by Robin Gianna
“Thank you. I had no idea that I’d have to search for a jeweler that would allow me to return a ring. I’d assumed that if the woman said no, that would be a given.”
“Well, now you know for up the road when you’re asking a woman to marry you for real.”
“Trust me, that’s never going to happen.”
The light amusement on his face disappeared and he turned to look out the window, seeming to concentrate on the gray clouds swirling around the plane. Feeling even more awkward now, Miranda sat there wondering what to do with the ring. Should she put it on, so it was safe on her hand? Or wait until they were about to meet his parents? A part of her wanted to put the dazzling ring on her finger just to see what it would look like there, but that felt too weird. Not that the whole situation wasn’t weird. What if everyone at his estate, and not just his parents, took one look at her wearing that and knew she was nowhere near good enough to be a duchess one day? Fake or not, the thought sent a feeling of panic through her lungs that made it hard to breathe.
She swallowed hard and stuck the box in her purse just as Mateo turned to her with another smile that banished his somber look. “One note of warning when it comes to the ring. We have quite a few animals at the castillo, both inside and in the barns. One mischievous Siamese cat we had named Tup Tim was always sneaking onto my mother’s dressing table and taking off with any jewelry she’d put there as she was changing.
“Once he stole a diamond bracelet that had belonged to my grandmother, and all of us chased Tup Tim out of the house, all around the grounds, then into the barn, where he ran up to stand on a high beam, triumphantly staring down at us with the bracelet dangling from his mouth. I had to shimmy up a pole and stagger across the beam like a tightrope walker, finally cornering him and retrieving it, and getting bitten for my efforts. He was not happy to lose his prize, but my mother was very pleased with me when I got it back. She never left jewelry on her dressing table again.”
The amusing story was just what she’d needed to relax. Had he somehow known?
“That is really funny—I can just picture the scene.”
“There was a lot of anxiety on the part of various staff and stable workers as everyone tried to grab the cat, with my mother shouting orders at everyone. I was glad to be the one who succeeded.”
Something about the way he’d said his mother had been pleased with him made her wonder if that had been in short supply in his life. She wanted to ask, but decided it wasn’t the right time to delve further into the Alves family dynamics. “I promise not to leave the ring out anywhere, though I admit I’d like to see you tightrope walking.”
“Other than getting bitten, I thought it was quite an adventure. I ended up practicing walking along that beam as fast as I could whenever nobody was around to scold me. Turned out to be a good thing. Learning how to do that has come in handy plenty of times during various rescues, believe me.”
His flashing grin made her chest feel buoyant all over again. Yes, Penny had been right. Doing something crazy had been the best decision she’d made in a long time. Miranda leaned back in her seat and gave herself up to the pleasure of being on this beautiful plane with smart, gorgeous, and amusing Mateo Alves as her surprise companion for a whole week of adventure she knew would be like nothing she’d ever done before. Nothing serious. Nothing to worry about. Just seven days to enjoy some no-strings fun.
* * *
The drive to the family estate was about forty-five minutes from the airport, and now that Miranda was past feeling a little concerned at the speed with which Mateo pushed the sports car through the open, winding roads, she was enjoying every second of the drive. It was more than clear that Mateo was a confident, excellent driver, which allowed her to sit back and soak up the incredible views. Valleys, still green in November, stretched far to the mountains in the distance, only to disappear as the road wound through forested areas with gold, orange, and red leaves clinging to the trees. Farms dotted the landscape, with cattle, pigs, and sheep grazing between long, ancient-looking stone walls. Picturesque towns came and went, each with at least one church featuring a tall bell tower that reached toward the sky.
“I can’t believe how beautiful it is!” Miranda exclaimed again, pointing at the mountains rising behind a distant valley, snow visible at the peaks, with the bluest of lakes shimmering in front of it. “The colors take my breath away.”
“At this time of year, you won’t see all the flowers that Spaniards like to grow everywhere but, yes. The fall color and green valleys are still pretty. Have you not been to Spain before?”
“No. I haven’t been to Europe at all.”
“What?” Stunned eyes flicked her way before he returned them to the curving road in front of them. “How is that possible? Surely the Davenports travel all over the world.”
Miranda struggled with how much to say about her life, explaining when and how she’d come to live with the Davenports, but decided to settle on a basic answer. Going into the strange, sad, and upsetting truth of her past, and the rest of her family’s, would put a damper on the drive she was enjoying more than she could remember enjoying anything in a long time.
“Well, I was in college, then medical school, which takes a lot of time and focus, you know? Then I went on a few medical missions to Africa and Central America before working at Manhattan Mercy. I do go on vacation but they tend to be short breaks.”
“I respect the single-minded focus and dedication it takes to become a doctor. And that you worked on medical missions says good things about you, Miranda.”
The admiring smile he gave her made her tummy get squishy and she could feel herself blush. “Not really. Just another way to use the skills I’d learned.” And to hone them more in a place where the Davenport reputation wouldn’t hang over everything she did, making her nervous that she might let the whole family down if she made some mistake. Which probably meant that working overseas had been more selfish than altruistic.
