“No. We both realized we weren’t as in love as we thought. Better to find out before the marriage than after.”
“But it was very close to the actual date of the wedding,” Kelly said.
Mia fingered the dress. “Obviously.” She looked at Kelly.
“Don’t try to make the situation romantic. We were kids pretending to be grown-up. We could have made a disaster of our lives. We got lucky.”
“I suppose,” Kelly said. “Do you have any regrets?”
“Ian,” Mia told her. “I don’t even have to think about the question. When I think about how he tricked me. Used me.”
She didn’t want to get angry, but she could feel her temper growing.
“He didn’t plan to use you,” Kelly said.
Mia looked at her. “You’re defending him?”
“Of course not. I think it’s awful that he tried to kidnap Darcy and hold her for ransom. I’m just saying when you met Ian, he was a regular guy.”
“He was a domestic terrorist in disguise. That doesn’t exactly fit my definition of normal.”
“You know what I mean. It was only after he realized Darcy was here that he hatched his plot.” Kelly flopped back on the bed. “Hatched his plot. That sounds so exciting.”
“Darcy nearly died,” Mia said flatly.
“Oh, I know. I didn’t mean in her circumstances. Just in general. Besides, you can’t regret Ian.”
“Why not?”
“If he hadn’t been a total dick, you wouldn’t have become a spy and gone to Calandria. You wouldn’t have met Diego, a.k.a. Danny’s father, and you wouldn’t have gotten pregnant. I know you, Mia. You would never regret Danny.”
Kelly had her there, Mia thought as she smiled. “I can’t regret him. He’s my world. But the rest of it kind of blows.”
Kelly rolled onto her stomach. “I have a secret that you’re not going to like.”
Considering how much Mia didn’t like Etienne, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear. “What is it?”
“I don’t like Rafael.”
“You don’t know him.”
“I’ve spoken with him a few times. He’s too…I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it, but he’s not a nice man.”
Mia didn’t think her niece by marriage was in a position to cast judgment in the man department. “And here I thought only Grandma Tessa and Joe didn’t like him. Joe wouldn’t like him on principle, because he’s a sweetie who loves his sister. I’m not sure what’s up with Grandma Tessa.”
“Does it matter?” Kelly asked. “Isn’t the important question whether you like him?”
“I like him,” Mia said cautiously.
Kelly rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about the mild affection one would have for an acquaintance. I mean like as in ‘This guy is incredibly cool and I must have him.’ ”
“Is that how you feel about Etienne?”
“We’re not discussing Etienne. I know Rafael proposed.”
Mia groaned. “Did he take out an ad?”
“The Grands told me, which means they’ve told everyone. You know they believe the phrase ‘Can you keep a secret?’ actually means ‘Tell everyone you know.’”
“He said the words,” Mia told her. “I’m not sure he means them. He’s a prince. I’m not sure he’s able to simply marry whomever he wants.”
“A prince. Sometimes I forget that.” Kelly slid to the floor and began stretching. “I want to be you when I grow up. I want your life.”
“No you don’t,” Mia said. “I’m not a good example, Kelly. I’m the cautionary tale. Trust me, you need a different role model.”
Kelly stretched her legs in front of her and then bent over until her forehead rested on her knees. When she sat up in a graceful, fluid movement Mia couldn’t dream of replicating, she said, “But you’re happy, right?”
“For the most part.” When she didn’t think too much about everything going on. “And you?”
“Delirious. I’m living my dream, dancing with the most amazing company on the planet. What’s not to like?”
Mia wasn’t sure, but she sensed something was off in Kelly’s world.
“You have Etienne,” she reminded her niece. “Does he play into this?”
“Most of the time. I don’t want to settle down,” Kelly said. “I take lovers. Usually the one who buys me the best presents gets to keep me until I’m bored.”
It was something Mia would have said at Kelly’s age, so why did it sound so wrong now?
“Kelly, I’m all for having fun, but you should also think about finding relationships that actually mean something.”
“Like Ian?” Kelly asked innocently. “I distinctly recall you saying you were just using him for sex. And aren’t you the one who constantly threatened to sleep with all Joe’s Navy SEAL friends and let the others watch?”
Mia winced. “I didn’t mean it.”
“Maybe I don’t mean it either. Maybe I’m just being outrageous. Jeez.” She stood and walked to the door. “You used to be fun. What happened with that?”
Kelly stalked into the hall and disappeared. Mia stared after her, not sure exactly what had gone wrong. Apparently being confused about one’s life was contagious and Kelly had just caught the bug.
“Look!” Danny demanded. “I’m tall.”
He stood with his back to the wall, his hand at a sharp angle, pointing up so that the place he marked on the height chart was at least three inches higher than his head.
“You are growing,” Mia said, feeling both proud and wistful. Her little baby wasn’t a baby anymore.
Rafael lined up several small race cars on the floor. “The men in my family are tall,” he said. “You will be tall, too.”
“Did you hear that?” she asked Danny. “You are going to be tall.”
Danny beamed. Mia didn’t bother pointing out that she was barely five foot three, the runt of the Marcelli litter by several inches.
Danny stepped away from the wall and grabbed his scepter. No matter how many times Mia managed to put it on a top shelf, it found its way to the floor. She was beginning to think Rafael had a hand in that.
“Tell me about your birthday party,” Rafael said.
Danny grinned. “I have cake and presents and everyone comes.”
“I’m looking forward to your party and you turning four. It is a very great age.”
Danny looked at Mia. His eyes widened as if he’d just that moment understood his father would be at his birthday party. His mouth stretched into a grin as big as the morning and he launched himself at his father.
Rafael caught him and stood. “What’s all this?” he asked as he swung the boy in the air.
“I think Danny just figured out you’re sticking around.”
“Of course I am,” he told the boy. “I’m your father.”
“I want presents,” Danny said.
“That will put you in your place,” Mia told Rafael before reminding Danny, “It’s not polite to ask people to give you presents.”
“But I want ’em.”
“Sometimes social niceties get lost on the post-toddler set.”
“I want my daddy at my party.”
“I will be there,” Rafael said.
“Promise?”
“Of course.”
Rafael set the boy on the ground. While he appreciated Mia’s attempt to educate the child on ways to behave, he couldn’t help being pleased with Danny’s demanding personality. He would need that strength as he navigated his way through all the potential pitfalls of growing up royal.
“There will be presents,” Rafael told his son. “Many presents.”
Danny grinned. He grabbed the scepter and banged it on the bed. “I’m the heir. I’m the heir.”
Mia took it from him. “Not a toy,” she said. “How about that race we were going to have?”
Danny collapsed to the floor and began pushing the cars around.
“You do well with him,” Rafael told her as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“Practice. My mom and the Grands have really helped.”
“I look forward to meeting your parents.”