Wearing a huge grin, he rubbed his arm. “You remember those awkward social events she’d drag her sons to? She'd introduce us to all her friends' daughters.”

  I shrugged, settled onto the sofa, and relaxed. “Mostly, I remember you sneaking off with me.”

  He laughed.

  I’d not exactly been an invited guest, but I’d acted like I belonged.

  “I think she lost all her sons within an hour,” he said.

  Now that I thought about it, it was odd that I'd always been at those social events. My parents wouldn’t have brought me willingly.

  “Maman is excited to see you again,” he said.

  I needed to get out of my own head. “I want to find a way to repay you for bringing us here.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Just stay with me for a few minutes.”

  My heart beat faster. We'd agreed to be friends. The truth was I wasn’t ready for more, and I hated living in a dream. “No flirting?”

  He nodded. “You’re the one in charge of that.”

  Adrenaline rushed through me. I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. I focused on the rim of my glass. “I’m not in charge of anything.”

  Disaster was my middle name. I trembled, put the glass down, and smoothed out my shirt. “You have no idea. My life has been one disaster after the other, really.”

  “Want to tell me about it?”

  Never. I’d been a fool, and if he realized that, he might not want me to stay. I curled the corners of my lips higher. “I’d prefer we focus on how long you and I can stay here in Connecticut pretending.”

  He squeezed my knee. “There is no pretending with me. I like you, and I’m hoping you and Sam stay forever.”

  That set off dreams of me holding Elon’s hand—forever. I picked up my glass. “Would you watch out for Sam if something happened to me?”

  Or when Sam realizes all he needs is his father, and I'm forgotten?

  He pressed his hand over his heart. “With my life, though nothing is going to happen to you.”

  “Then I’m glad we’re staying,” I said and sipped. His voice was so calming, I wanted to believe him. I stared at his lips, and memories of his kiss washed through me, leaving me tingling.

  After we almost finished our glasses of wine, he slid a box with a blue ribbon tied around it over to me.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “It’s a present.”

  The last thing I needed was to turn dependent on him. I met his gaze. “A house, clothes—it’s all too much already. And I don’t need your money.”

  "Just open it."

  I untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a set of keys. I held them up.

  “I had your car shipped, but I’m hoping you take the BMW instead in case you want to get out and explore the town.”

  My heartbeat quickened. He’d be embarrassed by my twenty-year-old yellow clunker that he’d overpaid for. I tilted my head. “You had one of your cars sent for me?”

  He gazed at me quizzically. “No. I bought it for you. It’s in your name.”

  We walked to the front door, and a silver 3 Series sedan was parked in front of the house. It was also tied with a blue bow. I shook my head. “I can’t accept that.”

  He walked toward it, and I followed. “You’re Sam’s mom. I need you cruising in style.”

  I closed my eyes. He probably needed to make sure I looked the part of his guest.

  Accepting the BMW would help our son, though. I nodded and joined him at the car. When I peered in the front window, my heart melted a little. “What’s inside?”

  He opened the door. “You probably don’t remember.”

  He reached in then handed me my old teddy bear—or the perfect replica of it. The original had lost an eye at one point and was thinner than this one, but something about the teddy bear seemed familiar.

  My eyes widened. “Is this the real Mr. Snuggles?”

  He rocked on his feet as if he was nervous. “It was all I had of you. You’d left him in your dorm, and I snatched him when your parents were cleaning out your room.”

  Tears formed in my eyes as I held what had been my favorite toy as a girl. We walked toward the house as I said, “I… realized I'd left him behind when I was on the bus, but it was too late to go back.”

  He opened the front door then closed it behind us. “Let’s go to bed, as tomorrow we’ll head to Virgin Cove.”

  Tomorrow, we'd face his family. My parents were no longer at the Virgin Cove house, but I’d not think about them right now. I held my teddy bear tighter. “Thanks, Elon.”

