mistakes that define us."

"And what did you learn, oh Wise One?" she smirks, knowing I walked right into her trap.

"Something you're still too young to understand. Now, let's get downstairs before Dad gets pissed we're even more late. I'd rather not suffer any more of his wrath right now," I sigh, turning to walk out of the room. Grace doesn't answer, but I hear her following behind me. Taking the main staircase down to the main floor of the house, we need to follow a small hallway to the back of the house. After walking halfway down, we turn to the left and enter the open double doors before we reach the back of the house, where the large, open living room is. When our father wants to feel important and show off, he has to do dinner in the formal dining room, which is where we are now.

"Illeana. Grace." Our father states pointedly as he watches us enter. "Please take your seats so we can begin."

Oh, yeah. He's still pissed and us being a couple of minutes late is not going to help. Quickly, Grace and I take our seats. Me to the left of our father and Grace on my left. Steel is sitting directly across from me, his green eyes watching my every move as he gives me a small nod and smile in greeting. I have no idea what he means by the greeting but it has me worried. I also can’t help but continue to keep glancing at him. His strong features pull me in, especially his smile.

"Now that my daughters have graced us with their presence, let's begin," my father's voice rings out. Seconds later, three members of our household staff begin taking the silver lids off the platters in the center of the table, revealing the delish-smelling food that Mrs. Francine cooked for us. She went all out making a spiral ham, fresh green beans, sweet potatoes, and a small bowl of mashed potatoes since father doesn't like sweet potatoes. She also made a small house salad for each of us. I half expected her to make steaks, but I'm excited for the ham. It's been too long since I've gotten to enjoy it.

Dinner passes in a blur, with most of the conversation focusing on my father's campaign. Next year is a re-election year, and he's already trying to get ahead of his competitor. Steel is good at keeping the conversation flowing and off of what happened last night, which I appreciate. No need to relive those events or have Grace informed of them to hold over my head for years to come. For most of the dinner, I ignore what Steel and my father discuss, only chiming in when expected. I've never been interested in the politics of his position, and I don't plan on starting now. I just show up when expected and do what I'm requested when it comes to his events.

As the staff begins to clear the table of our dinner plates, my father clears his throat, pulling me from my thoughts and back to the conversation at hand. "Ahem," he turns to look at myself and Grace. "Due to last night's events, it has been decided that you will be going away for at least a week. No need to worry about school. I will get that arranged for both of you."

"Who's going away and to where?" I question, worry seeping into me. I should have known his anger over the event wasn't over, but I never thought he would send me away and pull me out of school. I guess I should have expected it since he held school over my head when telling me I would be getting a bodyguard.

"Both of you," he answers, his tone leaving no room for argument.

My shoulders drop in defeat as my eyes cut to glare at Steel. His only answer is to shake his head no, which only infuriates me. What the hell does he mean, no?

"But, Dad, I didn't do anything, and I have the winter chorus concert coming up this week. I worked hard to get a solo," Grace complains, giving me time before I make a counterargument as well.

"Sorry, Grace, but you are going, both of you and that's final. Steel will be taking you somewhere that even I won’t know the whereabouts while we try to sort out everything here. It's for both of your safeties," he continues to explain like that makes a difference.

"This is so unfair," Grace complains through the tears as she stands, her chair legs scraping on the hardwood floor. "Why am I being punished because she messed up!" She points at me before turning and storming out of the room.

My father rises from his seat at the same time I jump up. "I'll go speak with her," I state in a rush, not wanting her to get in trouble for her outburst. She may try to act like an adult at times, but she's still a kid and entitled to her emotions.

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