Page 48 of Bling

“Ask me what?” Garrett said from the door, sending the girls into another fit of giggles.

“It’s nothing,” Isabelle said. “Are you ready for us?”

He nodded. “Where are your bags, ladies?”

The girls snickered again as they each pointed to a small suitcase. Garrett retrieved them and winked at Isabelle on his way out the door. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”

Isabelle took one last walk through the apartment, making sure nothing was left behind. She found Catarina’s science textbook and a pair of headphones for Sarah’s tablet.

“Where are we going?” Catarina asked when Isabelle slid in beside her. Sarah had opted to ride up front with the driver.

“I’ve arranged a safe house for you and your family,” Garrett said.

That seemed to placate the teen, and she went back to scrolling on her phone.

The drive was brief, and Isabelle recognized the neighborhood they were driving through. It was a nicer one but not the ritzy part of town, thank goodness.

They pulled into the driveway of a large two-story house and Isabelle felt her mouth drop open. Garrett just squeezed her hand and stepped out of the car. He opened the front passenger door with a dramatic bow and motioned for Sarah to step out. The girl giggled at him.

Catarina just rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the backseat. The driver pulled their bags from the car and carried them to the front door where he punched a code into a lockbox and retrieved some keys.

Isabelle stepped into a spacious open concept living room kitchen area. It was decorated and fully furnished. “Are we in someone else’s house?” she asked as she tried to take everything in.

Garrett laughed. “Not exactly. It’s for sale, and the owners staged it with furniture hoping to sell it faster.”

“Did you buy it?”

“No. But I have the option if I want it.”

Isabelle shook her head, too overwhelmed to ask any more questions.

“Downstairs has two bedrooms and there are three upstairs. I thought your uncle would want a downstairs room while he recovers, and your dad can have the other one down here. The girls can each have an upstairs room and you can take the master suite up there.”

Isabelle shook her head. “I’ll take the downstairs room. Daddy can have the suite.”

Garrett just shook his head, lifted her suitcase, and walked toward the stairs. “My one stipulation in all of this is that you take the suite.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes. She wasn’t exactly in a position to say no.

“I see where your niece gets her eye roll from,” Garrett said dryly.

“You are an incredibly frustrating man,” Isabelle said as she followed him up the stairs. To one side of the hall, two bedrooms sat between a bathroom. A lone door was on the other side and Garrett headed for that one, pushing it open.

Isabelle gasped. “This is way too much, Garrett.”

He shook his head. “Nonsense. It was what I could come up with last minute. Just enjoy the space, Isabelle. I know you hate the word, but you deserve it for everything you do for your family.”

“There’s a TV in our rooms!” she heard the girls scream. Isabelle sighed and hurried to their side of the hallway.

“The rules are still the rules, girls. No screens after nine on a school night.”

“Come on, Aunt Izzy. Surely this counts as a special circumstance,” Sarah protested.

‘Yeah Aunt Isabelle, have a heart,” Garrett said, winking at Sarah.

She turned and gave him a mock glare but couldn’t help but laugh. It also warmed her heart that he made a point of calling her Aunt Isabelle instead of Izzy the way the girls did.

“Maybe tomorrow. You have an early morning, though, so you should get ready for bed. I doubt the cable and internet are hooked up anyway.”

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