  We walked up the stairs. “I’m glad that you got him back and that you’re happy.”

  “I… didn’t expect any of this.” I gazed at his lips—I wanted to kiss him.

  However, I sucked in my lips and turned away. Soon, I’d have to tell him everything that had happened in my life after I’d left college. I hoped he'd understand.

  He walked me to my bedroom door, and my lips still tingled. I ducked inside before I followed through on my impulse to kiss him good night. Elon had grown into almost the perfect guy, and I wasn’t sure how to handle that.

  12

  Clarissa

  The next morning, in preparation for the trip to Virgin Cove, I picked out cream pants and a matching cream shirt and added a thin, teal sweater for a pop of color. I also continued to wring my hands.

  Sam popped in and out of my room all morning, and I kept imagining that Elon’s parents, who'd always been wonderful to me, might not be so nice to me now.

  I’d hidden away their grandson, and the Norouzis were big on family.

  Done with primping, something I’d never thought I would do, I headed downstairs. Sam was with Elon, who looked deliciously hot in his simple gray pants and light-blue polo shirt. I joined them, and Elon placed his hand on my back as we headed out of the house and toward the helicopter.

  The pilot was waiting for us, and my heart thumped. My life was different and yet familiar, as I’d once been like a member of the helicopter crew, living in the Norouzi sphere.

  We hopped into the helicopter and were served breakfast snacks. I sipped my coffee and thought I was handling the trip well until the beach house, a two-story building that looked almost like a castle, came into view. It felt like I was coming home. My heart raced, and I took a deep breath. As we started the descent, I took Elon’s hand. “You’re sure my parents are gone?”

  “Yes.”

  My heart still pounded. I swallowed. “I’m still nervous one of the staff might be friendly with them and let them know about our visit.”

  He squeezed my hand. “Your parents can’t hurt you.”

  My stomach twisted. I put down my coffee, since caffeine was the opposite of what I needed.

  Elon’s calm-but-confident demeanor floored me. I'd missed him. For so many years, it had just been Sam and me.

  We stayed silent during landing, but I kept gazing at Elon's profile. If I had told him about Sam years ago, I would have saved Sam from so much pain.

  Being part of the Norouzi family had always been my dream, though I’d forgotten that. I’d busied myself with work at the theme park and raised Sam in my small apartment. But he’d deserved Elon’s protection.

  Once we landed, and a crew member opened the door for us, I asked my son. “Sam, are you ready?”

  He hurried out of the helicopter but then waited for us. “I'm hungry, so I hope they have food. Mom, are you okay?”

  Although I was fighting the temptation to believe I could share Elon’s life, I nodded. “Yes.”

  Sam took my hand and then Elon’s. “Watch out for her if I’m eating,” Sam said.

  Elon winked at me. “I will. I promise.”

  It wasn't anybody's responsibility but my own to fix my life. I lifted my chin. “I look out for myself.”

  Sam shook his head. “She said Hunter was okay because he helped her carry groceries from the store where they met.”

  “Yeah?” Elon asked.

  I cringed. Sam was only aware of some parts of the Hunter story, and the parts he’d experienced were horrifying enough. My face felt tight. “Let’s not talk about him today.”

  Both of them nodded.

  We made it to the back terrace and headed through the sliding doors. I remembered my unsmiling mother standing at various places in the house, always watching.

  Roxanne Norouzi appeared, wearing a bright smile. Her dark hair was in a loose bun. She threw open her arms, and tears formed in her eyes as she hugged Elon, Sam, and then me.

  Elon said, “Maman, this is Sam.”

  She put her arms around Sam. “Oh my goodness, you’re the spitting image of your father. Come inside, come inside.”

  Elon and Sam walked ahead of me to the grand room, from where I could hear his brothers in the dining area. I pressed my hand over my heart at the thought of seeing all the familiar faces I’d never thought I would see again.

  Sam laughed at something Roxanne said.

