“Do you want the paparazzi waiting at the gate?” he countered. If she wouldn’t take care of herself, he had to do something. As the only person who was aware of where she was and what she was doing—the only person nearby, anyway—he was sort of responsible for what happened to her.

He knew how bad it could get if she lost all hope, and he certainly didn’t want to deal with that.

When she said nothing, he turned to look back at the main house. It would serve her right if he gave up and followed through with what he’d threatened. He could hire someone to come over and care for Kiki. But he couldn’t help feeling sorry for Tia. So he offered her one last chance.

“It’s just a meal,” he said. “What will that hurt? I already know who you are, what happened in the accident and that this is where you’re hiding from the world. I’ve already seen the scars you were trying to cover with those bandages yesterday, too. So there’s nothing to be lost and everything to be gained by accepting my offer. All you have to do is assure me that you’re okay, that you’re taking care of yourself and eating, and I’ll leave you alone.”

She didn’t answer.

He knocked again. “Tia? What’s it going to be?”

Her words, when they came, were muted. “I’ll be over later,” she said grudgingly.

He smiled. He’d won this round. “Come at eight. I’ll have dinner ready.”

Five

Tia checked the mirror. She’d showered and dressed in a pair of black slacks and a cream wraparound sweater with pearl earrings, and she’d pulled her hair back in a low ponytail. She’d also put on some makeup, for the first time since the accident, and covered the damaged part of her face with bandages, just as she had last night. She couldn’t stand the sight of her own scars—and if Seth had somehow missed how extensive they were, she wasn’t going to give him a second chance to view them.

She understood what was resting on tonight. This was how he planned to assess her mental and physical well-being, so he’d know whether she could be trusted to stay on her own. If she wanted the peace and quiet—and privacy—she’d come to Silver Springs to obtain, she needed to convince him that she was coping with her recent tragedy.

That meant she’d have to rely on her acting ability now more than ever. Fortunately, she possessed the talent, and she was willing to put on a show it if it meant keeping Seth Turner from bothering her in the future.