by Raye Morgan
Mei’s huge dark eyes were unreadable, but Kelly could tell her strong words were having an effect, so she stopped. She didn’t want to overwhelm her with emotions. Pulling her close, she hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, “Daddy loves you. And you love your daddy. You just don’t know it yet.”
The walk home wasn’t as filled with fun as the walk to the pier had been, but they returned in time to greet the new nanny. Mrs. Gomez was a warm and lovely older woman, and Kelly could tell right away she was going to work out fine. It was a relief to have someone else to help with the burden of caring for Mei every day. That couldn’t go on forever. But for now, it was the way things had to be.
Once Kelly had met Mrs. Gomez, she had no more doubts about her possibly being a spy sent by Sonja. The woman was an open book, a wonderful lady who loved children. But after a couple of hours, Kelly began to wonder what her own purpose here was.
She said as much to Joe. “I guess I could go back to my hotel,” she offered, as she helped him wash dishes after lunch.
He looked at her in horror. “What are you talking about?
“I…well, with Mrs. Gomez here, I thought…”
It hit him like a thunderbolt—Kelly might leave. For some reason he’d just assumed she was going to be around as long as he needed her. That was foolish, wasn’t it?
He frowned, his gaze traveling over every inch of her, really seeing her, really feeling how empty it would be around here without her. He liked her. He liked her a lot. Maybe too much.
Now why would he think a thing like that? Because of Angie?
He waited a second or two for the pain to grip his heart. There it was, but not quite as sharp as usual. And not quite as anguished.
He turned away, disturbed. A tiny thread of panic hit him for a moment. Was he losing his feelings about Angie? Were they going to fade?
He remembered when they had racked him with such torture he’d almost thought about ending it all. Life hadn’t seemed worth living without her. He didn’t think he could go on with such pain wrapped around him like a straitjacket. And then, little by little, the pain had become a part of him.
Was it going to fade if he let himself fall for Kelly? Without it, would he still be the man he thought he was?
He looked at her again and knew it didn’t matter. He liked her. He wanted her around. She made him happy in a totally different way than Angie had. But happy was happy. He didn’t want Kelly to leave.
“You thought you wouldn’t have anything to do here?” he challenged with a smile. “You’re nuts.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “There’s always me to satisfy.”
She couldn’t keep from smiling at that one. “You want me to stay?”
“Heck, yes.”
“Are you sure?”
He turned and held her by the shoulders. “Let’s put it this way—you’re not going anywhere.”
She shivered with a feeling very close to delight. His hands felt warm and protective, and he was leaning closer, looking at her mouth. He just might kiss her.
“I’m going somewhere on Saturday,” she reminded him. “I have to go home.”
“Not if we think of a way to keep you here,” he said huskily, and his mouth took hers gently, and then with more urgency, kissing her again and again, until her lips parted and she invited him in. His arms came around her and she arched into his embrace.
“Kelly, Kelly,” he murmured against her ear. “You’ve got to stay. I can’t do without you.”
Mrs. Gomez was coming down the hall with Mei, and they pulled apart, but Kelly carried the warmth of his words and the thrill of his kiss with her for the rest of the afternoon. It didn’t mean a thing, she knew, but it sure was nice. While it lasted.
Despite the teasing and the kissing, it was quite evident that Joe was troubled by all the changes in his life. When he announced he was taking some time off to go surfing, Kelly knew he really needed space alone to think. She watched him walk away in his cutoff shorts, with his board under his arm and his wet suit over his shoulder and sighed. He was so gorgeous. But he had so much on his mind, and she hoped he found some peace in the cold California waters.
She called her office to see if there was any news, or if Jim had found out anything about Sonja Smith. She hadn’t expected much on that score, and sure enough, he hadn’t found anything.
“I did find that there are a number of small enclaves of Ambrian exiles we didn’t have in the database before, all centered around the San Diego area. So she is probably a member of one of those.”
“But you don’t know much about them.”
“Nope. Still working on that.”
“Okay, Jim. Here goes. I got a pretty good confirmation. Joe is almost certainly Prince Cassius.”
“So you think he’s the real deal.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Only DNA testing can prove it. Is he willing?”
“He will be. Can you work on getting him a liaison to the current wise men involved? I think someone ought to contact him about going to the funeral.”
“You got it. I know who to call.”
“Thanks.”
“Shall I have him phone you?”
She sighed. “No. I won’t be here much longer. Better call Joe directly.”
“Okay. And Kelly?”
“Yes?”
“Good work.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Jim.” And as she hung up she realized he hadn’t made one joke at her expense.
Chapter Ten
KELLY TOOK MEI down to the strand where the best surfing was, looking for Joe. They found him just as he was coming out of the water. He was wearing his wet suit now and at first Mei looked at this monster in black neoprene coming toward them in horror. When he got close she realized who it was, and Kelly noticed that although she didn’t react in a friendly manner, she wasn’t stiff with resentment as she’d been before. And when he shook his head, spraying water all over her, Mei actually laughed and clapped her hands together. And then she turned away when he smiled at her.
