Page 57 of A Millionaire for Cinderella

“Oh, there is.” He pushed the front door wide. “Come on in. There’s a little old lady in the kitchen who’s going to be thrilled to meet you.”

“Just her?”

“Me, too.”

“Good.” She smiled. “Although I should warn you in advance. I’m very much in love with this lawyer I know.”

Stuart’s heart gave a tiny victory cheer. “Sounds like a lucky guy.”

“I’m the lucky one. Like I said, I made a lot of mistakes, and am hoping he—you—will give me a second chance.”

Now he gave in and pulled her close, kissing her with everything in his heart. “You don’t have to ask twice,” he told her.

Patience wrapped her arms around his waist. To Stuart it felt that she was afraid he’d disappear. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you,” she said into his chest.

“Same here. This time we’ll trust each other.”

“That’s a new thing for me—to trust someone. I might stumble a little bit.” She looked up, her eyes as bright as the brightest chocolate diamond in the world. “Will you be patient with me?”

“Patient with Patience?” Grinning at his lame joke, he kissed the top of her head. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Both of us are going to screw up, sweetheart. But as far as I’m concerned we’ve got all the time in the world to teach each other. Forever even.”

Her arms squeezed tighter. The word forever was scaring her, he knew. Someday it wouldn’t, though. Someday she’d realize she was so loved that forever was the only possible time frame.

“Forever sounds like a good goal,” she said finally, her bravery increasing the admiration he held for her. “I love you, Stuart Duchenko.”

He’d never believed three words more. They’d get to forever. He knew they would. “I love you too. Now...” Giving her a reluctant last kiss, he shut the door. “How about we go make an old lady’s day?”

A meow sounded at his feet. “You, too, Nigel.”

Together, the three walked toward the future.

Two weeks later

“Why is the phone ringing in the middle of the night?” Stuart groaned. “Don’t they realize we’re tired?”

“Poor baby. They probably don’t realize how hard furniture shopping was for you.” Patience grinned at the pout she spied before he covered his head with his pillow. The two of them and Ana had spent the day shopping for Stuart’s new condominium. He was scheduled to move out at the end of the week. Ana was disappointed, until she learned Patience would be staying put. For now. As madly as they loved each other, both she and Stuart decided they should take their relationship one step at a time. Eventually, Patience would move in, but for now, there was no need to rush. Like Stuart said. They had forever.

Forever was such a nice-sounding word. Patience believed in it a little more every day. Turned out Prince Charming not only walked through the door, but he stuck around, as well.

“Whoever it is, tell them they’re insane,” Stuart muttered from beneath his pillow. “Then get under these covers so I can do unspeakable things to you.”

“I thought you were sleepy?” she whispered, snatching the phone off the end table.

A hand snaked around to splay against her bare abdomen. “I’m awake now.”

She answered without bothering to suppress her giggle. There was only one person who’d call at this hour and she wouldn’t care. “Piper?”

“Greetings from England.” There was a pause. “I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

“Not yet.” She slapped Stuart’s roaming hand. “What are you doing in England?”

“Helping your boyfriend, of course. And I have good news, and more good news. Which one do you want first?”

“Start with the good news.”

“We found Ana’s painting.”

“You did!” She sat up. “That’s wonderful.”

“That’s why we’re in England. The gallery in Paris gave us a lead on a collector here who purchased one of Nigel’s paintings. Turns out, the painting is of Ana. Almost identical to the one in the background of the picture Stuart emailed.”

Seemed silly to be moved to tears over a nude painting, but Patience’s eyes started to water. After all these years, Ana was finally getting a piece of her Nigel back. “Ana is going to be so thrilled when she hears the news.”

Hearing his aunt’s name, Stuart immediately sat up, too, and mouthed the word painting? Patience nodded. He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Even better, the owner is willing to sell. Tell Stuart I’ll email him the name and contact information.”

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