Luis (Royal Caleva #2)

CHAPTER 20

Eve stood in front of the door to Grace’s suite, trying to pull her thoughts together. Fury, guilt, fear, and a yawning loneliness spiraled inside her. This conversation with her daughter would determine the trajectory of their lives, and Eve wasn’t nearly prepared enough.

She squared her shoulders and knocked. “Grace, it’s Mom.”

“Hey!” Grace swung the door open, wearing one of the teal terry cloth bathrobes they’d found in the suites’ closets. “I thought we weren’t having breakfast until eight.”

Eve stepped inside and hugged Grace, reveling in the smell of her daughter’s freshly shampooed hair and the feel of her young, strong body.

Grace returned the hug before she leaned away to examine Eve’s face. “Mom, are you okay?”

“Yes, but we have a situation.” Eve tucked a strand of hair behind Grace’s ear before she let her go. “We need to talk.”

Eve sat on the sofa while Grace plunked down in a chair beside it. “What’s going on?”

“A paparazzo took a photograph of your father and me on the beach two nights ago.” Eve fiddled with her braid. “We were just walking, but Luis was holding a bottle of champagne, and we were laughing. The media outlet that bought the picture has decided I’m the king’s new girlfriend…and they’re going to identify me as such when the photo is published.”

“I knew there was something going on between you two,” Grace said with satisfaction. “But what’s the big deal about the photo?”

Eve winced at what she would have to say next. “There is concern that Odette Fontaine might see the photo and recognize me, which would lead her to the conclusion that you are in Caleva as well. Evidently, she came to Iowa a few years ago to see you, and she might have seen me too.”

“She was in Iowa?” Grace looked stunned.

“No one knows why she didn’t contact you.” Or they weren’t telling, which was fine with Eve. “Something must have scared her away.”

“Oh.” Grace’s voice was very small.

“Sweetie, be glad she didn’t drag you into her madness.” Eve’s heart was breaking for her daughter.

“I just… It’s strange to think she was there, and I didn’t know it.” Grace gave a little shiver. “Like she was stalking me.”

“Or maybe she was just checking on you. She wanted to see how you had grown up.” Eve took Grace’s hand, twining their fingers together. “But that leads us to now. Your father is afraid that the photograph will trigger Odette into revealing your identity before you’re ready. He believes they can get the photo suppressed for a few days, but that’s the best we can hope for. He wants to make sure your story is told the right way in the media.”

“I understand. They want to make the announcement about me before she can,” Grace said.

“That means you need to decide what you want to be in relation to Luis and Caleva,” Eve said, the weight of her daughter’s choice bowing her shoulders. “But Luis wants to speak with you first…about the realities of being a royal.”

“Raul has given me a pretty good idea,” Grace said.

“He’s told you about the media and lack of privacy? About the possible danger to you, like what happened to his cousin?” Eve nearly choked on the last one.

“Not so much about his cousin. I get the feeling that’s sort of classified,” Grace said. “But I asked him about the other issues. He was pretty honest that it’s not all castles and tiaras.”

Grace sounded so…adult. Having her student daughter living with her sometimes made her forget that Grace was nearly thirty and quite savvy. “That’s good.”

“But there are so many wonderful things about it.” Grace’s face lit up. “I could help the animals of an entire country, not just my vet practice. Maybe I could even influence more countries to follow Caleva’s lead in fighting cruelty to animals. How amazing would that be?”

“I’m proud of you for being so passionate about it,” Eve said with sincerity. But also with inward sorrow. She had lost Grace to the Dragóns. And she could no longer protect her from the dangers that might lie ahead.

Eve paced through all three rooms in their suite at Castillo Draconago, occasionally stopping to stare out a window at the view of the lushly flowering palace gardens dotted with statues and cascading fountains. She was waiting while Luis had his promised heart-to-heart discussion with Grace about the downsides of being a princess.

All those neatly raked gravel paths and artfully pruned shrubs shone a spotlight on the differences between Grace’s future life in Caleva and her former life in the modest old farmhouse in Iowa. Eve already knew what Grace’s choice would be. Her daughter wouldn’t be scared away by anything Luis told her. Eve just wanted Grace to step into her new position with her eyes wide open.

Eve sighed.

