by Lia Lee
“That’s not what I want,” he said quickly. “Maybe we just need to understand each other better. If you see a doctor, that will make me feel a lot better. If your doctor says that you can run around the ranch with no saddle at all hours of the day, then so be it.”
“Do you have any idea how your tone sounds when you talk like that?” She narrowed her gaze on him. “You think you’re better than me. Smarter or something maybe. I don’t know. But sometimes I just want to deck you because you sound so superior!”
“Okay, that’s not at all what I intend,” he told her quickly. “But can we please work this out? I don’t want to give up on us. I care about you. I care about this baby. I’m not experienced with these things. Not with having children, and not with ranch life. It makes for an awful lot of awkward situations.”
Lori sat down across from him and offered him a smile. Alex was surprised at how supportive she had been so far.
“How about this?” She looked from Alex to Maddie. “How about the two of you go spend the weekend in Dallas? You can introduce Alex to the rest of the family and maybe spend some time in a nice hotel together. I believe Alex has to go into Dallas anyway later today.” Lori looked to him for confirmation. “So maybe Maddie can meet you there in two days? Would that be long enough to wrap up your business?”
Maddie’s head whipped around, and she stared at him with wide, dark eyes. “You’re going to Dallas by yourself?”
He did not tell her that she had made it obvious that she had no interest in being around him here at the ranch. That would have been throwing gasoline on the flames of her irritation.
Instead, he gave a very small nod. “I need to try and discover a way to get my mother off my back. I have a meeting with someone in Dallas tonight that might be able to help.”
“You know someone in Dallas?” she asked suspiciously.
“No.” He felt a bit mollified that she did not seem to like the idea of not knowing all of his business too. “However, it seems that the Dallas airport is a very short ride for several diplomatic officials that I know.”
Lori gave a sage nod. “Dallas is pretty much half a day’s travel from everywhere in the US.”
“So you’re just meeting them and then coming back here?” Maddie seemed to want clarification.
“Yes.” Alex glanced at Lori. “Although it seems you’re going to be meeting me in the city anyway.”
“That would be fun.” Maddie sounded as though she were giving it a lot of thought. “I could show you some of the clubs where I hung out when I lived there. You can meet my middle sister Ariane.”
Lori pursed her lips. “You’re not going to be able to avoid Jacey and Brad, you know.”
“I know.” Maddie sighed. “Maybe my older sister will have managed to get a life and forget the past.”
Alex could most definitely sympathize with that problem.
He reached hesitantly across the tabletop for Maddie’s fingers. “So will you come and meet me in Dallas then?”
“I think that would be a lot of fun,” she told him with a smile. “And since I’ll have seen a doctor by then, I can bring you a report that says I’m perfectly able to ride my horse at all hours with or without a saddle.”
Alex sighed and lifted her knuckles to his lips for a kiss. One hurdle at a time. That was all he could ask for.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alex strode through the airport in Dallas at Love Field and searched for the restaurant outside of security where he was supposed to meet his contact from the State Department. Truthfully this wasn’t any friend of his. Alex had merely contacted Senator Mackey and explained what he wanted to accomplish.
“Mr. Stepanov!” someone called out. Alex caught a glimpse of a hand waving inside a restaurant. “Come on in. I’ve got us a table.”
The place was open, the dining area only separated from the main thoroughfare by a series of brass railings. Even at seven o’clock at night the airport was filled with travelers. Alex squeezed his way through the throng, finally finding his party inside.
“I’m Mr. Jacobsen.” The short man was neat in a fastidious way. His hair was combed back from his face, and even at this time and a day’s worth of travel his cheeks and chin showed no hint of a shadow beard. “Please sit down. It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Stepanov.”
“Please call me Alex.” Alex took his seat and wondered where to begin.
Jacobsen seemed to guess the problem. “Why don’t you start with your family connections? Mackey told me that your Russian relatives are formidable.”
“My father was a first cousin to Grand Duke George Mikhailovich,” Alex began. “My second cousin, as you know, is the son of Maria Vladimirovna. My mother has always believed that our side of the family has just as much right to the Imperial Throne as Maria. Her thought is to establish a line of succession and to place me on the throne.”
“I see.” Jacobsen stirred his whiskey. “That is quite a stretch honestly.”
“Agreed.”
“Ah,” Jacobsen murmured. “So you have no desire to take this route that your mother has laid out for you?”
Alex snorted. The waiter arrived at their table. Alex smiled at the man. “Bring me a gin and tonic please? And maybe some kind of steak, your best cut. Medium rare.”
“Yes sir.” The waiter grinned and then retreated.
Jacobsen returned to his pensive staring at Alex. “What is it you wish to do?”
“Do?” Alex shrugged. “What I’ve been doing, I suppose. I’m a legitimate businessman. I have an import/export business with offices all over the world. A few weeks ago I was in New York negotiating a merger between two of my subsidiary companies. I have plenty to keep me busy, and I don’t lack for income.”
“So you’re willing to give up your family inheritance?” Jacobsen specified. “Because the only solution I can come up with is for you to defect.”
