Page 41 of A Millionaire for Cinderella

“Of course, I am. Dr. O’Hara’s condescending.”

He wasn’t even close, was he? Stuart could tell from Ana’s arched brow. “Sorry, I was thinking about...something else.” This morning, to be exact. And last night.

“Obviously.” His aunt settled back against her pillow. Time in the rehab facility had improved the sharpness of her stare, which she used to full advantage. “So what is it that has you smiling like the cat who ate the canary? It’s unlike you.”

“I’m in a good mood is all. I found a condo yesterday. On the other side of the Common.”

“Does that mean you’ll be moving out?”

“Not for a while yet.”

The disappointment left Ana’s face. “Good. I’m not ready for you to leave yet.”

Neither was he. It had dawned on him this morning that leaving would mean leaving Patience behind. Unless they continued whatever it was they were doing at his place. Was that what he wanted?

Pictures of her standing on his terrace flashed through his head.

“You’re smiling again. Must be a very nice apartment.”

“It’s not bad. Patience came with me to check the place out. She liked it.”

“Really? I didn’t realize you valued her opinion? I got the impression there was tension between the two of you.”

“We...” Damn, if his cheeks weren’t getting warm. “We worked that out.”

“Did you, now?”

“We talked.”

“I’m glad. She’s a lovely girl, isn’t she?”

“Um...” He pictured her face when she woke up this morning. Hair mussed. Sleep in her eyes. She was far more than lovely. She was genuine and honest. He could trust her.

The realization hit him while they were dancing. Scared the hell out of him. At the same time, he’d never felt freer.

“Stuart?”

“You were right, Tetya. She’s terrific.”

He could tell the second his aunt put two and two together. Her pale blue eyes pinned him to the chair. “Are you having an affair with my housekeeper?”

Stuart ran a hand across the back of his neck. His cheeks were definitely crimson now. Thankfully, his aunt took pity on him and waved her question off. “You don’t have to say anything. I know a besotted look when I see one.”

“I’m not sure I’d say besotted.” A word from this century, perhaps.

“Use whatever word you want. I’m glad.”

“You are?”

“Of course. You let what happened with Gloria keep you from falling in love for way too long. Killed me to think Theodore crushed your heart, too.”

Who said anything about love? He was about to tell Ana she was reading too much into the affair when something his aunt said caught his attention.

“Too?” This was the first time his aunt had ever referred to the bad blood between her and his grandfather. He thought of the memory box buried at the bottom of her drawer, of cats all bearing the same man’s name, and his heart ached for the woman he’d grown to love as a grandmother. What had his grandfather done? He had to ask. “Are you talking about Nigel?”

“Don’t be silly? What would your grandfather have to do with my cat?”

She was a worse liar than he was. The way she suddenly became interested in smoothing her sheets gave her away. “I meant Nigel Rougeau,” he said.

Her hand stilled. “Who?”

“I saw the photographs, Tetya. The ones in your drawer.”

“Oh.”

“I know it’s none of my business...I’ve just always wondered why. What could my grandfather have possibly done to make you cut us off?”

“Oh, lapushka, I was never trying to cut you off. What happened was a long time ago, before you were ever born.”

“You mean what happened with Nigel?”

She nodded.

She didn’t get to say anything further. Footsteps sounded outside the hospital door and, a second later, Patience appeared. Stuart couldn’t believe the way his pulse picked up when he saw her.

“Hey,” she greeted in a shy voice that screamed all the things they’d done overnight. “I was bringing Ana something to eat. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”

“I decided to visit during lunch so I could get home at a decent hour,” he replied. His answer made her blush, probably because they both knew why he wanted to get home early. The pink ran across her cheeks and down her neck, disappearing into the collar of her T-shirt. She looked so incredibly delectable Stuart had to grip the sides of his chair to keep from kissing her senseless.

“I brought you a chicken salad sandwich,” she said, setting a bag on Ana’s bedside table. Then, noticing his aunt’s distraction, she frowned. “Am I interrupting something?”

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