She was going to miss Nana Nelle’s house and all the memories she and Grace had made there. Tromping through drifts of snow to haul in the Christmas tree they had cut down themselves. Grace racing around the backyard with whatever dogs were in residence at that time. Sitting on the wicker porch swing, drinking iced tea and eating Scotcheroos. Grace bringing her a baby robin that had fallen out of its nest, the tiny creature so gently cupped in her daughter’s young hands. Sitting on the braided rug in front of a roaring fire, playing Scrabble and sipping hot chocolate.

She swiped her palms across her cheeks to keep the tears from falling and spotting her silk blouse. She would make a new life here in Caleva amid the fragrant vaho hibiscus and giant green lizards. Maybe she could find a house by the ocean. That would be a dramatic change for her landlocked Iowan soul. As long as it was far enough away from Luis that she didn’t get constantly reminded of what they had shared so briefly.

A knock sounded on the door, and she called, “Come in.”

Bridget stepped in and closed the door behind her. “Se?ora, Su Majestad requests that you join him now.”

Eve followed the bodyguard through the corridors of the palace until they entered a sitting room and stopped at a large oak door. Bridget rapped on it twice before opening it and gesturing Eve through. As the door clicked closed behind her, Eve had a blurred impression of a huge ornate desk on one side of the large paneled space and a small dining table in another corner before her gaze settled on Grace and Luis. They sat across from each other in two leather armchairs in a seating area that also held a couch and coffee table. Luis stood as she came into the room. His tailored gray suit showed off his broad shoulders and long legs, making her picture the swells and valleys of muscle underneath the fabric all too vividly.

Their gazes caught and held, an electric current of emotions crackling between them.

“I told her the truth,” Luis said, his voice deep and raw.

“Thank you,” Eve said before she tore her attention away from him to gauge how her daughter had weathered Luis’s revelations. “Sweetheart, how are you feeling?” she asked as she sat on the sofa and leaned in to search her daughter’s face. She found no fear, just a touch of shock.

“A little overwhelmed,” Grace said before she lifted her chin. “But I’ve made my choice. After graduation, I want to return to Caleva and be a full-fledged princess, in line for the throne after Raul. That will give me the strongest platform to work from.”

Then her shoulders sagged, and she scooted onto the couch beside Eve, winding her arms around her. “It’s a lot, Mom, and I’m sorry to drag you away from home, but you’ll come with me, right?”

“You know I will,” Eve reassured her with a squeeze, even as she fought back tears. She had expected Grace’s decision—had thought she was braced for it—but the reality of it still hit her like a mule’s kick in the gut.

Her little Grace would be a princess. It was surreal.

“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” Eve choked out. “You’ll do great things.”

Then she couldn’t stop the tears, which made Grace cry too. They simply held each other for a long moment before Grace sat back, her mascara smudged, her face glistening with tear tracks. Without thinking, Eve looked around and found Luis leaning forward, a tooled leather box of tissues in his hand.

Not a handkerchief this time.

Grace yanked a couple tissues out of the box and handed one to Eve.

Eve mopped her face and then grabbed another tissue to clean up Grace’s smudged mascara. Her daughter smiled as Eve dabbed at the black streaks.

Eve balled up the soggy paper in her fist and snuck a glance at Luis. He sat on the edge of his chair, his face taut with concern.

He had gotten what he wanted. She had known he would the minute she’d realized who he was back in the lawyer’s office in Ames. He could offer Grace an entire country. Her daughter would be crazy to turn it down.

“I would give you more time to digest this, but we have further decisions to make.” His voice was gentle.

“I’m fine,” Grace said. “What else do we need to talk about?”

His lips thinned to a grim line before he said, “Bruno will schedule a press conference as soon as I tell him when, but we need to decide on what we will say about your background, hija mía.”

“You mean about Odette Fontaine,” Grace said.

“I do not want your introduction to Caleva to be tarnished by Odette’s ugliness,” Luis said, his voice low.

“I don’t see how we get around that,” Grace said. “All our friends in Ames know I’m adopted, so we can’t say that Mom is my birth mother.”

“Not to mention that there’s adoption paperwork on record,” Eve pointed out.

“No, we cannot use that subterfuge,” Luis said, “but we might be able to arrange another one. We will say that your birth mother is deceased and that we will not reveal her name to protect her family’s privacy.” He grimaced. “Of course, there are certain members of the media who feel that no one is entitled to privacy, so they will go digging. We will need to mislead them. Mikel can find a deceased Calevan woman who fits the parameters, and Quinn can lay a false electronic trail that connects her to your adoption records.”

