“Thank God.”
Elle blinked.
Then she enquired, “Thank God?”
“Aye, baby,” he replied softly. “Thank God you and Annie aren’t perusing a litter of border collie puppies for Sally. Or buying her princess dresses. Or arranging five-star accommodation for your trip to London to take Sally to Harrods. Or something equally mad.”
In all that had happened, Elle forgot about the trip to Harrods.
Therefore she breathed, “Oh.” Then went on stupidly, “I’ll have to look into that. Can I use your computer in the study?”
He was chuckling when he replied, “It’s your house now, Elle, you can use anything you want. But don’t you think we should take you back to Chicago to get you packed up before you take Sally to Harrods?”
Elle blinked again before saying, “Chicago?”
“Aye, it’s half-term next week. I reckon we all can go.”
Elle felt her heart contract. Chicago meant Carver Austin. Elle couldn’t imagine her father’s fury when he saw her in photos with Prentice and the children.
No, that wasn’t right, she could. She could easily imagine it and it wouldn’t be pretty.
It would be worse if he saw them in Chicago, worse because he could get to them swiftly.
And he would.
And Elle didn’t want her father anywhere near them.
She quickly offered, “I’ll pay someone to deal with it.”
There was silence before Prentice asked, “You want to pay someone to do it?”
Oh no.
She’d sounded like a pampered, spoiled rich girl!
“Um…” she muttered.
Prentice’s voice was low when he said, “He’ll no’ harm you, Elle.”
That thing that had relaxed deep inside her but coiled up tight during their conversation, relaxed again when Prentice read her mind and made his vow.
“Pren.”
“I hope he finds out we’re there.”
Elle saw her own eyes get wide in the mirror. “You do?”
“The only good part of those f**king photographers is that there are so many of them, he can’t escape the way it is between you and me. I want that bastard’s nose rubbed in it. I want him to see you happy. And I want him to know I made you that way.”
That thing relaxed further.
But not completely.
“But Pren, what if he confronts you or me and the children are there?”
“Then you and I’ll have a deal. The children are present, you take them away and I’ll handle Carver.”
“He’s not easy to handle,” Elle warned.