“So.” She moved the subject to him, because she’d wondered a lot about who he really was since the moment they’d met. “Did you ever think about going to medical school?”
“Honestly? Yes. For just a short time.” His voice held an odd tone—a smile tinged with maybe bitterness? “Since I planned to leave Spain, my parents would have appreciated that occupation much more. Something better to tell friends and family about why I was going to the U.S. I realized, though, that while I like the medical aspect of my job, my time in the army showed me that search and rescue is in my blood. Which they never understood. But I came to see that I had to live my life for me, not for them.”
She could tell that figuring that out had been a major struggle for him, and part of why she was on this trip to begin with. “Lots of people never find their calling. It’s wonderful that you found yours.”
“It is. And I thank you for helping me keep living my life as I want to. At least, as much as that will be possible. And now we are finally here. Welcome to the Castillo de Adelaide Fernanda.”
A keypad was imbedded in a tall stone wall that seemed to surround the entire front of the property, and Mateo leaned out his window to punch in some numbers. Ornate iron gates probably ten feet high slowly swung inward as Mateo nosed the car through, then up a sloping, curved driveway, and Miranda couldn’t contain a gasp at what lay at the top of the hill.
A huge, obviously very old stone house with a terracotta tiled roof sat nestled on lush green grass, looking nearly as though it was a natural part of the landscape. Other buildings made of stone or wood in various sizes could be seen not too far away, some surrounded by trees and others completely stark. Forests and fields seemed to stretch forever, with long stone walls dividing the spaces, and Miranda turned to stare at Mateo.
“Is...is all this your family’s? It looks like it goes on for miles!”
“The estate is abou
t one hundred and twenty-five hectares, which translates to about three hundred acres. We have livestock, farmland, and an equestrian center where show horses are bred and sometimes shown. The horses were always a big part of my and Emilio’s lives when we were growing up, but when my father became too ill to manage the estate, they became my brother’s passion. I...don’t know what’s going to happen with that part of the business now that he’s not here to run it anymore. It’s one of the things I’ll have to talk with my parents about.”
She looked at his profile, unable to read his impassive expression. “A lot of things to figure out, I’m sure. I’m sorry this is going to be a difficult trip for you.”
He didn’t respond, and she had to wonder if the mere act of driving through those iron gates had brought home to him full force the challenges he’d have to deal with on this visit. Since he didn’t seem to want to go into that right now, Miranda made small talk about the amazing views until he stopped the car in a wide, circular turnaround in front of the house.
“We’ll go inside and see where my mother has decided to put her house guest. I didn’t tell her who my guest was—we get to surprise everyone.”
“You didn’t warn your parents ahead of time that it’s the woman from your apartment, and that we’re...er...engaged?”
“What was the point of having them stew about it in advance and be ready with protests? The military tactic of surprising the enemy is always a good strategy.”
“Your parents aren’t the enemy, Mateo. Remember that they’ve had a hard time of it recently, too.”
“Believe me, I remind myself of that every day. And, no, not the enemy, but hostile to my chosen way of life? Yes.” He turned his dark, shadowed eyes to her as they walked up stone steps to the massive arched wooden door decorated with a large, evergreen wreath with pine cones and a red bow. “But I know they don’t understand, and are dealing with their own struggles. I plan to tread lightly, I promise.”
Mateo swung open the huge door, and the moment they stepped inside, a plump, friendly woman came rushing up, exclaiming in Spanish as she wrapped her arms around him in a big hug.
“Hola, Paula! It’s good to see you.” Smiling, he hugged her back, and Miranda was struck by the joyous way he was being greeted by this woman compared to his mother’s interactions with him in his apartment in New York. “I’d like you to meet Dr. Miranda Davenport. Miranda doesn’t speak Spanish, so we’ll stick to English, hmm?”
“Sí, sí! It is very nice to meet you, Dr. Davenport. Please come in.” To Miranda’s astonishment, Paula gave her a quick, motherly hug, too, and she wasn’t sure what to do, finally giving her a hesitant hug back. Another stark contrast. Vanessa Davenport hadn’t hugged her in her life, and being embraced by this woman felt uncomfortable yet oddly nice at the same time, bringing back long-ago memories of her own mother’s love. “The guest house is all ready for you. Alfonso will get your luggage.”
“Thank you. What I’ve seen of the place so far is beautiful, and I’m looking forward to my visit.”
“Mr. Mateo will show you around as soon as you’re settled. I have some breakfast waiting for you—after your long trip through the night, you must be hungry, sí?”
Right on cue, Miranda’s stomach growled. “Oh, dear!” The way Paula chuckled kept her from feeling bad about that. “I didn’t even know I was hungry until you mentioned it. Thank you.”
She glanced at Mateo’s face, and was surprised to see a scowl there, which made her flush scarlet. Had she embarrassed him?
“Paula, I don’t want you to call me Mr. Mateo. You’ve called me Mateo my whole life.”
“I must!” Paula looked shocked. “You are the heir now! You are owed that respect.”
“But...” Mateo looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but sighed instead. “All right. Are Mother and Father having breakfast?”