“That’s real spy stuff.” Grace sounded impressed.

“But what about Odette? What would stop her from insisting that she’s Grace’s birth mother?” Eve asked. “Won’t the DNA in that databank be a problem?”

“That DNA record has been permanently erased,” Luis said. “We would say that Odette’s claim is that of a criminal convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder. With our false trail, her claim should not receive much credence.”

“But she could still stir up that ugliness you were trying to avoid,” Eve said, dreading that for her daughter.

“I’ll talk to her,” Grace said, sitting up straight. “I can persuade her.”

“No!” Luis’s voice was sharp. “I don’t want her to feel she has any power over you.”

“I’m not afraid of her,” Grace said. “Which means that she has no power.”

“Ay, mi cielito, you do not know her,” Luis said, gentling his tone. “She does not think like a normal person.”

Eve wanted to agree with Luis in order to protect their daughter from a monster, but she knew Grace better than that.

“I need to meet her,” Grace said, her chin lifted. “Maybe I can solve our problem at the same time.”

Luis turned to Eve with a plea in his eyes, but she shook her head. Before she had adopted Grace, Eve had read as much as she could on how an adopted child felt. She had learned that no matter how loving the adoptive mother was, a child still carried the wound of abandonment deep inside. Grace had the chance to confront the woman who had chosen to give her away. It was important to let her do it.

“I want to go with you to the prison,” Eve said, putting her arm around Grace and feeling the tension in her shoulders. “I’ll wait outside while you meet Odette, but I’ll be there when you are done.”

Maybe she was a coward, but she did not want to watch Grace face the monster who was her biological mother while being powerless to help her daughter through the ordeal.

“Of course,” Luis said. “I will accompany you as well.”

Grace took a deep breath. “Okay, how soon can we do it?”

“Tomorrow,” Luis said. “Tonight, I want you to meet the rest of my family.”

At seven in the evening, Luis walked into the Sala de los Enebros, the juniper-wood-paneled sitting room where the family always gathered before dinner. His assembled relatives all turned to fix their gazes on him.

“What is this urgent news you have for us?” Lorenzo asked, his forehead furrowed with concern. “You are not ill?”

“Not at all,” Luis said, touched by Lorenzo’s worry. His brother was not generally demonstrative. “I have good news.”

“Do not keep us in suspense,” Hélène, Lorenzo’s wife, said from where she perched gracefully on a velvet-and-gilt chair, her blond hair gleaming.

Luis swept his gaze around the people in the room, the inner circle of his family. He nodded to Raul, leaning casually against the arm of a sofa, and smiled at Quinn and Gabriel, who sat close beside each other on a green love seat.

“I am happy to announce that our family is about to expand. I have a daughter, a half sister to Raul.” He watched surprise and shock ripple over their faces.

“You have done a DNA test?” Lorenzo asked as the implications sank in. “Of course you have.”

“Yes, there is no doubt that she is mine,” Luis said.

“May we inquire who her mother is?” Hélène asked.

“I will get to that,” Luis said. “But I wish to tell you more about Grace first. Her mother gave birth to her and immediately gave her up for adoption. A young couple from Iowa became her parents. Unfortunately, they divorced soon thereafter, and her mother, Eve Howard, raised her as a single mother, with courage, resourcefulness, and strength. Grace is an impressive young woman because of that upbringing. She is in her last year of veterinary school.”

“That’s why the American vet students came here,” Gabriel exclaimed.

Luis smiled, mentally giving Quinn full marks for her discretion. She had not even told her fiancé about the potential veterinary school. “Precisely.”

“Ah, she is here in Caleva,” Hélène said. “Will we be meeting her this evening?”

“Both Grace and her adoptive mother will be joining us,” Luis said. “But I wished to give you time to absorb the news.”

Gabriel stood and approached Luis, his face alight. “I am very happy for you, Tío. You have always wanted a larger family.” He ignored protocol and laid his hands on Luis’s shoulders to give them an affectionate squeeze. “That’s why you made me feel as though I were Raul’s brother, not a mere cousin.”

“You’re just relieved to get moved down the line of succession, Gabri,” Raul joked.

“Well, yes, that too,” Gabriel said with his brilliant smile.