Alex nodded. He was not surprised. “It is the only solution I’ve been able to come up with as well. My—” What was Maddie to him exactly anyway? “I have a relationship with an American, and she is pregnant. I had considered marriage and eventually citizenship as a way to leave my mother’s plans behind.”
Jacobsen was already shaking his head. “No. That would only be a surface solution. If your mother and a group of supporters chose to back your claim to the throne, that would not be a defense. You must renounce your citizenship in a way that makes it absolutely certain that you are in effect renouncing your bloodline and any claims that might have followed.”
“Ah.” Alex began to see what the clever man was planning. “So I would become a political refugee.”
“In a way. Yes.”
Alex felt a jolt as he realized there might be hope for him after all. “There would be nothing for my mother to argue once the papers were finalized.”
“True.” Jacobsen grinned broadly. “And let me assure you that the American government would be extremely pleased to have this affirmation that you are committed to the notion of diplomacy and the current Russian political climate as it is.”
That was definitely something to consider. “And what sort of commitment would Uncle Sam be requiring from me?”
“A few diplomatic missions here and there.” Jacobsen seemed to be shrugging it off, but Alex got the feeling this was a bigger deal to the Americans than he was admitting. The same instincts that told Alex how to make the right moves in his business dealings were screaming at him that he held the cards here.
“I would have political asylum and the protection that goes with it,” Alex clarified. “I would not have to give up any foreign holdings, business or personal. I would retain the ability to travel outside the US for business or diplomatic purposes…”
Jacobsen made a noise. “That last one is iffy. Generally speaking, once someone has been granted political asylum, they don’t leave our country again. Since the government has a desire to utilize your diplomatic connections for sanctioned reasons, you
would be granted travel visas and other privileges if we sent you someplace, but we cannot guarantee your safety if you go alone.”
“But if I undertook the responsibility for my own safety while overseas, would you prevent me from going?” Alex would not budge on this, and he could tell that Jacobsen was having difficulty reconciling the parameters. Alex shrugged. “I have my own security team, a jet, my own travel protocols. I am not a penniless refugee.”
Jacobsen gave a hard nod. “We can make that work. Perhaps you can simply arrange business meetings when you’re already out of the country for diplomatic reasons?”
Alex did not laugh despite the desperate slant of Jacobsen’s bargaining in this matter. It was obvious that the Americans wanted to help him. He needed some way to stop his mother in her tracks. If there were no longer any way for her to use him to get what she wanted, then there would be no reason for her to interfere with his life. Right?
***
“WHY AM I so nervous about this?” Maddie asked her aunt. “It’s just a doctor’s appointment.”
Aunt Lori smiled and pulled the truck into a parking slot right in front of the tiny clinic in Evergreen. “I think it’s perfectly understandable that you’re nervous. You’re having a baby. You’ve never done that before. There’s a lot going on that you don’t understand, and you’ve got no idea what this doctor is going to tell you to expect.”
“I suppose when you put it that way...” Maddie muttered as she popped open the passenger door and exited the oversized vehicle. She met her aunt around the front side of the truck. “What if the doctor agrees with Alex? What if she says I can’t ride anymore?”
“Is it that big of a deal?” Aunt Lori put an arm around Maddie and started steering her toward the clinic’s glass door. “You haven’t been out here in years. Why is it so important now?”
“Maybe I just didn’t realize how much I missed it,” Maddie told her aunt. “I left because of all that crap with Jacey and Brad. I was so glad to put that behind me that I tried really hard to throw myself into my career in New York. I’m really good at my job. But coming back here has made me wonder if I’m only good at my job in New York because I’m too afraid to sit still long enough to realize how much I miss home.”
“That’s a lot to consider,” Aunt Lori agreed. “But I think at the beginning you’d better just start with how to take care of this baby until it’s born.”
Maddie pushed the door open and sighed. “You’re right. Let’s get this over with.”
The little office was cozy and welcoming. Only three other people occupied the small square waiting area. One was an elderly woman carrying a handbag of epic proportions. The others were a young mother with a little boy of perhaps two or three. The little guy was sitting on her lap looking at a book while they waited.
Aunt Lori marched right up to the counter. “Madison Castillo to see Dr. Buchanan.”
“Of course!” The receptionist handed Aunt Lori a clipboard. “If she could just fill this out, the doctor will be right with you.”
Madison took the clipboard from her aunt and sat down. She tried to focus on the laborious task of remembering all of the details of her health history, but she kept getting distracted by the little boy. He was so adorable with his chubby knees and his baby talk. Maddie couldn’t help but wonder what her and Alex’s baby would look like. The kid would probably be exotic and Mediterranean looking like its father. The thought pleased Maddie. Their child was certainly going to be a handful. There was no doubt in her mind about that.
Aunt Lori nudged her shoulder. “Are you done? You’re just sitting there.”
“Yeah.” Maddie hastily scribbled her signature. “There.”
Aunt Lori jumped up and returned the paperwork to the receptionist, and after only a moment or two a nurse led them back to the exam room. Maddie got to stand on the scale, which she hated, then they took her height, blood pressure, and temperature. Finally they had her pee in a cup. By the time she actually made it to the exam room, she was already feeling disgruntled.
