Page 12 of The Princess and the Pizza Man

“Whenever.” Her fingers dropped from her hair. “He’s perfection wrapped in a male model shell, though.”

“I thought I was here to keep you from falling for the first guy you met.”

She waved him off again, and Will shook his head. If she wasn’t going to hold him to his brotherly duties, he sure as heck was gonna do it himself.

The background noise grew, and Will looked up to see a few guests filtering out with full bellies. Whispered conspiracies floated around them, and Bells disappeared into the crowd.

Will started toward the elevator, still too embarrassed to mingle with everyone. But a feather-light touch tickled his arm and stopped him in his tracks.

“You’re not staying?” Winter asked, her sparkling gray eyes playful and innocent. Like a real innocence, unlike his sister’s.

“I think one dead guy is more than enough excitement for me.”

Her lips turned down in the corners, and he coulda sworn there were tears resting just behind her eyes. “Joshua was a good friend. The best. I can’t believe someone would do this to him.”

He raised an eyebrow. Guess she was back into character, and hereallywasn’t in the mood for that. He actually craved a genuine conversation with her, but he wasn’t sure why. Maybe to try to joke away his misunderstanding.

“So…” she said, toying with the broach on her light blue dress, “do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“What brought you to Frostville Mansion?”

He wasn’t quite sure if she was asking as Winter orPrincessWinter. Gosh, the whole mystery part of this place was gonna dang near throw him, he just knew it.

He put on a teasing smile, pressing the button for the elevator. “I don’t embarrass myself much at home, so I came here to do it.”

She cackled, an unabashed sound that sent a rocket through Will’s chest. That laugh had to be the loudest laugh he’d heard in all his life, and he was shocked it came from such a tiny person.

“Donotbe embarrassed.” She brought a hand to her chest. “I was in distress. You were my knight in shining armor.”

“Right…”

“But really, why are you here?” Her head tilted to the side, and Will was reminded of a gray cat that sat outside his shop and played with the balloons he’d hang up once every month. “We don’t get very many guests who stay with their siblings.”

He snorted. “Yeah, I believe it. With the whole ‘being haunted by the love god’ thing.”

“Isthatwhy you’re here?”

The elevator dinged open, and he backed his way in. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to blab about Bells and her journey to find Mr. Right. It was her business, after all.

“Goodnight, Princess,” he said with a smirk, then watched her cute little mouth drop open with mock shock, like he dared not answer her question. He laughed, shaking his head as the doors closed. Bells was right about one thing: if he was gonna stay here for a week, he’d better embrace the insanity.

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