Leah stared from the hospital window at the traffic roaring through the streets below. As had happened off and on the entire morning, her vision blurred with unshed tears, but she blinked them away, refused to cry. Her mind hummed with empty thoughts, matching the numbness in her heart. An entire night of thinking, trying to understand, hadn't help her jumbled emotions.

"Leah."

Fiona's soft call roused the girl from her blank stare, and she forced a smile and went to sit at the bedside. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Fiona shook her head and clasped Leah's hand. "I've been awake for a while."

"Why didn't you say anything? Is your throat dry? Do you need water?" Leah had already risen, ready to help, but the maid tightened her grip.

"I'm fine, Leah. I was watching you. Something's wrong."

Despite her best efforts, tears once again stung. Still, Leah smiled, though it wobbled from the effort. "No, everything's fine. You need to focus on healing."

"You aren't a good liar." Fiona hit the button to lift the head of her bed, stopped midway. Her gaze filled with compassion. "And I want to hear your problems. It would make me feel as if I'm taking care of you, just in a different way."

Leah softened. "How can you care about me when you are hurt like you are? Why do you never think of you?"

"Because love won't allow it."

Leah's shell crumpled and finally, tears fell. She cried and recounted the tale of yesterday's events. From Charles's rough treatment to Wren's protection of Samantha, she told all.

"I'm sorry, Leah. I know you care about Wren as much as the rest of us, if not more so. That must have hurt a great deal."

"It did. So much! I feel betrayed."

"But that's not true."

Leah startled. "How is that not true? He took Samantha's side!"

Beginning signs of weariness shadowed Fiona's expression, but the maid appeared determined to continue. "No, he did his job."

"But, he's my butler. That's his job!"

"Again, not true. He's your father's employee."

The young heiress opened her mouth to argue. She needed to argue! She wanted him to be hers, to have the security that he would not leave but be at her side no matter what. Yet, rational reared its ugly head.

"So.."

Fiona's weary sigh interrupted Leah. "I need to rest now. Please, remember... Wren has been and is a true friend to you, but he also seems to have a strong amount of integrity. That's a rare character trait these days. Whatever his reasons, I think you should trust him a bit more than this."

Leah blinked in surprise, but her words died on her lips as Fiona slipped into slumber again. She leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chair. When she replayed everything that had transpired again, her heart clinched in pain. Yet, Fiona's word burned brighter. Maybe, she thought, Wren did have a reason for his actions.

Hope rose inside the young woman. Maybe, just maybe, Fiona was right.

******************************************************

"So, I was thinking tomorrow we could rent a pontoon boat and relax on the lake. I enjoy going every time I visit, and it would be good for you too. We could drag Bates along for the manual work."

Wren turned from the window he was gazing from, struggling to hide his disdain as Samantha moved to his side. " I'm afraid that will not be possible, Miss Queen."

Quirking one reddish-brown eyebrow, Samantha planted hands on her hips. "Why not? In case you didn't understand, there will be no work involved for you."

"I appreciate the consideration, but no. My day off is tomorrow. Actually, I'm allowed to leave at six tonight so you will need to take care of yourself for a while." Six o'clock couldn't come fast enough for him.

"What if I offered to pay you double what you earn in a day?"

Wren raised his own eyebrow. "Double?"

"Yes."

"The answer is still no."

"Then, I'll triple your pay."

Surprised, Wren faced the girl for the first time. "Seriously?"

"I give you my word."

"I don't think you understand how much I'm being paid, Miss Queen."

Samantha raised her chin. "I think you don't understand how wealthy I am."

"Maybe I don't,"--Wren shrugged--"but the answer is still no." He turned back to the window, not wishing to continue the conversation. He could feel her displeasure, but was unprepared when her hand trailed from his shoulder to his elbow. Jerking away, he glared, more than annoyed at her smug expression.

"That's enough!" He narrowed his gaze. "Keep your advances to yourself, or I will bring this to Mr. Kingsley's attention."

Samantha scoffed. "Oh, good grief! You're a man. Please, don't pretend you have no attraction to me."

