Page 13 of The Billionaire's Angel

“Low sugar is like low fat. Might as well not have it at all,” Amelia grumbled. I wouldn't argue with that sentiment. I tended toagree.

It sounded like Sophie did as well because she sighed and said, “I know it stinks. But this is reality, Amelia, and you have to deal withit.”

“I don't know why Charlie had to hire such a sensible nurse,” Amelia grumbled again, but I could hear the affection in her voice. To my surprise, Sophie giggled and said, “Probably because the family was afraid you'd burn the house down. I shudder to think what you would've gotten up to if you had a nurse who was as much of a troublemaker as youare.”

“Well, Charlie always was a clever girl,” Amelia admitted, making Sophie giggle again. I wished I could see her face when she laughed like that. It made her smooth, low voice sound like a mountain stream, clean and light, like joy made real. I almost stepped into the room, but her giggles faded and I stayed where I was to hearmore.

Amelia went on, “She's extra clever since she has you helping out with the wedding. Doesn't she know you're my nurse, not her weddingslave?”

“You could help too,” Sophiesaid.

“I'd love to, but you know, my arthritis.” I pictured Amelia holding her age-spotted hands in the air as evidence. Just like with the cookie, Sophie didn't let her get away withanything.

“You don't have arthritis, Amelia Winters. And Charlie isn't the only Winters who’s clever. I've never had a patient who kept me on my toes as much asyou.”

“Hey, I'm not just a patient. I'm yourfriend.”

“And it's a good thing wearefriends,” Sophie said with mock seriousness. “If I didn't like you so much I might have already smothered you in yoursleep.”

This time, Amelia was the one who dissolved into giggles. I loved hearing that almost as much as Sophie's laugh. Amelia had always been a prankster, the one dependably fun adult in a sea of proper grown-ups. The last fifteen years had been as hard on her as it had on the rest of us, but for different reasons. While we’d been dealing with losing our parents, she’d watched as a terminal illness has slowly taken the love of her life. By the end, we’d worried we’d lose Amelia, too. It was good to have her home and happy onceagain.

The heavy front door of Winters House swung open, and Charlie stepped inside as if conjured by Sophie and Amelia's conversation. Dressed in worn jeans and a faded gray T-shirt, her auburn hair a mess of waves and curls that suited her to perfection, she started across the hall to the living room, a smile spreading across her face as she spotted me. I held up a finger to my lips and met her before she got to the living room doors, turning her down the hall to thelibrary.

“Why were you hovering outside the living room?” she asked, giving me a sidewaysglance.

Without shame, I said, “I was eavesdropping. Are you here to do wedding stuff with Amelia andSophie?”

“Just for an hour or so. Sophie offered to help. She is an absolute angel. I don't know what Lucas and I were thinking trying to throw a wedding together in six weeks,” she said, tucking a curl behind herear.

“How complicated can it be?” I asked. “It's a hundred people, and you're getting married at thehouse.”

Charlie elbowed me in the ribs and made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat. “Shows what you know. I got a wedding planner to help, but there's just so much to do. I'm kind of wishing we’d decided toelope.”

“Not unless you take the rest of us with you,” Iwarned.

“Yeah, I know. It just seemed like this would be so much simpler when we decided on a Christmas wedding. I didn't realize how many details wereinvolved.”

“Too late now,” I teased, leading her into the library and shutting the doors behindus.

“What's up?” Charlie asked, setting down her tote bag stuffed full of fabric samples, magazine clippings, andnotebooks.

“I need a favor,” I said, not sure what Charlie's response wouldbe.

Charlie and I had always gotten along well, but she'd been ten years old when I left home. We were never tight the way she was withAiden.

Typical of Charlie's determination and open heart, she shoved her hands in her back pockets and said, “Anything.”

My family was grateful I was home and alive. I wasn't above using that to my advantage. I sat in one of the leather armchairs, propped my ankle on my knee, and leaned forward. Charlie took a seat in the chair opposite me, curling her legs beneathher.

“I want to go back to work,” I said. Charlie's eyes flared with surprise, but she said nothing. I went on, “Aiden's not ready to have me at Winters, Inc. He won't talk to me about coming back. He won't talk to me aboutanything.”

The last part was hard to admit. Aiden and I had always been closer than cousins. Closer than most brothers. I owed him. I knew it. But I couldn't start paying him back if he wouldn't even talk tome.

Charlie's eyes were guarded as she said, “Do you want me to talk tohim?”

I shook my head. “No, Charlie, but thanks. Aiden and I have to work this outourselves.”

“Then what do you want me todo?”