Her sense of unrest didn’t really leave her, but she subdued it as they drove to Rill and Katie’s house. While they climbed a long road up a hill, Seth briefed her about why a top movie director–screenplay writer and a former tax lawyer from Hollywood lived a good part of the year in remote Vulture’s Canyon. It seemed Rill had gone through a particularly dark period after losing his first wife in a car accident and had ended up in Vulture’s Canyon, licking his wounds and sinking into a deep depression. Rill was Irish, but had come to UCLA for undergrad, where he’d become good friends with Everett Hughes and been adopted by the entire Hughes family. When Katie had come to Vulture’s Canyon to “save” Rill, at first he had strenuously resisted the overtures of his longtime friend. Katie refused to be scared away, how
ever, goading Rill out of his funk with her stubbornness and determination. With her love. Finally, he’d wised up, realizing he wanted Katie even more as a partner than he had as a friend. They lived simply and happily up on top of the hill in the midst of the forest, where Rill could focus on his screenplay writing, Katie could work as a tax consultant for a local social service center, and they both could raise their little girl, Daisy, in peace.
The Pierces lived in a handsome, sprawling farmhouse. Through encroaching dusk, Gia saw the large front porch was decked out with pumpkins, corn sheaves, and purple and orange mums in pots.
“It’s already near sunset,” Seth said quietly as he parked the SUV in the driveway at the front of the house. “The shadows are in our favor as far as your makeup, and their interior lighting is soft.” He removed the keys and looked at her. “Are you ready to do this?”
Her excitement about meeting someone so respected in the film industry—not to mention the benefactor of her college education—had turned her anxiety in a new direction. “You’re really looking forward to this, aren’t you? Maybe we should make a bet on whether or not they figure it out to make things more interesting. I’ll take Rill figuring it out; you bet on your powers of deception,” she told him humorously, watching as he unwrapped the package on the battery-operated candles.
He shook his head. “Your acting is the key to it all. I don’t want to weigh the odds against a bad performance.” He squeezed her thigh warmly. “Break a leg,” he said amusedly before they got out of the car and retrieved the bag holding the pumpkin from the backseat.
Rill stepped onto the front porch to greet them. He was a big man with the shoulders of a linebacker. He bent slightly, holding the hand of an adorable toddler sporting two dark, curly pigtails behind her ears. Daisy watched their approach up the stairs with enormous eyes. Gia recognized the immediate challenge to enacting her role. Her heart melted at the sight of the little girl. Gia had been her neighborhood’s favorite babysitter. Maybe it was because she was an only child, but she’d always loved kids. She doubted Jessie would fawn over a two- or three-year-old though. She’d have to ignore her cute button being pushed.
Pushed ruthlessly.
Things only got worse when Seth climbed up the stairs before her. He laughed and greeted the little girl, who grinned up at him. He set down the bag he carried and swept her into his arms.
Oh no. Adorable emergency.
Seth was so big and masculine, and Daisy was so tiny and feminine. Something swelled tight in Gia’s chest, her unexpected reaction making her panic a little. Would she give herself away to Rill so early on?
“This is Daisy,” Seth told Gia. His usually impassive features cracked open into a wide grin that made Gia’s heartbeat quicken. “You’ve grown since I saw you two months ago,” he told Daisy. “How old are you now? Twenty-one?”
“She’s not allowed to ever turn twenty-one. We’ve already discussed it,” Rill said, his Irish accent perfectly suiting his brawny handsomeness. “Hi. I’m Rill Pierce,” he said, sticking out his hand.
“Sorry,” Seth said, pulling his gaze away from Daisy, who was soberly holding up two pudgy fingers to tell him her real age. She heard the screen door squeak open behind them. “This is my newfound nephew, Jessie Bauer.”
Rill gave her a hearty handshake, which she returned with boy gusto.
“I can’t wait to hear this story,” a woman said from behind Rill. Rill turned and Gia saw Katie Pierce. She thought she saw the resemblance between Katie and her celebrity brother, Everett Hughes. Katie was beautiful, with long, wavy blond hair that almost reached her waist and delicate features that her daughter had inherited. Something about her face suggested she loved to laugh. Seth bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek, still holding Daisy. Despite her mother’s arrival, Daisy seemed quite happy to stay in Seth’s arms.
“Uncle Seth,” Daisy interrupted as Seth made introductions.
Katie gave Gia a wink. “Her aunt Joy calls him Uncle Seth, so Daisy thinks it’s her right as well.” Katie blinked and her smile faded. “I’m having an awful hard time keeping the secret of Jessie under wraps from Joy,” she told Seth.
“I’d rather break the news to her in person,” Seth said evenly. “It’s not really the sort of news she should hear over the phone, do you think?”
Katie gave a concessionary nod, then seemed to realize something. She looked at Gia. “Oh my gosh, if you’re Joy’s half brother, then that means we’re family as well, right?” she asked Rill, her brow scrunched together.
“It’s a bit convoluted,” Rill said.
“Isn’t family always?” Katie replied with a grin at Gia.
Daisy patted Seth’s shoulder to get his attention. She pointed wordlessly at the large sack he’d set on the porch.
“You think that’s for you?” Seth asked Daisy teasingly. Daisy searched his face somberly and then nodded her head, her pigtails bobbing. Seth laughed and set her down on the porch. He reached into the bag, and Gia knew he was turning on the candles before he withdrew the jack-o’-lantern.
“Ohhh,” Katie said in amazement when he withdrew the pumpkin. “It’s you, Daisy.”
“Would you look at that,” Rill said in quiet admiration.
Gia couldn’t help but grin at Daisy’s huge eyes and rapt expression as she stared at the glowing pumpkin with her face carved on the side. She hadn’t realized when he was doing it, but Seth had altered the thickness of how much he cut into the skin of the pumpkin. In some places, the candlelight barely showed through, but in others, the pumpkin was nearly transparent. It created a subtle shading to the carving. The only place where he’d cut all the way through was at the opening of Daisy’s mouth and two specks in her eyes, which gave the impression that the face was full of life and laughter. It was a skillfully done piece of art.
She met Seth’s stare. She shook her head slightly in amazement. He really was brilliant.
“It’s a Daisy pumpkin,” Seth told Daisy when she stepped toward the carving, her small hands outstretched eagerly. “A Daisy-kin.”
“Mine,” Daisy said.