“Gracias, sobrino mío,” Luis said, matching Gabriel’s grasp of his shoulders. Now that his nephew had found the love of his life, Gabriel had become the emotional lodestone of the family. He did not hesitate to express what others might not. Luis cherished his openness.

“We are all delighted to welcome a new member to the family,” Hélène said smoothly. “Especially a young one to liven us up.”

“Raul, when did you know?” Lorenzo asked. “About your media hermana, your half sister.”

“As soon as Pater first found out about the possibility,” Raul said, avoiding the touchy part of the situation.

Lorenzo turned to Luis. “How long ago was that?”

Now for the ugly part. “The day Raul gave the opening speech for the joint consejos.”

“When you were supposed to give the address,” Lorenzo said. “But why?”

“Because Odette Fontaine blackmailed me into canceling my appearance. She forgot that I had a worthy substitute, who handled the speech superbly.” Luis let his proud gaze rest on his son.

“Odette?” Hélène frowned. “What did she—?” Horror dawned on her elegant face. “Mon Dieu, non! It cannot be! Odette is the mother?”

Luis understood Hélène’s reaction, but anger still flared.

“Odette is Grace’s biological mother, but do not visit the sins of the mother on the child,” Luis admonished with all the authority of his position. “When you meet Grace, you will see that she is nothing like her birth mother.”

“Why didn’t Odette tell you about the child back then?” Hélène asked. “She wanted you to marry her. That would have forced your hand.”

“She claims she didn’t know she was pregnant when I broke off the relationship,” Luis said, the anger fading to pain. “When she discovered her condition, she decided to punish me by giving our child away.”

“She could not have chosen a crueler revenge,” Lorenzo said, his eyes dark with sorrow. “I am so sorry.”

“Gracias, mi hermano,” Luis said, touched again by his brother’s understanding. “But at least our story has a happy ending. Grace will join our family as the princess she should have always been.”

“Does Grace know who her biological mother is?” Gabriel asked, touching the ear that had been reconstructed after his kidnapping. “That is a heavy burden to shoulder.”

“She knows,” Luis said. “She is troubled by it, but she was raised by a woman who overflows with goodness and decency. That gives Grace the confidence to repudiate the ugly legacy of her birth mother.”

Raul spoke up. “I have spent enough time with Grace to be certain that she shares nothing of Odette’s insanity. She is caring and empathetic. She intends to use her position as princess to advocate against cruelty to animals.”

Luis nodded to his son with gratitude.

“What about her adoptive mother?” Hélène asked. “How does she feel about her daughter’s new position?”

Eve’s tears from that morning haunted him. “It is perhaps harder for her than for Grace,” he admitted. “But she plans to move to Caleva after Grace graduates from veterinary school.” He looked at Quinn. “I hope you can help your fellow Americans acclimate to Caleva.”

“Honestly, it isn’t hard to love it here, but I’ll be happy to do whatever I can,” Quinn said.

“Thank you,” Luis said with a smile at the young woman. He added an undertone of steel when he scanned the assembled group and said, “Are you ready to welcome my daughter into the family?”

“Of course we will welcome her,” Hélène said. As always, she was aware of the nuances of a difficult situation. “She is your child.”

Hélène had more reason than anyone but Gabriel to hate Odette. Luis admired her generosity in setting aside the terrible half of Grace’s parentage.

Luis nodded and pulled out his phone to tap the button notifying Bridget that Grace and Eve should join them.

Eve was concerned when Grace reached for her hand as they followed Bridget through the corridors of the palace.

“It will be fine,” Eve said, giving her daughter’s fingers a reassuring squeeze. “If they don’t behave, your father will throw them in the dungeon.”

Grace gave a choked-off laugh. “It’s handy to have a king for a father.”

Sometimes. Eve wished with all her heart that Luis had been someone less. Less prominent. Less constrained by tradition. Less devastatingly attractive.

But then he wouldn’t be Luis.

As they rounded a corner, Eve nearly gasped. Luis stood waiting in the hallway, looking like all the things she wished he wasn’t—regal, commanding, and sexy as hell in his pale blue shirt and charcoal gray trousers. Even worse, when he saw them, his eyes lit with warmth and excitement.

“Buenas noches,” he said, smiling. “My family eagerly awaits you. Please come in.” He opened the door and gestured them through.

