Gwh couldn''t quite exin why she missed someone she barely even knew so fiercely. Maybe it was because she''d gotten used to their nightly calls-she''d never talked to anyone else like that before.


    Tonight, Hawthorne was gone, and by eight o''clock, still no call. She figured he was just like every other man: once he got what he wanted, he lost interest. But when she caught the live broadcast, she finally understood-he was still stuck in some business conference.


    No wonder he couldn''t spare a minute.


    Leonie nced at her phone again. All the news coverage had dried up, so she switched the conversation back to tomorrow''s blind date. "I have no idea what kind of guy my mom''s lining up for me," she said. "Here''s the n: you pretend to be me, and I''ll just sit next to you, blending into the background. If you think he''s decent, go ahead and introduce yourself. If not, you turn him down for me. As long as my mom thinks you did the rejecting, she won''t give me a hard time."


    Leonie was basically using Gwh as a human shield. Mrs. Everhart adored her daughter too much to scold her harshly, but she could nag for hours on end. That''s what Leonie dreaded most-her mother''s endless lectures, emotional appeals, and, if it came to it, a few dramatic tears.


    The thought alone made Leonie''s scalp tingle. But now that Gwh was officially her aunt, and Hawthorne''s word wasw in the house, no one would dare argue with her. If Gwh, in her new family role, rejected a suitor, Mrs. Everhart would simply assume the guy wasn''t good enough.


    Gwh hesitated. "Are you sure this will work?"


    She could see right through Leonie''s little scheme, but it wasn''t exactly malicious.


    "Of course it''ll work! You''ve never seen my mom in action. Come on, Auntie, help me out."


    Leonie pouted, putting on her best puppy-dog eyes. Gwh sighed, resigned. "Fine, I''ll do it."


    Leonie perked up immediately, chattering away like a little bird. Gwh had gotten used to the livelypany; with Leonie around, the loneliness she felt when Hawthorne was gone seemed less sharp. She even drifted off to sleep to the sound of Leonie''s cheerful voice, feeling oddly content.


    They slept inte, until the sun streamed through the windows. Gwh rolled over, checked the time, and nearly tumbled out of bed in a panic.


    "Oh no, I''mte!"


    What kind of employee was she, oversleeping like this?


    Leonie, still groggy, rubbed her eyes. "Work? Auntie, it''s the weekend. Who''s going to work?"


    Gwh froze. The weekend? Was it really?


    Leonie, half asleep, mumbled, "Let me check the time. Maybe I got the date wrong."


    But that couldn''t be her mother had


    definitely scheduled the blind date Mrs. Everhart never made


    today


    mistakes about these things.


    Gwh grabbed her phone. Sure enough, it was Saturday.


    Leonie peeked at the screen too, then immediately flopped back onto bed, startling Gwh, who worried something Leonie started to store


    was wrong But W


    softly


    Gwh couldn''t help butugh and shake her head before getting up.


    She was a light sleeper, the kind who couldn''t fall back asleep once awakened.


    The past few days had already been a rare exception.


    The clock on the wall read nine. If she didn''t get up now, she''d really have no


    excuse.


    Leonie had kept her up half the night with random chatter, and Gwh was amazed she''d managed to sleep in so long.


    Seeing that Leonie had no intention of waking up, Gwh tucked the covers around her and crept downstairs.


    "Good morning, ma''am. Breakfast is ready in the dining room."


    The butler waited for her at the


    bottom of the stairs. Gwh still wasn''t used to being addressed that


    way, but sheetforawkward to apk


    him to call her Miss L?ngford.


    After all, she was married to Hawthorne now. She''d just have to get used to being


    Mrs. Everhart.