A Weekend of Misbehaving - Carmen Falcone Page 0,60

okay?”

Alice waved it off. “Yup. All he wanted was money. He got it. He’ll leave us alone,” she said. That part had been easier than anything else—it sure beat wondering how she would overcome a heartache bigger than the Titanic.

“Are you sure you can’t come with us to New York, Alice?” Cara made a sad puppy face that was nearly impossible to resist. Almost.

“No, kiddo, but I promise we can FaceTime whenever you want.” Alice managed to sound casual, and to swallow the lump burning in her throat. Keep it together, Alice.

At least she hadn’t been in the room when Lorenzo told Cara about their moving to New York. That would have been far too painful. Two days had passed, and today was her first day back at work. It was also when Lorenzo decided to take Cara with him on his next trip—to get her used to the city she would live in. They would set up private school tours, and she could buy some furniture for her new bedroom.

Meanwhile, Alice helped Cara pack in her Austin bedroom. She glanced around the enormous room, the walls colored in pale pink. Barbie dolls fought for space with games and books. Beads of colorful jewelry they loved to craft together spilled from the half-opened drawers.

“Will you visit us?” Cara asked, and Alice could hear the uncertainty dripping from the little girl’s voice. God, she hated this. Should she lie? Lying had gotten her in this mess. “Pretty please?”

“I’ll do my best to convince her,” Lorenzo said.

Alice’s gaze darted to the door, and there he was. To be fair, the pain in his eyes seemed worse than that in Cara’s. Because he knew his child would miss her. Not because he would miss her. That was pretty clear.

“Good. Daddy always gets what he wants.” Cara chuckled and high-fived her father.

When he wants. “Yes, he does.” Alice forced a smile.

“Go clean up your desk, Cara. We’ll be leaving in less than an hour.”

“Okay, Dad,” Cara said, a lot less enthusiastic than a few seconds before. She moved to the office space she shared with her father. It had been sweet of him to allow Cara to bring her Monster High-themed desk to his austere working area.

How could he be such a great father and a selfish never-to-be-future-boyfriend material? Well, at least he aced the fake fiancé role.

“What are you thinking?” He walked up to her, but she didn’t dare remain that close. She stepped back but lifted her shoulders for good measure.

“Checking my mental to-do list. Nothing grand.” Become a nun, or join a religious sect that requires no small-talk dating crap and fast tracking straight into a committed relationship. Or maybe avoid men altogether. “Have you heard on the paintings?”

“Yes. I got them,” he said in a low voice, and she knew why. That subject lurked around them like black smoke. Wasn’t this craving for his father’s work what set all the wheels in motion? She parted her mouth but hesitated.

The slow smile that broke his lips hinted he knew she was far from pondering something so frivolous. “How’s your sister?”

“She went to that psychiatric clinic you arranged. Thanks, by the way.” Her mother had raved over the modern and wonderfully reviewed clinic that accepted her sister for an in-depth assessment. Alice had taken her sister the day before, and she had been pleased with the friendly staff and caring doctors.

“That was the least I could do. The doctor said she’ll be home as soon as she’s stable. It can be in a few days’ time.”

“Yeah, I know.” She hated how short she sounded, but his arranging for her sister to go to a better clinic behind her back had been one thing. Now, chatting with him like they were old pals? He probably did that from a guilty conscience.

Her cheeks warmed, the same way they did every time she remembered what she had told him. I love you.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid.

“Is that Central Park?” Cara pointed from their living room.

Lorenzo barely glanced at the floor-to-ceiling glass wall and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Amazing. My friends will die when I tell them. Although…I guess they won’t get to see it.” Cara rubbed her eyes, like she was trying to keep from crying.

He kneeled to her level and rubbed her chin. “You’ll make new friends, my princess. And they will be just as impressed by you.”

“Yeah, I guess.” She shrugged. “It’s just different. I miss…Alice.”

Me, too. Too much if he was able to admit it to himself.