A sardonic smile lifted Wren's lips. "Miss Queen, you are the last person I would ever allow myself to be in a relationship with. Just stop."

Anger tinged her expression, but she dragged in a breath and plastered on another smile. "If that is how you truly feel, I'll stop."

"It is," Wren dead-panned.

An awkward silence filled the hallway where they stood before Samantha said, "Do you have plans tomorrow?"

"Church."

"Church? Are you serious?"

"Very. Why? Is that a problem?"

Samantha struggled to regain her composer; She'd obviously expected any answer but that. "No, of course not! Perhaps..." She licked her lower lip. "I could visit your church tomorrow?"

"You're kidding?" Though he knew he shouldn't be upset, he was.

Samantha's eyes brightened. "I'm definitely not kidding. What's the name of your church?"

Wren hesitated, then sighed. "Trinity Baptist in Springfield."

"Excellent! I'll hire a taxi to take me there. See you tomorrow and be sure to rest over the weekend." With that, she flounced down the hallway, hips swaying.

Wren groaned. Great. Now he'd even lost his one day off.

**********************************************

Wren had never watched the time so closely as he did that Saturday, and when six o'clock came, he wasted zero time in grabing his overnight bag and dashing from the mansion's doors. To his surprise, however, Edward leaned against the black sedan that parked at the bottom of the porch steps. The first smile of the day lit Wren's face.

"Edward! Hey, how's it going?"

Edward grinned, pushing off the vehicle's hood. Ever since Fiona had awoken, the guard had seemed more himself. "Wren! Man, am I glad to see you."

"Miss me?"

"Actually, yes! I was very much missing you. Guess who I have in the back seat of this thing?" He jutted a thumb towards the sedan.

"Charles. Tied and gagged?"

Edward laughed, heartily. "Very funny. No, it's Miss Kingsley."

Wren jolted in surprise. "Wait, Leah's in the car?"

"Yeah." Edward rubbed his neck. "In a deep sleep too. I can't wake her. This has never happened before, and since you aren't her butler right now, I didn't know what to do."

Wren frowned. "Where's Charles? He supposed to be taking care of her."

"He asked me to keep an eye on her because of an emergency at the office. Then, he rushed off."

"I don't think Tony will appreciate this."

"Nope, I don't think so either, but that's not my problem. Sleeping beauty is, but I'm not allowed to enter the mansion without a serious reason. Against policy. Would you mind...?"

Sighing, Wren opened the back door to find a sleeping Leah. His breath caught as he took in her innocence and vulnerability. She lay unbuckled, curled into a tight ball. Long blond hair cascading over her shoulders and back, Wren stifled the urge to finger a strand. Dark lashes framed her cheeks, and her chest rose and fell with steady, even breathing. All in all, she made an enchanting image. Seeing her caused his throat to tighten.

"I'll take her to her room." Wren said, huskily. Then, without another word or thought, gathered her into his arms. The task was not hard due to her small frame, but his heart skipped a beat when her head came to rest on his shoulder, her hot breath fanning his neck.

Each step placed with care, Wren carried her into the mansion and began to climb the serpentine staircase. As faint stirrings of desire built inside of him, he tried to feel remorse for putting himself so close to his princess. Yet, it didn't come.

"You must be so tired to sleep through all of this, Princess," he whispered. He knew she didn't hear, but the urge to comfort her remained. So, he spoke again. "I'm sorry for all you're going through." Her even breathing was his only response. "It's okay to rest though. I'm protecting you, even if you don't understand that."

Having reached her room, he was thankful the door had been left ajar. He placed her limp frame on her bed and then grabbed a throw from a nearby recliner and covered her with it.

Stepping away, Wren smiled as she groaned and flopped over, swinging one arm at something imaginary. She muttered intangible words before falling silent again.

His heart warmed as he stood over her, watching her sleep in her new contorted position.

I have feelings for this girl.

Where the thought came from, Wren didn't know, but it splashed over him like a bucket of ice cold water, chilled him to the bone. He staggered away a step, realizing how very true that one thought was.

This isn't good! And with that frantic thought in mind, he hurried from the room and soon, the mansion grounds.