  I whispered to Elon, “They’re already getting along.”

  I stepped back, hesitating before joining his family in the dining room.

  A servant approached and slipped her phone into my hand. I heard my mother’s voice. “You had Elon’s child and didn’t tell us?”

  My heartbeat quickened. I never wanted to speak to my mother. I hung up and shoved the phone back at the servant and backtracked to the main room. Elon was suddenly at my side. He directed me to the library.

  “Maman is so excited to be a grandmother and wants to know everything about you and Sam,” he said. “I thought I should warn you.”

  Roxanne’s voice carried from the library, and it was clear Sam was being introduced. I felt like I was on pins and needles, like this was all a dream. “I remember she was always nice.”

  He hugged me.

  I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. I told myself it was only for a minute.

  With Elon, I wasn’t alone. Honestly, it was nice.

  From behind us, Roxanne said, “Your son already seems to get along well with Charlie.”

  I let go of Elon and turned, feeling guilty, as though I'd been caught doing something wrong. Roxanne was nothing like my parents, but panic settled into me.

  “Elon, go talk to your father. Clarissa and I are going upstairs for a few minutes.”

  Elon gently pressed his hand on my back. “Oh… okay.”

  Roxanne took my hand. “Don’t be scared. I just figured you needed some jewelry for the family portrait later.”

  I’d not expected we would be taking a picture. My stomach knotted, but then I let out the breath I’d been holding and shook my head. “I don’t need—“

  “You do, dear,” she said and gestured for me to follow her to the stairs. “It’s expected, and I have more jewelry than most people. Come.”

  Right. With every step, I remembered how Roxanne had never once complained about me playing with her sons when I was a child.

  It had been my parents who'd complained.

  We walked into a room where jewels were on display like it was a museum, and she unlocked a safe built into the wall, waving for me to join her. I was sure that the Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels were kept, wasn’t half as fancy as this.

  Inside the walk-in safe were walls of jewelry color coded by the jewel. I’d been in here only once as a girl, and when my parents had found out, as punishment they'd locked me inside my room for a day without food or water.

  I forced my hands to drop to my sides as I stared at all the diamonds. “These are beautiful.”

  She took out a diamond necklace and held it against me then shook her head.

  “Did you give birth naturally to Sam?” she asked.

  She held out another necklace, considered it, then shrugged and put it down on a side table.

  “I did have a natural birth," I said. "It was cheaper that way.”

  Roxanne cupped my face. “I hate to even imagine what things have been like for you.”

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  She took both my hands. “No, it’s not. I saw how your parents treated you. It was why I always encouraged you to be here… with my boys, every day. Then I knew you ate.”

  My eyes widened. I hadn’t realized she’d noticed.

  She continued, “I’m sorry you didn’t feel comfortable coming to me years ago for help.”

  I burst into tears. “You’re being too nice right now.”

  She had tears in her eyes too. “When Elon told me about Sam, I bought your parents the condo in Fort Myers, so you could feel comfortable coming here. Don’t worry about them. You’re family, and we stick together.”

  Roxanne had just fulfilled one of my dreams. Belonging to the Norouzi family had always been a fantasy of mine.

  She let me go, and I swiped away my tears. “I need a few minutes.”

  She handed me another diamond necklace. I didn’t take it, so she fastened it around my neck. “Take all the time in the world, but can I say one more thing?”

  “Of course.” It seemed like I’d wished for this moment forever.

  She rubbed my arms. “If you ever need anything, ever, even if it’s just advice on how to deal with my son, please know I’ll do anything for my family. And that includes you.”

  My eyes felt glassy, like I was about to cry again. “Thank you.”

  “This necklace looks lovely on you.” She directed me to a mirror.

  I stared at myself and saw someone else, someone who wasn’t me. She pressed some earrings into my palm, and I put them on. As I gazed at myself in the mirror, I felt pretty.

