Mia found Joe looking for her when she got home.
“I wanted to give you an update on the-” he started as she climbed out of her car, then stopped. “You look like hell. What happened? Did Rafael threaten you?”
Not in the way Joe meant, she thought, trying to find the humor in the situation and failing badly.
“He didn’t see Danny today,” she said instead. “At least not for very long. Danny walked in on me having a melt-down and blamed his father. Basically the kid slammed the door in his face.”
“I like his style,” Joe said.
“It’s a little volatile, but that comes with being four. I’m just a little shaky right now, but I’ll get over it. What did you want to tell me?”
“That I’ve been doing regular equipment checks on the tracking system and it’s fine. The alarm kicks in as soon as Danny leaves Marcelli land and the GPS instantly boots. It doesn’t automatically work on the property, but we can always program it in manually. That wouldn’t take much more than half an hour.”
“In case Rafael kidnaps him and hides out in the vineyards? I can’t see that happening.”
“Me either, but it’s an option.” He stared at her. “Are you really okay?”
“No, but trust me, you don’t want to know details.”
He sucked in a breath as if bracing to have a fingernail or two removed. “I can listen.”
For the first time that day, Mia laughed. “Darcy’s done a very nice job with you. You’re practically domesticated. But as much as I appreciate that very heartfelt offer, I’ll pass. But I do have a question.”
He nearly glowed with relief. “Sure. Ask me anything. I know a lot.”
“And you’re so modest.” She hesitated, then asked, “Can men really change?”
The relief faded and his face took on a trapped expression.
“Dammit, Mia, don’t drag me into this. As far as I’m concerned, your prince is a real bastard. I don’t care if he changes, I just want to beat the crap out of him.”
“Which I really appreciate. But that’s not the point. He’s saying he’s sorry, and while I didn’t believe him, I kind of do now. Or I want to, which isn’t at all the same thing. Can he change?”
“Him specifically? I have no idea. Guys in general? Maybe. If they’re motivated. Do I have to get into this with you?”
“Since you’re the only brother I have, yes.”
“Then it’s possible, but not likely.”
“How do I know for sure? How do I get proof?”
“Hell if I know. Look, you want to believe him because he’s Danny’s father and for a couple of other reasons I don’t have to hear about. But proof, Mia? How do we prove anything in a relationship? It takes time. Is he going to be there when things get hard? Is he willing to make sacrifices? Are you equals?”
“I can’t answer the first,” she admitted. “The answer to the second two are probably no. How does a prince make sacrifices? Sleep on two-hundred-thread-count sheets instead of five? As for us being equals, in some ways we’re not. He’s royal. I’m the girl he knocked up. He certainly wasn’t willing to come after me until he found out about his son. Apparently I’m not princess material.”
Joe stared at her. “Do you want to be?”
“What? No. Of course not. Nothing about that life appeals to me.”
“But you’re pissed he didn’t come claim you.”
“Only in the sense that we’d had a relationship and he ended it by pretending to be dead.”
“You have to give him points for creativity.”
She punched him in the arm, then wished she hadn’t when his muscles hurt her fist.
“I can almost understand that,” she said as she rubbed her knuckles. “I mean, I was some American spy and he’s got to marry Euro-trash, as Kelly would say. But there’s a level of tackiness I just can’t support. Plus there’s the whole pretending to be in love with me so I’d marry him and he could take Danny. That’s annoying.”
When she thought of all the things he’d told her, she got mad all over again.
“Do you know he actually implied that I’m the reason he didn’t get engaged to any of the appropriate women his father brought around. That he didn’t realize it at the time but as soon as he and I were back together, he understood what had been going on.”
“You think he’s lying.”
“As much as I think the sun is going to come up tomorrow.”
Joe shifted. “The guy’s not married.”
“What? You’re taking his side?”
“No way. I’m just pointing out that for whatever reason, the guy’s not married. He’s what, thirty?”
“Thirty-two,” she said, fighting the urge to hit him again. Only, seriously, who would get hurt in that encounter?
“He didn’t know about Danny, so he had to be under some serious pressure to produce an heir. Why isn’t he married?”
“I’m sure there are a thousand reasons.”
“Such as?”
“He’s not willing to give up the babe banquet. Once he gets married, he’ll be in a permanent relationship. Rafael doesn’t like to cheat. I know it sounds strange, but it’s true.”
“He told you and you believed him?” Joe asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, and yes. But I have confirmation from other sources. The woman he’d been with before me, plus when I Googled him, all the write-ups indicated he was pretty faithful to his girlfriends. Cheating was never listed as a reason for a breakup. I’m sure part of the reason he’s resisted marriage is that the thought of having sex with the same person for the rest of his life is horrifying.”
“Not so much as you might think,” Joe told her with a grin. “Some of us like it.”
She knew that her good-looking ex-Navy SEAL brother had never lacked for female companionship. Still…“I’m not sure your babe world compares with a royal one.”
“You’re saying he didn’t come after you because he wasn’t willing to give up the possibilities.”
“Maybe,” she said cautiously.
“So it wasn’t personal. He could have been madly in love with you.”
“Or not.”
“Did you ask?”
She glared at him. “Ask him if he loved me? When, exactly, was I supposed to ask that and why would I believe him now?”
“I’m not saying you should, but the answer could be interesting.”
Maybe to him, but to her, not so much. If she didn’t care about Rafael, then the question wouldn’t matter. But she did, and she didn’t want to have him flat out tell her he’d never loved her. Thinking it herself was one thing-she could always secretly hope she was wrong. But once he said the words, all her illusions would be shattered forever.
“I need therapy,” she muttered. “Long term. I might have to check myself in to a facility.”
“We’ll miss you, but I’m sure the Grands will visit regularly.”
“Your support is overwhelming.”
“I’m here to please.” He put his arm around her. “Seriously, whatever you want, I’ll do.”
“Can you turn back time?”
“Except that.”
“Then I guess I’m okay for now.”
Rafael walked into Brenna’s office without knocking. She looked up from her computer and rolled her eyes.
“You again.”
He closed the door and crossed to her desk. “How do I prove myself to her?” he asked by way of greeting.
“The her in question being Mia?” Brenna asked.
He nodded. “She won’t listen to me. She won’t believe anything I say. How do I change her mind?”
She turned away from her computer screen and faced him. “The first thing that comes to mind is maybe you leaving her and Danny alone until the kid is eighteen.”
She toyed with him, he thought impatiently. Didn’t she understand he was serious? That he needed help? “Daniel is my son. I cannot ignore him.”
“Your government will survive-”