"So she 's done this before? Left all the glitz and glory of high society? " He waved his hand in the air. It 1made him feel better to think that she was making it all up. It would be short lived after all and that was what Curtis needed. He 'd like it if he could show up to Cynthia 's house for dinner whenever he wanted and not have to see Simone there, and Cynthia wouldn 't be sending him away at night.

"She 's tried to do this before. But she always had something set up with people in her father 's industry. " A look of concern washed over Zach 's face and he reached for this brandy. "In fact, now that I think about it, the first time I met Alexander Hamilton on our first build together, she introduced us. "

Curtis watched his brother-in-law 's jaw clench.

"You don 't think Simone was involved with that woman-beating bastard do you? "

Zach shook his head. "No. She was as uncomfortable with him as I was. But that was how she thought she 'd find independence. By getting involved with others like her father. That never worked out in her benefit. "

Curtis didn 't like the way it sounded at all. If she was so used to the power and the men with it, why come to the one place where no one had power like that. Why move to Nashville to mess with his mind. If she like power, prestige, and poise she 'd come to the wrong place. Curtis had none of that.

"On the way here she said she was going to find a place to live and needed to pay for her lease on her car. "

Zach finally drank down his brandy and looked at Curtis. "I have a tele-conference with her father at the end of the week. I 'll ask him what she 's up to. "

"Good. "

A smile formed on Zach 's lips. "But at least the two of you are talking. "

Curtis shook his head. "Don 't go there, " he said as he stood. "I think I walked into some trap today when I headed to Cynthia 's. She left for a date, dropping Simone right into my care. That wasn 't my idea of fun. "

"So you just brought her back out here? "

The heat in the room was rising and Curtis rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, no. I offered to take her to dinner. "

Zach was obviously trying to hide the smirk on his face again. "And what fancy place did she choose? "

Curtis rested his arms on his knees and 1leaned in toward Zach. "She didn 't choose anything. Instead, she fell asleep in the truck and I took her to my place. I had one steak in the fridge and we shared it. " He thought better of it. "Well, I ate it and she picked at a salad. " Curtis shook his head again. "I 've been a doctor long enough to know something is bothering her and it 's affecting her. It 's eating her up inside. She 's not talking as much as I 've heard you say she does. " That forced a laugh from Zach. "She 's not eating, isn 't drinking, and she just looks plain scared. Whatever reason she 's in Nashville, it 's making her sick. "

"For not wanting to pay attention to someone you 're sure paying a lot of attention. "

Curtis leaned back on the couch. "It 's in the job, that 's all. But if she doesn 't calm down something is going to happen to her. I 'm saying that since you 're her friend and all. "

"Not because you care. "

Now he 'd really like to knock that smirk off Zach 's face. "Might have cared more if you hadn 't had to send for me and buy me clothes just to get off the damn yacht. "

"I 'd do it again if I had to. "

"You 'll never have to. " There was no way he was getting played again. From now on he 'd be treading very carefully around Simone, especially since he knew getting involved with her was like swimming with the sharks.

Curtis stood. "Anyway, let me know what you find out. Now my curiosity is piqued. "

"I 'll look into it. "

Curtis moved toward the office door and opened it.

Zach stood from his seat. "Curtis, thanks for taking care of her. She 's very important to me, a sister if you will. "

He gave his brother-in-law a nod and walked out of the house and to his truck. As he turned around in the drive he could see Simone 's bedroom light turn off. He let out a long breath. Yeah, he 'd take care of her no matter what. She seemed to be very important to him too.

Chapter Six

Simone stumbled down the stairs at six o 'clock and the sun was already too bright. She wished she 'd had the luxury she 'd had her whole life, to stay in bed as long as she 1wanted. To stretch, yawn, and no matter what time you made it into the kitchen there was breakfast waiting for you.

But today she started her new life without the aid of anyone else. There was some merit to feeling totally unprepared for the day. She could do this. Everyone else in the world did it. However, morning sickness wasn 't helping her along.

When she turned the corner into the kitchen Zach was standing over the sink finishing his cup of coffee.

"Bon matin, belle. "

She wrapped her head around his words and with a slow nod said, "Mornin '. "

Zach laughed as he rinsed out his cup. "All right. That 's better, a bit more Southern. I 'll know you 've been transformed when you give me a good y 'all. "

Simone shuffled around him and found the loaf of bread tucked in the cabinet. She took out a slice and dropped it into the toaster all the while knowing Zach was watching her every move with great enjoyment. He always was a morning person and she loathed that about him.

"So today is your first day, huh? "

Simone simply nodded.

"Do you want a ride? "

She shook her head.

"Are you feeling okay? "

She finally looked up, her eyelids heavy. "Idiot! Do not tease me. You know I despise mornings. "

"Excusez-moi. " He was laughing at her. That should have been comfortable. There had been many times in her life that her dearest friend, this idiot, had laughed at her -with her, but now she wasn 't laughing.

"I have to get ready. " She walked out of the kitchen.

"What about your toast? " he called after her, but she kept walking.

An hour later when she 'd walked back down to the kitchen her toast was on a plate smeared with strawberry jelly. A glass of orange juice sat next to it. A note in Zach 's handwriting read, Let 's try this again. Good morning, beautiful. Have a nice day on your first day of work. Love, The Idiot.