Blame It On Paris

He looked at her, just shaking his head. It wasn't a good thing, being in love with a woman who was this skilled at malarkey and charm. Everyone in his family knew Aaron was stubborn as a goat-and completely intractable once he'd made up his mind.

''Your dad and I were talking.' Kelly mentioned on the drive home, her voice very cheerful from the backseat. 'He doesn't need help at home. And he's sick to death of everyone talking to him about rehab. He doesn't want strangers around.'

'I sure as hell don't.' Aaron agreed gruffly.

'But we were figuring that your mom is in different shoes. She's so used to your dad doing things that she might be a little thrown for a week or two.'

'No more than that,' Aaron qualified.

'I can't imagine she'd need more than that, either,' Kelly said soothingly. 'But the point, Will, is that we were thinking your mom might need some help for the next couple weeks. Not for your dad, but for her. But we're both a little worried that your mom can't be talked into the idea.'

'You have no idea how stubborn my wife is,' Aaron affirmed.

'But if you could have a private talk with your mom, Will.' Kelly said gently. 'You know, just suggest an extra guy servant around for a couple of weeks, someone to do lifting, the heavier things around the place. We don't want to offend her pride. We could pretend it was for your dad.'

At the family house, Will only had a second to say a word privately with Kelly before getting his father out of the car. 'You actually did it. Talked my dad into help in the house. Made him think it was for my mom. What do you want-diamonds? A medal? A paragraph in Ripley's?'

She grinned. 'Hey, you saved me in Paris. Just trying to do a little rescuing of my own.' But then she motioned to the Maguire house with a major change in expression. 'Will?'

'What?'

'Look, I knew your family was well-off. But holy kamoly. This place is just way beyond me.'

He frowned. She'd never acted impressed or scared off by the Maguire money before-well, maybe for two seconds when they'd first met in Paris-but not once they got to know each other.

Still, he tried to see the place from Kelly's eyes. The grounds looked their best in late May. Irish-green and satin-soft. South Bend was on the flat side, but his dad had the money-and the stubbornness-to build his own hills, enabling the house to be built on levels. Each floor looked out onto its own unique landscaping: a Japanese garden from the top level; a woody, sloped area leading to a pool and tennis courts from the back; and flowering trees and open gardens at the front entrance.

None of it was new to Will, but seeing Kelly inhale the grounds, he could see it wasn't too bad from the outside. Even if, to him, it was a cage.

His dad, by then, was out of the car, and his mom was peeling out the back door. Naturally Will had pulled up to the one entrance that didn't have stairs. Even so, when he maneuvered the wheelchair to his dad. Aaron immediately started a new rant, claiming that he could walk on his own, thank you very much, he wasn't an invalid, didn't need fussing over…

'Come on, Dad, for Pete's sake-'

But Kelly stepped in, as she had at the hospital. When she took the wheelchair, Aaron willingly sat in it.

His mom sent Will a look, as astounded by Aaron's changed behavior as he was. Both of them had discussed getting help, but Aaron had unequivocably and furiously denied needing it. Now, as he was wheeled in the door, he barked at Will to get extra hands in the house. Immediately. For at least two weeks.

His mother cornered him several minutes later. Aaron was settled in his favorite room, the library, where dark green fabric walls matched the green leather couches, and recessed lighting in the bookshelves provided soft, unobtrusive light. A hospital bed had been set up in here, partly because it was on the first floor with an attached bathroom, and partly because it was one of Aaron's favorite rooms.

Kelly was sitting with him when Will took off for the kitchen with his mom. Aaron wanted fresh strawberries and cream. Will was putting together a half sandwich and drink to go with it.

His mother said, 'My God. She's a wonder.'

'Yeah, she is.'

'Your sisters will never believe it. That anyone could get your dad in a wheelchair. Or that he could be conned into getting some help.' Barbara handed him the tray to take in. once she'd added a linen napkin and silverware. His mom had the softest eyes in the universe, but just occasionally, they could look quite shrewd. 'So…it's clearly become more serious?'

'You want help with Dad, or you want to pry?'

'I'd rather pry.'

But his mom gave him a quick hug and let it go-for then. An hour later, Aaron turned from cantankerous tyrant into sleeping baby, and Will drove Kelly home.

He caught her first smothered yawn-and the second big one she couldn't try to hide. 'You're beat?'

'Yeah. Really long day at work.'

'And then I added this stress package with my dad. On the other hand, this means I owe you. And it's always to your advantage for me to owe you.'

'Darn right,' Kelly agreed.

'I have an idea. On how I could pay you back.'

'Is it expensive and decadent?'

'Hey. Would I waste your time on anything less?'

'Okay,' she said. 'I'm game.'

'Tomorrow night…'

She made a sound. 'Will, I've got my mom's birthday party coming up. Tomorrow I have to take her shopping for it.'

'And that has to be tomorrow?'

'Pretty much, it really does. Because we're running out of evenings to do it-and she wants clothes- so we always go together to pick them out.'

'Ah,' he said, thinking he should have known that from his sisters. 'So…Thursday night.'

'Okay, what time?'

'What time can you get free?'

'Um… six, earliest.'

'Then six it is.'

BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT at eight-thirty, Kelly was comatose, sprawled outside a dressing room at Ann Taylor.

She'd already raided most of Grape Road with her mom, checking out the usual suspects-Talbots, Coldwater Creek, Chico's, the mall's specialty stores. Typically her mom claimed to be a size eight, would never be more than a six, and looked cuter than the devil no matter what she tried on.

The problem was getting Char to choose. She knew Kelly's budget, and was allergic to getting anything that wasn't on sale. They'd started after work-in a downpour-gulped down fast food for energy and then begun the siege.

Outside the dressing room, Kelly was using bags and purses for a pillow. Her eyes were closed in a mininap when her cell phone vibrated. She couldn't help but smile and feel her tummy warm when she heard Will's voice.

'How's the present shopping going?'

'We're having a blast. But thank God the stores close soon.' She added. 'Everything okay?' Ever since last night, she'd thought nonstop about his dad. that fabulous unique mansion and how even mighty rich people could be crabby when they didn't feel well. Her ego was still soaring about that whole business. She'd loved helping Will with his parents. She'd have loved both his dad and mom even if she hadn't loved Will.

'Everything's fine…'

Her eyes popped open and she sat up abruptly. 'Is there a problem with tomorrow night?'

'Not at all. We're on. Actually. I'm calling for business.'

She relaxed again. ''Sure you are.'