Free Billionaire's Runaway Princess by Mia Caldwell Page A

Marisol in full distress. “I’ve messed everything up.”
    “Let’s have a cup of tea, and talk about it,” said Mrs. Kelley.
    “There isn’t anything to talk about. I have no job skills. I can’t use a broom to save my life, and I have no idea how to use that thing.” She pointed dramatically to the washer-dryer set. “And if it weren’t for Danny the doorman, Ryan wouldn’t have had his breakfast this morning or the suit he wanted.”
    “Well, you really are useless then,” said Mrs. Kelley with a serious expression.
    Marisol eyes widened, totally mortified at the words Ryan’s mother spoke. Then Mrs. Kelley broke into a big grin, and Marisol realized she was teasing her.
    “See,” she said brightly. “You heard the worst thing you could, and you’re still standing. So you got some gumption to you. Us Irish appreciate that, the ability to keep standing when the world collapses at your feet. So,” she said picking up a bucket that had bottles of cleaning supplies, “Let’s get this place squared away before Ryan get home.”
    Marisol wiped the tears from her face and followed Mrs. Kelley around the apartment as she explained how to clean different things in the very clean house. She also explained the different pieces of electronic equipment, the television which was cleverly hidden behind a panel above the fireplace, and the sound system. They worked through the house room by room, with Marisol taking lessons in vacuuming, dusting and waxing. They stripped the sheets in Ryan’s and Marisol’s rooms and started the wash.
    “Come on, let’s make some coffee and decide on dinner.” Cheryl walked briskly into the kitchen and pulled out coffee cups from the cabinets.
    “Strange thing about my son, but he sends out all his personal laundry, so you don’t have to worry about it,” Mrs. Kelley said.
    Marisol shook her head.
    “Mrs. Kelley—”
    “Cheryl.”
    “Cheryl, you can drop the pretense. Your son needs a housekeeper like I need a hole in my head. He has everything arranged to lead, from what I can see, the cleanest bachelor’s life ever. Why is he doing this?”
    “I don’t know what you mean, dear.”
    “Yes. You do. I’m homeless, without skills, and utterly useless.”
    “I thought we covered that.”
    “Still, there is no sane reason for your son to hire me, and while we’re at it, why is such a handsome and successful man without a girlfriend. Or is he?”
    Cheryl sighed. “You’re right. There is no girlfriend.”
    “But I heard him tell someone he loved them this morning.”
    “That was me, dear. Like I said, he called to ask me to help you out here.”
    “Oh,” said Marisol.
    “But to answer your question, there are a couple reasons, I think. First, I think he’s afraid he’ll disappoint someone the way that his father disappointed us. Up until Sean left, everyone remarked at how much Ryan was like him. They did everything together. When Sean took off, it devastated Ryan. We never got an answer as to why he left, and all I got was divorce papers in the mail. He never tried to see the children again, and then he was dead a few years later in the car accident.”
    “Oh, that’s terrible. And you’re Catholic.”
    “Yes, after five years, I went and had the marriage annulled for Sean’s failure to recognize that marriage was a permanent union, but it was a hard thing.”
    “I’m sure,” demurred Marisol.
    “But Ryan has also set the bar impossibly high for any woman. There is one woman he’s had a thing for since he was eighteen. To him, she’s perfection and he just won’t let go of the idea of her.”
    “And what of her? Did he ever date her?”
    “No,” said Cheryl.
    “And will he?”
    “Oh, well, we’ll see,” said Cheryl cryptically. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and looked at the time. “Ryan said he’d be home at seven, so let’s order something to be delivered.”
    “I can help with that.”
    Marisol got the household