“Hi there.” Dr. Buchanan smiled and shook Maddie’s hand.
The doctor appeared to be in her early thirties with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was thin and cute. Maddie began to wonder why obstetricians were cute enough to make pregnant women feel ugly and fat. It seemed horribly unfair.
“So,” Dr. Buchanan continued. “It would appear that you’re a little over two months along. I’m going to examine you quickly, and then I’d like to do an ultrasound.”
“Okay?” Maddie glanced at Aunt Lori before recalling that her aunt had never had kids and therefore probably wouldn’t have a clue what was going on.
Aunt Lori shrugged and took a seat near the exam table. Maddie got up on the table, and the exam got underway. By the time the doctor took out the ultrasound machine and put the goo on Maddie’s tummy, she was feeling a little vulnerable. Then she heard an almost whisking noise. It sounded as though it came from a microphone since there was a static quality to it, and the pattern was a double beat sort of rhythm.
“What is that?” Maddie wanted to know.
Dr. Buchanan smiled. “That’s your baby’s heartbeat.”
It was as if the entire world stopped for a moment. Maddie bit her lip as a swell of emotion rose inside her. The doctor was moving the wand around, poking a little. Finally she made a sound of approval. Maddie twisted her head and saw that the screen showed a tiny, kidney bean shape with a thrumming bead in the center that seemed to be right in tune with the heartbeat.
“There’s your baby,” Buchanan murmured.
Maddie was almost breathless with shock and awe. “You can’t tell what the sex is yet though, right?”
“Not yet. In a few more weeks we might see something that will tell us if it’s a boy or a girl. For now you simply have a very healthy looking fetus with a nice, strong heartbeat.” Dr. Buchanan fiddled with the computer mouse, and then a tiny picture printed out. She handed it to Maddie. “So you can show the father.”
Maddie stared at the image. She had absolutely no idea how Alex would react to this. What she did know was that this entire situation had just become very, very real to her. This was her baby—their baby—and nothing else mattered.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alex shifted uncomfortably and wondered if he had made the right decision on where to meet Maddie. It had been forty-eight hours since he had seen her. It was not an astronomical amount of time, and yet in the scheme of things—considering the situation—it felt enormous.
He was standing beside a high top table in the lounge of a trendy Dallas seafood restaurant. It was difficult not to believe that the people around him were staring, but perhaps it was the fact that he was alone in a room full of groups. Or it could have been his natural bent toward paranoia. In Moscow he was well known and could rarely go anywhere without being recognized and sometimes even approached by those who claimed a connection of some kind. It was one of the reasons he enjoyed coming to the US. Here, outside of the paparazzi’s obsession with “Russian royalty,” political figures were rarely items of interest to the American public unless they had their own reality television show.
A flash of color caught his eye, and Alex turned toward the restaurant’s double glass door entrance. Maddie stood there in a dress of coral pink. The color flattered the deep red of her hair and gave her complexion a healthy glow. She’d pulled up only the sides of her hair, anchoring it with gold combs sparkling with rhinestones. Her little gold heels emphasized the length of her legs and the gracefulness of every movement she made.
She was smiling at him. Alex felt tongue tied. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at her. Of course, why wouldn’t they stare? She was the most beautiful woman in the room. She gave him a quick wave and then sauntered right over as though she owned the room. Alex felt awkward. Should he hug her? Kiss her? What would she welcome as a greeting after such a brief separation that still meant more than just forty-eight hours
could convey?
“Hi.” She took the question out of his hands when she stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss over his cheek. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be about to find you in this crush, but you sort of stand out.”
“Do I?” He grinned at her because he couldn’t contain it anymore. “I was thinking that you look so good that every eye in the room is on you.”
“What a compliment.” There was something distinctly flirty in her tone. She jumped up onto one of the tall stools and gestured to the bartender. “Bring me a ginger ale please?”
She was looking at the tonic in front of him. He gestured to the glass. “It’s just tonic water.”
“No alcohol?”
“Darling, I need all my wits when I’m conversing with you,” he teased.
She slapped the tabletop with the flat of her hand. “Oh my God, he made a joke!”
“Someone once suggested to me that I’m too serious.” He gently brushed his index finger over her cheek. “I have some things to discuss. Do you want to talk about them now? Or would you rather wait?”
She made a face. “Waiting just means I wonder myself to death about what you have to say. Spit it out then.”
“I met with a contact from the State Department. I believe I told you that the gentleman flew into Dallas from DC.” He glanced at her, wondering if she would be as happy about this as he was. “I’ve made arrangements with the State Department to expedite the paperwork for political asylum here in the US.”
“Oh my God, really?” The bartender put her drink on the table. Alex slipped the guy a twenty dollar bill before she could reach into her clutch purse. She narrowed her gaze at him, but then went right back to their conversation. “So what’s going to happen? And don’t think I’m okay with you buying my drinks and all of my dinner and stuff. I’d rather go Dutch, you know?”
“Dutch?” The term confused him.
Her laughter was so musical he almost lost his composure completely. “It means to split the check.”