Page 22 of Sweet Home

She felt a little self-conscious peeling off her old things. She knew she had probably lost a few pounds over the last couple of years as she focused her efforts and her pay on her future plans. But when she pulled on the jeans, she was pleased to find they were made of a slightly stretchy material and they clung to her hips enough to stay on just fine. The sweater was as soft and warm as it looked. She closed her eyes and hugged herself for a moment before turning to the mirror.

When she did, her breath caught in her throat at what she saw. Willa obviously had a gift when it came to dressing strangers. The well-fitting clothing somehow made her look less like a pathetic beanpole than her own too-big wardrobe. And the pale gray of the sweater brought out the blue of her eyes.

I look… nice.

“I want to see,” Elizabeth yelled from outside. “Are you done yet?”

“Here we go,” Dulcie said, stepping out. “Whatdo you think?”

West was sitting on a chair with Elizabeth on his lap. She hopped right up to come and examine Dulcie’s outfit.

“Yes,” Elizabeth said, nodding her head up and down approvingly. “That’s really good. My sweater has ponies.”

Dulcie turned to look at herself again, inadvertently meeting West’s eyes in the mirror.

He was observing her intently, though it was hard to know what was going through his head. Somehow, he looked handsomer than ever.

She felt her cheeks heat as she begged herself to stop having these thoughts. The man was practically a saint, just trying to raise his daughter and do something kind for a stranger. It was wrong for her to keep thinking of him as handsome.

“Oh, wow,” Willa said, stopping over with two more sweaters in shades of blue. “You’re a knockout.”

“Thank you,” Dulcie said, smiling at her, not because she actually thought she was a knockout, but because she knew the clothing was just right for her and Willa was a kind lady. “Thank you for choosing this for me.”

“Oh, you’re a fun one to dress,” Willa said. “Try these. They’ll bring out your eyes.”

“That one,”Elizabeth said, pointing to one of the two sweaters. It was the palest blue, and looked soft as a cloud. “That one.”

“Okay,” Dulcie said, smiling at Elizabeth. “That is a pretty one.”

“Just let me know,” Willa told her.

“Thank you,” Dulcie said, taking them quickly and retreating back into the changing area.

She knew she was only here to get some sensiblework clothes. But there was something about all this kindness and attention that made her feel special.

Are you a princess?

Elizabeth’s words echoed in her head again, and she couldn’t help grinning back at the well-dressed and well-rested girl in the mirror.

She definitelyfeltlike a princess right now, even if it was only in the eyes of herself and a four-year-old.

Half an hour later,Dulcie headed to the register with West, who was carrying a massive pile of beautiful clothing, including a dove-gray, woolen coat and a pair of winter boots.

“I don’t really need this much, do I?” Dulcie asked.

“Warm clothes are a dealbreaker around here,” West said. “And this is an employer expense, so don’t worry about it.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Elizabeth tugged on her sleeve.

“What is it?” Dulcie asked.

“You need something that shows you’re a princess,” Elizabeth said worriedly in her bell-bright voice.

“Oh, I’ll just be working,” Dulcie said. “I don’t need to look like a princess.”

“I have just the thing,” Willa announced. “Hang on just a second.”

She disappeared into the back and reappeared a moment later with what looked like a shimmering piece of the summer skyin her hands.

---