  She left me alone in her vault, and I surveyed the color-coded stones. I’d always imagined visiting the Tower of London, and here I was in a room that was probably just as grand. And this time, no one was going to lock me away for being here.

  I wiped my face and joined Roxanne in the hall where she was waiting for me. I took her hand, and we returned to the party.

  This time, my mood felt lighter.

  At the bottom step was Elon. His mother let go of my hand and walked into the dining room to join her family.

  Elon gently nudged me. “What happened with Maman?”

  I hooked my arm through his. “She was amazing… thank you for including me today.”

  We headed toward the door that would lead us to the rest of the Norouzis. “My brothers are waiting to see you,” he said.

  I walked into the dining room with him, and a chorus of voices called out, “Clarissa!”

  Probably nine of Elon's surviving ten brothers were present along with some of their wives. I waved. When I was a girl, they'd had wildly different personalities. I was curious if they were still the same. I felt myself relax. “Hi, everyone.”

  Charlie and Sam got up and came to my side. Charlie said, “Jeff thought you might be Regina too. I told him he was wrong.”

  I narrowed my gaze at Elon's blond, blue-eyed, and always suspicious brother Jeff. “The blogger, right?”

  His eyes widened. “You know?”

  “Elon told me about her, but I don’t blog about anything or anyone," I said.

  Elon said, “Jeff, I’m surprised at you for suspecting Clarissa at all.”

  He shrugged but then directed the magnetic force of his personality on us. “I had no idea about either of you years ago, though now that I think about it, Clarissa was the only one who made you smile for a while.”

  Elon shook his head. “That’s not true.”

  “Yeah, it is,” he said and then told me, “Welcome. I’m happy you’re not the enemy.”

  Charlie said, “Don’t get it wrong, Clarissa. We’re all happy you’re with Elon and that we get our sister back.”

  Sister? The word buzzed in my brain. I’d thought all men were like the Norouzis until I'd left. I realized I’d been spoiled. Elon walked me to a seat at the dining table and sat down next to me.

  “Thanks, everyone.”

  Sam took the seat on my other side. “Mom, I like it here.”

  “Me too,” I said.

  Everyone looked happy sitting at a long banquet table built for at least sixty.

  The Norouzi family was a dream come true. Sam recognized that too. And one of the best Norouzis of all was sitting next to me. Elon had certainly grown into a good man. I wished I’d trusted him and his mother with the truth. Sam would have been happier. I would have been too.

  13

  Elon

  Dinner went by quickly, and Clarissa fit in like she’d always been beside me. I blinked and wished I could go back in time and shake myself.

  I’d missed out on the laughter that surrounded me now. After we finished our desserts and headed to the grand room, I cupped her elbow and asked, “Ready for round two?”

  She narrowed her gaze, “What’s happening?”

  The music blared, and my tall, blond brother whose good looks rivaled the actor who played Thor spun her away from me. “You’re hitting the dance floor with me.”

  “Charlie!” She shrieked with laughter.

  My heart thundered. I shouldn’t be jealous. I knew my brother meant no harm, and he’d never interfere in my life, but Clarissa was special. And he was shaking his body and making her laugh.

  No other woman had ever triggered a smidgen of jealousy. I put my hands in my pockets and wished I was carefree. Maybe then I’d make a move.

  Sam tugged on my arm, and I glanced down at him. “Elon, can I go check out the horses with Aurora?”

  His cousin Aurora was about Sam's age, and I assumed the lives of adults were boring to eight-year-olds. I nodded. “I’ll tell your mom.”

  “Thanks.” He patted me on the back like we were friends.

  Clarissa acted like we were friends too. I took my hands out of my pockets when she returned. I needed her to let me know if it was okay to touch her.

  She stood next to me and scanned the room. “Where’s Sam?”

  I motioned to the back door. “Arman’s daughter took him to the stables.”

  Her eyes widened. “And you just let him go?”