A Shower of Arrows

Chapter One: Coming Home

"Uncle Nate!" Lacey screamed the minute she saw her uncle and began tugging at her car seat buckle. 

"Lacey-Lou, you need to stay in your seat. Wait until we've stopped the car." Grace glanced at her daughter in the mirror and silently cheered when Lacey listened to her. One battle down, she thought.

"Mummy, look! It's a princess castle!"

Grace looked at where she was pointing and saw a gorgeous house that was covered in ivy, with manicured gardens and big windows across the front. The roof was a soft gray colour that finished the house with a romantic, story book finish. 

"What princess lives there? Do you think I can meet the princess?"

"Maybe. What princess do you think lives there? Maybe Queen Elsa?"

Lacey starred at her mother obviously. "No mummy, Queen Elsa lives in the ice palace." Lacey's tone suggested as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Grace tried to hide her smile from her and parked the car. She unbuckled Lacey from her seat and she took off like a blur. Grace turned and saw her brother, Nate, catch her and toss her up in the air. Lacey's giggles filled the air but Grace just worried that she would fall onto the gravel. 

"Lace, do you want to go see your bedroom? I think there could be a surprise in there for my favourite niece." 

At the prospect of presents Lacey took off into the house. Nate turned to Grace and wrapped her in a giant bear hug. "Welcome home, Grace." 

Grace and Nate walked to the front door and into the large lounge room that was filled with boxes. The kitchen and dining room was on the right and a small bedroom and powder room was on the left with the stairs going down to the basement and up to Grace and Lacey's bedrooms and another bathroom. It was huge compared to the apartment they left in the centre of London. 

Lacey continued buzzing around the house while Grace tried to unpack the necessities for herself and Lace. Lacey had found her costume box and was now wearing fairy wings with her father's old flannel jacket and mismatched gumboots. She was chasing bubbles that her new bubble machine was creating, courteously given to her by Nate. Soon Grace gave up trying to unpack the kitchen boxes.

"Lace, why don't we go outside and play in the grass? We can build a fairy house with the empty boxes. We'll take your bubbles as well." 

Lacey attempted to pick up the box that was double the size of her and she was getting frustrated when it toppled over on herself. Grace instantly ran to her and picked the box off her and sighed with relief when she could hear Lacey giggling.

They went out side and began assembling a fairy house. That was when Grace saw him. A man was getting out of a black SUV to the massive house next to her's. He was stunning and also staring at her. He caught her ogling at him. Grace could feel her face go scarlet red and bent down to play with Lacey. Nate looked up from the patio and began waving his arm and calling to the mysterious stranger.

"Oliver! Oliver!" 

Damn he had a gorgeous name that sent shivers down her spine. Oliver turned around waved. He grabbed a shirt from his car and continued walking. 

"Oliver is my business partner. Oliver this is my sister Grace and niece Lacey."

"H-h-h-hi" 

Damn it woman you have a degree and an education, act like it. Grace scolded herself. 

Oliver went to open his mouth but Lacey came bounding up to him. 

"Do you live in the princess castle? If you did we can be best friends. I want to come see your house and meet all the princesses you have in there."

Oliver bent down to see Lacey's level which was an impressive distance since he was well over 6 foot and smiled. 

"I do live in that house. But can it be a castle for a prince?"

Lacey paused for a second to think about the offer. 

"Okay but once you meet a princess will it become a princess castle?"

Oliver smiled at the innocence of the question. 

"It will become a queen's castle." 

Lacey's grin was so big that it had to be hurting her cheeks. 

"Would you like a hand?" 

Oliver was staring at Grace with bright green eyes, Grace thought she could gaze into forever and still be fascinated by them. 

"Mummy he asked you a question."

Lacey's voice snapped Grace out of her daze and Oliver had a little smirk on his face. 

"Uhhh--- No thanks--" 

"That would be great! Thanks!" Nate cut Grace off and smirked at her. Looks like Oliver wasn't the only one who caught her staring 

Oliver gestured to go into the house and Grace scooped Lacey up and took her inside. Oliver and Nate set out the furniture and Lacey and Grace started unpacking her room. Grace kept staring out the door to catch a glimpse of Oliver and he always seemed to catch Grace staring at him.   

"Nate?" Grace called downstairs. 

Oliver appeared at Lacey's door. 

"Can I help?" 

"Umm I need help making Lacey's bed, but Nate can help me, you've done plenty."

"I'm here now. I'll complete it, besides Nate's on the phone outside."

Oliver made it look so easy and he looked so good putting a purple bed together. Grace was hanging photo's around the room and Oliver noticed the man featured in most of them. There was one of him and Grace who was obviously pregnant. There was another one with the same man smiling and cradling a newborn baby. There was more recent photos of Grace and Lacey together but no more with that man. 

"Can I ask you a question?"

Grace jumped when Oliver spoke. 

"Sure, what's up?"

"Where is your husband? I can see your wedding ring and you have photos of a man everywhere but he isn't here."

Grace looked at the floor and sighed. She hated seeing the look on people's face when she told them she was a widow at 23.

"He died when Lacey was three weeks old. He went to the grocery store to get some things for dinner and was hit by a cab."

Oliver looked at Grace and said "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Grace smiled at him and turned around. 

It was a good ten minutes before either of them spoke again. 

"Would you and Lacey like to come for dinner at my home tonight? My twin sister will be there and she has a daughter a little older than Lacey."

"I'm sure it'll be nice for you and Lace to meet some new people that aren't mum or dad." 

Nate suddenly appeared in the doorway. 

"Um, sure. Can I bring anything?"

There was something about Oliver that made Grace want to get to know him. Those thoughts scared and excited her. It had been years since anyone made her feel this way. 

"No, I'll let our chef know to make three extra meals. Anything you won't eat?"

"I'm a vegetarian, and Lacey will anything even if it's not food."

Oliver looked at Grace and smiled.