Eve hung back so that Grace could go first. Unfortunately, that allowed Luis to place his hand on the small of Eve’s back to usher her in. His touch scorched through the fabric of her dress like a brand, the heat radiating across her skin to settle deep inside her. She broke the contact as soon as she could, stepping away from him so that he could be beside his daughter.

Of course, all the people in the room had turned to face them, and she felt caught in a spotlight. Then everyone stood as Luis escorted Grace into the room.

“Lorenzo, my daughter, Grace, and her mother, Eve,” Luis said, stopping in front of a man who was nearly his twin. Lorenzo lacked Luis’s air of command, though, and a shadow of sadness enfolded him. “My brother, Lorenzo, el Duque de Bruma.”

Lorenzo took Grace’s proffered hand in both of his. “I am delighted to meet you. Welcome to the family. We are very happy to have you here.” His smile seemed sincere if subdued.

“A pleasure to meet you too,” Grace said.

Lorenzo then turned to Eve with his hand held out. “An honor. My brother speaks highly of you and what an excellent mother you are.”

Eve murmured something polite as she flushed at the praise from Luis. But of course he would tell them that to counteract the taint of Odette Fontaine.

It went on that way as they were introduced to the others. Everyone spoke words of welcome and joy at having a new addition to the family. They seemed sincere, but it was a relief to greet Quinn, who said in a low voice as Luis moved on, “I know what it’s like to meet them all at once. You’re doing great.”

It was overwhelming. These people—even Quinn as Gabriel’s fiancée—knew exactly where they belonged in the world. They weren’t arrogant or condescending or overbearing. There was no need to be. They were royal dukes and duchesses and princes and kings. Their place in the hierarchy was crystal clear, and it was at the very top.

Grace was holding up well, but Eve could see the tension in her shoulders. Yet when her daughter faced each of the Dragóns, her features were reflected there. It was clear that Grace belonged in this room.

Eve did not.

From now on, she would be a visitor in her daughter’s world. Eve had to hold on to her smile as her lips threatened to tremble.

As Grace was drawn into conversation with the younger generation, Luis stopped beside Eve. “Our daughter is amazing,” he said, love ringing in his voice.

That nearly tipped Eve into weeping. She swallowed and managed to choke out, “Yes, she is.”

He must have heard her struggle, because he lowered his head to speak with soft concern. “I hope you are glad to meet my family. I want you to know and like them.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

Somehow, he guessed her feelings. “Eve, you are a part of this family as well. You are Grace’s mother, and that secures you a place of great respect here.”

“I…I appreciate that,” she said.

Hélène approached them, rescuing Eve from Luis’s kindness. She took a deep breath to fight back the tears.

“I know that Luis has enlisted Quinn’s assistance,” the blond duchess said. “But I wish to offer you mine as well. I have spent a fair amount of time in the U.S., so I am aware of the cultural differences.” Her smile softened the perfect angles of her face.

“Thank you,” Eve said, understanding that Hélène also offered the experience of someone closer to her own age. “I look forward to learning about Caleva from your perspective.”

A woman dressed in black trousers, a white shirt, and a Calevan green tie approached and bowed silently to Luis. He nodded before offering one arm to Eve and the other to Hélène. “Let us go into dinner. I am fortunate to be able to escort two beautiful women to the table.”

Eve slid her hand around his elbow and braced herself for the unwanted thrill of touching the firm muscles of his forearm under the fabric of his shirt. How long would it take to stop reacting to him this way?

As they approached the table, the same woman who had signaled Luis about dinner pulled out the chair to the left of the head of the table. Luis smoothly handed Hélène into the proffered seat before bringing Eve around to the right-hand chair, which he pulled out himself. When she was seated, he went to the head of the table and sat without ceremony, although she caught him wincing slightly. At least she wasn’t the only one still feeling the aftereffects of their riding expedition.

She glanced down the table to see Raul holding a chair for Grace. Gabriel and then Quinn sat on the same side as Eve, facing the prince and her daughter, while Lorenzo sat at the foot of the table. In between, the glow of candles in silver candlesticks reflected off crystal, silver flatware, and the gilt dragons painted on the chargers at each place setting. Not exactly casual.

As soon as everyone was settled, Luis surprised her by saying a brief prayer of thanks. He must have seen her puzzlement, because he leaned over to say, “It is a tradition within the palace to always say grace.”