Joe didn’t care right now. The moment was too good to let little things spoil it. He’d had a good workout and thought some things through, and he’d seen his two favorite women in the world standing in the sand, waiting for him as he came out of the ocean.
Good times. His heart was full.
They walked back to the house, enjoying the afternoon sun as it slanted against the neighborhood windows. It wasn’t until they were back at the house that Joe told her he was going out in a half hour.
“I’ve got an appointment, believe it or not. I need a shower and then I’ll be gone for about an hour or so.”
“Oh,” she said. “Okay. Well, I have some things to do. I guess I’ll see you later.”
He looked at her quizzically. “So you’re not going to ask me who the appointment is with?” he teased, as she started to turn away.
She gazed at him, wide eyed. “It’s really none of my business. But if you want to tell me…”
He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “No, not really. It’ll just get you all riled up.”
Now, of course, she had to know.
“Okay, Joe. You’re dying to tell me. So tell me already. Who’s your appointment with?”
He grinned at her. “Sonja. I’m meeting her at the coffee place.”
Kelly put one hand on her hip and glared at him. “What?”
“I saw her this morning when I went to the Baby Boutique to find the sweatsuit for Mei. She wants to go over some of her ideas with me.”
“What sort of ideas?” Kelly asked suspiciously.
“I guess I’ll find out when we meet,” he said cheerfully. “I’d ask you to come along, but something tells me we wouldn’t get much accomplished that way.”
He was right about that. Kelly fumed a bit, then told him, “Joe, you have to be very careful what you say around her. I really think she could be trouble.”
“Really?”
�
�Don’t let your guard down. And especially don’t tell her about last night.”
He pretended to look innocent. “You mean about how you were all over me on the couch?” he said, looking dreamy. “Frankly, I don’t think she’d be interested.”
“No, you know what I mean. About the things from your childhood. About our new determination about you. Things like that. It would be better if she didn’t know.”
He nodded, basically agreeing with her. “Despite the way I kid around, Kelly, I do understand where you’re coming from. I’ll be careful.”
“I wish you wouldn’t go at all,” she fretted as the time came. “What if she—?”
“Hush.” Joe put a finger to her lips. “I’ll be back in an hour. You stay here and keep the home fires burning. Okay?”
Joe left for the coffee shop and Kelly began to pace. Every “what if?” possible was tumbling through her brain. Sonja was up to something. Kelly didn’t trust her an inch. Why was he so easily taken in by her flirtatious act? He thought he was invincible, didn’t he? He was going to get blindsided. If only Kelly was there to help him!
That was it. She had to be there to help him. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? But she couldn’t just walk in and stomp up to their table and flop down and join them. Though it would be fun to start needling Sonja, that wouldn’t work out well.
No. She had to go incognito.
Racing to the room where she was storing her clothes, she pulled out the baggy sweatpants and hoodie sweatshirt she’d worn the day she first came face-to-face with Joe. It was the only disguise she had, so it would have to do. She asked Mrs. Gomez to listen for Mei, who was taking her nap, and she set off for the coffee shop.
She saw them right away, but they didn’t even look up, so she wasn’t afraid of being spotted. She ordered her drink, then took a table on the other side of the room and slipped into the chair, keeping her hood down over her eyes.
She could see them quite well, but couldn’t hear a word. They were talking animatedly. Sonja seemed to be trying to convince him of something. He was shaking his head and generally doing what Joe did best—resisting joining in with female plans.
Sonja begged. Sonja pleaded. Sonja flirted and tried to persuade. Her body language told it all. And Joe deflected every bit of her proposal with humor and a shrug.
Which was all very well. But what else did Sonja have on her agenda for later? What was she planning to do to Joe? That was what was worrying Kelly.
For a moment, he seemed to get angry. He was making his own points rather forcefully. Kelly strained her ears, but she still couldn’t hear a thing.
Then Sonja grabbed his hand and leaned toward him, pleading for something. Joe was looking long-suffering. He shifted away from Sonja. She leaned in closer. He turned his head away—and his eyes met Kelly’s. He went completely still.
It was as though an electric charge ignited the air between them. Kelly glanced around quickly, sure others must have seen it. He stared at her and she stared back. And slowly, a grin began to spread across his handsome face.
What was he going to do? She tensed, ready to run if she had to. He was still talking to Sonja, but he was looking at Kelly. In fact, he was making faces at her! She pretended to sip on the straw in her frappuccino, but her cheeks were flaming, she knew. No matter how much she pulled her hoodie down, she couldn’t cover that up.
Finally Joe seemed to tell one too many jokes, and Sonja got up and left in a huff, leaving him behind at the table. He rose slowly and walked across the room to where Kelly was sitting, stopping at her table and waiting. Finally she couldn’t stand it anymore and looked up into his face.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” he demanded.
“I…I came to get a drink, of course.” She straightened and tried to look cool, calm and collected. But he didn’t buy it for a moment.
“Kelly.”
“Well, I had to make sure. I don’t trust her and I kept thinking about all the horrible things she might do.”
