“You know what I mean. I mean this.” Juliet gestured between them. “Us. I’m so glad you’re here for good.”
“Me too, Julz. Me too.”
The move from New York to Bliss had been easier than Willow expected. She’d prepared to grieve the loss of ballet once the glow of happiness from Harry’s proposal faded. After dedicating her entire life to the pursuit of dance, she expected its absence to hover like a phantom limb. An awareness of something lost.
The grief never set in.
One door closed and another opened.
As time passed, each day redefined happiness.
“There you two are.” Lilah stormed into the room with a smile on her face and venom in her eyes. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you and here you are, in the kitchen of all places. We’re about to move into the sitting room for conversation.”
Juliet shot Willow a look that said ‘busted.’ “All right, Lilah. We’ll be there in a minute.”
Harry appeared behind his sister. “Be where?”
“In the sitting room.” Lilah popped a hand on her hip.
“Oh…” He fought back laughter as he leaned against the doorframe. “The sitting room.”
“Yes, the sitting room. I thought that would be a better place enjoy some light conversation than say, I don’t know…the kitchen?” Lilah left in a huff and Harry rolled his eyes.
“Sometimes I wonder how she and I came from the same family. What, exactly, is a sitting room and how is it better than the kitchen?” He strolled through the door and drew Willow into his arms, cupped her cheek, and stared deeply into her eyes. “I don’t know how I managed to spend any time without you at all.”
Willow nuzzled into his palm, her eyes closed. “As long as you don’t make a habit of it.”
Juliet cleared her throat. “For goodness sakes, you two. Why do I feel like I need to clear the room and give you some privacy?”
“Now you know how I felt!” Willow barked laughter. “I swear every time you and Ian are together, I feel like I’m interrupting a private moment.”
Harry nodded his enthusiastic agreement. “I thought that was just me.”
“You thought what was just you?” James asked as he pushed through the door with Ellie in tow.
“Apparently, every time I talk to Ian, Harry and Willow feel the need to clear the room.”
James puffed out his cheeks and turned to his brother. “It’s definitely not just you.” He grabbed Ellie by the waist and pulled her close, staring deeply into her eyes in an exaggerated parody of his oldest brother.
“Wow, you two. Get a room.” Ian’s voice came from the doorway. “You guys are always doing that, you know. You should be more mindful of other people—” He stopped in his tracks as the kitchen dissolved in laughter. “What? What did I say?”
Harry threw an arm around his shoulders and leaned in conspiratorially. “They were making fun of you and Juliet because Julz was making fun of me and Willie.”
Ian shook his head. “Apparently we’re all annoyingly in love.”
Lilah reappeared in the doorway, clapping her hands. “The kitchen isn’t for socializing.” She took Ian by the shoulders and guided him out of the room. “I have a perfectly good sitting room where we can all laugh at whatever’s so funny.”
“But Lilah…we’re all laughing already…” Harry choked on a chuckle as his sister’s face turned a violent shade of red.
The family filtered out of the kitchen in a stream of good-natured ribbing and Willow took in the smiles on the faces of her friends. These people would soon be her family…and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Harry slipped an arm around her waist as he passed. “Everything okay?”
She stared into those old soul eyes, the ones that had looked instantly familiar the day they met. “Still think I’m ridiculous for believing in signs?”
“Oh, great. Are we answering questions with questions again?”
“Would you rather I answered them with explanations?”
Chuckling, Harry drew her close and pressed his forehead to hers. “Nothing between us,” he murmured.
Willow cupped his cheeks and nuzzled his nose, then laughed as Ian arrived, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. “I found them, Lilah! They got…err…distracted…”
With that, he led them to join the family, where they spent the rest of the evening enjoying good food, good wine, and the promise of being together.
* * *
Don’t think you could ever love Lilah Moore? I’ll take that bet! Check out her story in ENEMIES-TO-BLISS. You’ll swoon as she falls for Cole Bennett, a blue-collar man with a big…heart.
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Enemies-to-Bliss Sneak Peek
Chapter One
Lilah
Caterers laid out food on marble countertops. Maids flitted around in a flurry of feather dusters. And Lilah Moore stood in the middle of it all, annoyed that she couldn’t trust people to just do their damn jobs. She should have known better than to believe she could leave the help alone. Life never skipped a chance to remind her that if she wanted something done right, she would end up having to do it herself.
What was so hard about following a simple set of instructions to prepare her house for a party that night?
Apparently everything.
She’d even had to tell the girl at the salon how to do her nails properly. Nail polish belonged on the fingernail. How difficult was that?
Apparently very.
At least her hair had turned out well—the only easy thing about the whole day. Antoine was a genius and that was all there was to it. He’d blown out Lilah’s long, blonde hair and managed to make perfectly wonderful waves that looped their way down her back without looking like she spent the better part