“No. They left for a doctor appointment in Barcelona. I expect them to be gone most of the day but back to dine with you tonight.”
Miranda’s core relaxed a little at this news. She hadn’t even realized her belly had been tensely knotted about meeting Mateo’s parents, and how they’d react to their “news.” Based on what she’d seen so far, and what Mateo had said, it wouldn’t be with happy, open arms, the way Paula had greeted them. But she was here to support him, right? Help him smooth the way with his family as they all moved into a new reality now that their son and brother was dead.
“Isn’t Barcelona pretty far?” Miranda asked in a low tone as they were ushered back to the kitchen. “Your dad doesn’t have a doctor that’s close by?”
“The local doctor practiced for years, and didn’t retire until he was well into his seventies. But now we have no one, and even though Barcelona is only about an hour away, it isn’t very convenient for all the people who live and work on the various estates around here.”
The kitchen was huge; ancient and modern at the same time. Arched stone walls and doorways met intricately tiled floors, and the cabinetry was a dark cherry wood. A cheerful fire in a large stone fireplace at one end warmed the space, as did homey touches like copper pans on the walls, a verdigris teakettle on the big, modern stove, and colorful plates and cups lined across a large wooden hutch.
“Sit, sit. I have made all your favorites, Mr. Mateo.”
His lips twisted as he shook his head, guiding them to sit at the long table while Paula moved to the stove. “How am I going to get her to stop calling me that?”
“If I had to guess, you’re not. Just go with it. If you’re not home all that often, it’ll just be here in Spain that you are ‘Mr. Mateo.’ Unless you’d like me to tell the other EMTs and staff at the hospital to use it when speaking to you.”
“Funny.”
His tight lips relaxed into a small smile, and she was glad she’d made the joke. She gazed around at the large expanse of the kitchen, awed at how beautiful and comfortable it was. “Your home is incredible, Mateo. And I know I’ve barely seen any of it yet.”
“It is beautiful. I admit I’ve taken its beauty for granted all my life. It feels strange to be here without Emilio, though. He and I wreaked a lot of havoc in this room, and the whole house, over the years.”
He stared out the wide window overlooking pastureland, and Miranda’s heart squeezed at the pain etched on his face. “I know how that feels. But over time the memories become ones that make you smile more than those that bring you pain.”
“I know.”
He turned back to her and reached for her hand, and she gave it a little squeeze before she realized he’d doubtless been giving Paula hints about their “relationship.” She tugged it loose to tuck both hands in her lap. “Why is the house called the Castillo de Adelaide Fernanda?”
“Named after a great-great-, however many greats, grandmother. I’ll give you a full tour after you’ve rested, since I know you didn’t get much sleep on the plane.”
“I admit I’m a little sleepy.” The words sent a sudden, deep fatigue through her bones, and had her covering an unexpected yawn, which made Mateo chuckle. “Oh, dear. I’m sorry. But you put that idea in my head.”
“And once you have a good meal by Paula in your stomach, you will need a nap for sure. Then when you’re feeling energetic again? A little adventuring this afternoon. If you’ll join me, Miranda?”
His dark, brooding eyes met hers. The man who’d seemed like he wanted nothing more than a fun adventure with her was gone, replaced by this grim-looking stranger, and her stomach bunched in knots at the reality of the situation.
Mateo was dealing with grief over the loss of his beloved brother. Also his parents’ lack of appreciation and their expectations, along with those of everyone who worked here. All that was tangled up with the life he’d made for himself in New York. She understood well those kinds of awful and overwhelming feelings, and how they
could affect every aspect of your life if you let them.
Then there was Paula, obviously delighted over their engagement and Mateo being the heir now, having no idea he didn’t want to be, or that their relationship wasn’t real. When Miranda had agreed to the fake engagement, it had seemed like such a harmless thing. Something to tell his parents to help him smooth over his wanting to stay mostly in New York. But seeing Paula’s happiness drove a nasty pang of guilt straight into Miranda’s gut.
Was this charade really a huge mistake, and had she done more harm than good by agreeing to it?
CHAPTER FIVE
MATEO PAUSED ON his way to the guest house, which was perched on a part of the property that overlooked the valley, below where the estate’s sheep roamed. He breathed in the brisk November air and stared across the golden pastures, memories of his childhood flooding his mind and heart. Good memories of times spent with his brother, with the animals and the horses. Not so good memories of his parents always putting Emilio first, pandering to his every need as the future Duke, even when he hadn’t wanted them to.
Now that he was here, he was filled with confusion about exactly what his mission needed to be.
He knew that living here full-time was the last thing he wanted to do. Flooded with constant reminders that his brother would never be here again. Being a disappointment to his parents, where they expected things from him he couldn’t give. Accepting a bride of their choice, complete with providing grandchildren, which was never going to happen.
Being married at all had never been on his list of life goals. The girls and women of his youth here in Catalonia, and at college, had all seemed to care about the same things his sister-in-law cared about. Money and prestige and titles and power, and who would want to be saddled with that kind of woman? A fate worse than death, as far as he was concerned.