“Uh-huh.” He sank down into the chair across the table. “You thought she might get me into a hammerlock and force me into her car?”
Kelly pretended to consider it. “She’s a big lady,” she pointed out.
“Kelly.” Reaching out, he took her hand in his.
“Listen, I think you take these people much too lightly,” she told him earnestly. “They’re dangerous.” She searched his eyes. “So what did she do? Did she try to find out if you are Prince Cassius?”
“Yes. She did.”
“I knew it!”
“Actually, she and Dory had pretty much decided I must be one of the princes, but they didn’t know which one. They made the association from pictures just like you did.”
Kelly snapped her fingers and murmured, “Shazam,” under her breath.
“But she’s not trying to get me to go back and sign up for my patriotic duty like you are. She wants me to help her make money. In fact, she offered me a job, paying twice as much if I really could prove I was the prince.”
Kelly’s mouth dropped open in reluctant admiration. “Oh, wow. Good move on her part.”
“Yes, I thought so. Clever way to get me to confess.” He grinned. “And nonviolent.”
Kelly made a face at him. “You can never be too careful,” she reminded him.
“Did you really think you were going to defend me from harm?” he asked, with laughter in his eyes and in his voice. “What were you going to do if she started to threaten me?”
“I assumed she really wouldn’t do anything like that, at least not in public. But if she had a weapon…”
“You were prepared to throw yourself in front of me? Guard my life with your body?”
Kelly shook her head, all sweet innocence. “Whatever it takes.”
“Hmm.” He pursed his lips. “What about seduction?”
She frowned. “What about it?”
“If she’d tried it, would you be ready to guard me from that, too?”
She met his gaze and couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe.”
He held both her hands in his and looked at her across the table with so much affection she had to turn away.
“Don’t worry, Kelly. I’ll always be true. True to you.”
That made her heart turn over in her chest. He might even mean that in the moment. But he didn’t mean it the way she wished he would.
“Oh, Joe, stop it.”
“You don’t think I’m serious?”
She looked at him, loving him, regretting him. Didn’t he get it yet? He was no longer free to decide whom he wanted to be true to. He was a prince of the realm. All his romances now belonged to the royal order. He didn’t get to pick and choose.
Joe thought he was still in charge of his own destiny. He was a tough guy used to making his own decisions, fighting his own wars, making his own compromises when he chose to. He thought he could decide whether to go along with this royal gig or not, as his mood dictated. He was wrong.
And in some ways, it was all her fault. If she’d left him alone…
But no. That wouldn’t have saved him. The Sonjas of the world were already seeking him out. If Kelly hadn’t found him, someone else would have. The best, safest path would be for him to join his brothers and be a part of the fight for his homeland. She was convinced of that. Joe was going to have to come to that conclusion himself, though.
“Come on,” she said to him, smiling with tears in her eyes. “Let’s go back.”
Mrs. Gomez went home at six in the evening, but first she made them a set of delicious quesadillas and a huge green salad to go with it. They had an intimate dinner after she left, talking softly, laughing a lot. Mei woke as they finished up, and Kelly brought her out and put her in the high chair to eat while Joe cleaned up the dishes.
He was thinking while he worked, remembering what Kelly had done for him the night before, with the pictures of the royal family, and it gave him an idea. He finished up and went to
his room, opening a drawer where he kept most of his pictures of Angie. Just seeing her beloved face again made him smile, and that stopped him in his tracks. A smile instead of agony? Maybe things really were changing.
He took the pictures with him to the living room and invited Kelly to bring Mei to join him.
“What’s up?” she asked curiously.
“I’m going to try it your way,” he said. “I’m going to tell her about how I met her mother.”
Kelly’s dark eyes widened. “Oh, Joe,” she said, and a smile brightened her face. “I’ll bring her in right away.”
Joe set up pictures all around the room, and when Kelly came in, she put Mei down to play, and came over to sit by Joe on the couch. Joe looked at the little girl and felt his heart swell. He loved her so much and he was desperate to have at least a bit of that love returned.
“Mei, I want you to listen to me,” he began, hoping this wasn’t all for nothing. He was trying to keep his voice low and pleasant so as not to put her off, but so far, he might as well have been speaking pig latin. She made no sign that she heard a thing. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“I’m not sure why you decided you had to make me pay like this. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that it was my fault you don’t have your mother. I don’t know how you could know that on a conscious level, but you feel it. Somehow, you feel it. And I accept it. I can’t bring your mother back in the flesh. But I’m going to do as much as I can to show you what she was like. And how much she loved you. How much she still loves you. And how you came to be.”
He rose from the couch and began to hold up photographs so that Mei might notice.
“These are pictures of your mother, Angie.”
Mei seemed to be playing with her ring of plastic keys and completely ignoring everything Joe was saying and doing, but that didn’t stop him. He began putting the pictures of Angie in more prominent places, not laying them on flat surfaces as Kelly had with the royals, but propping them up where Mei couldn’t help but see them anytime she looked up from her toys.