She nodded as servers placed small plates of something that looked similar to Iowa ham balls in front of each diner.

“Chef Marta thanks you for the recipe,” Luis said, a smile lighting his eyes. “Although she says that she has given it a Calevan twist. I’m not sure what that means.”

“Ham balls!” Raul exclaimed. “I dream of these!”

As Hélène looked confused, Eve said, “They’re a specialty from our home state of Iowa.” She turned to Luis. “It was kind of you to ask your chef to make them for us.”

“It was Raul’s request, not mine,” Luis said, spearing a ham ball with his silver fork. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Everyone politely complimented the Iowan cuisine. Eve would have laughed if she hadn’t felt so out of her depth. Even the so-called informal dining room seemed calculated to overwhelm her, with its green silk-covered walls, gilt-framed paintings, and tall windows hung with yards and yards of matching silk.

She mentally squared her shoulders. She was here to support Grace and to make sure no one made her daughter feel in any way unwelcome.

As dinner progressed, it became apparent that she need not have worried. Luis firmly steered the conversation to topics that Grace would enjoy or was knowledgeable about. He made sure their daughter shone in front of his family.

His family reciprocated, drawing Grace out and paying flattering attention to her words. Of course, Eve was included, both by Luis’s skill and by the fact that Iowa and veterinary matters were prominent in the discussion.

By the end of the main course, Eve was glowing with pride at how brilliantly Grace was handling the situation. Even more, she might admit to liking Luis’s family members.

She turned to tell Luis and found his gaze resting on Grace, his face filled with the same pride she felt. A sudden lightness floated through her, as though a weight had slid away. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out why, and then it hit her.

She would no longer be a single parent. Luis would share her responsibility for supporting and protecting Grace from now on. For all that it made her sad to loosen the close bond she and Grace shared, it was also a relief to know that there was another person in the world who would always be there for their daughter. Not to mention that Grace’s other parent could wield his considerable power and influence on her behalf.

Before she thought about it, Eve leaned in to touch Luis’s hand where it rested on the linen tablecloth. “Thank you,” she said. “You are a good father.”

He turned his hand to grasp hers before she could withdraw it, his fingers strong and warm around hers. “It is easy to be a father to Grace. You have raised an exceptional young woman.”

He tightened his grip a moment before releasing her hand, and she mourned the loss of the connection.

She couldn’t stop herself from thinking of the secret passage that led from the king’s chambers to where she would sleep tonight.

Luis felt the imprint of Eve’s hand against his skin after he reluctantly let go. Her unexpected touch had sent a sear of desire through him, even as her words made his heart swell. She had acknowledged him as their daughter’s father with a look of happiness. No longer was he the interloper, the bringer of danger, the disruptive influence. A tension he hadn’t recognized he carried eased.

Now he wanted to pull Eve into his arms and kiss her until she agreed to come to his bed again.

Instead, he sat back and watched his family embrace his daughter and her mother. Contentment flowed through him like a warm, buoyant river. Somehow, he had sensed that he was missing a piece for all the years of Grace’s life. Now he had found her, and his family was complete.

His pleasure faltered as he realized that Eve’s presence was part of his feeling of well-being. If she were not at the table, he would not be experiencing the same delight in the gathering. Yes, he wanted to tear off her clothes and taste every inch of her skin, but he also wanted her laughter, her strength, her good sense, and her bone-deep decency. She was an anchor that he could trust.

“What is it?” Eve asked in a low voice, and he realized he was frowning.

He couldn’t lie to her. “I was thinking about how important you are to this.” He swept one hand around to indicate the people at the table.

And to me. But he couldn’t say that yet.

She shook her head. “Grace will do fine. Your family is being lovely. I’m surprised to say this, but I like them.”

“Surprised? Why?” Yet gratification warmed him.

“Oh, gee, I don’t know. Maybe because they’re royalty, and their lives are as different from mine as…as a Martian’s.” She spoke lightly, but he heard the conviction in her words.

“What is the saying? ‘We still put our pants on one leg at a time.’” He matched her tone.

“No, you have a valet to hold your pants while you leap into them with both feet,” she said.

And there it was…the laughter he treasured.

Hélène was watching them with a speculative expression, so Luis included her in the conversation to keep her from drawing too many conclusions.

Conclusions he wasn’t sure of himself.