Mia leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You don’t scare me.”
A floorboard creaked overhead. Mia glanced up. “I guess Rafael is settling in.”
“I’m not sure his highness will like living in a real home with regular people. This isn’t a palace, and if he thinks he’s going to have us at his beck and call, he can think again.”
Mia found herself torn between defending Rafael, who, technically, had not been unreasonable, and siding with Grandma Tessa.
“The bodyguards are in the guest house,” she said. “That’s something.”
Tessa scooped the garlic into the heated pan and stirred the garlic and olive oil mixture. Mia had no idea what she was making. Practically every Italian dish began with garlic and olive oil.
“That was Joe,” Tessa said curtly. “He’s looking out for his family. Imagine those gorillas wanting to stay in this house with a little boy around. What if one of us got up in the night? They’d think we were after their precious prince and shoot us all in our sleep.”
Mia thought about pointing out that anyone walking around was unlikely to be sleeping, but she liked that Grandma Tessa was on her side.
“Why don’t you like him?” Mia asked.
Her grandmother went to work on a bowl of tomatoes, chopping them quickly and efficiently. “I don’t know the man. It’s for the Lord to judge him. That’s not to say I’m willing to ignore my good sense just because he has a title, like some people I could name.”
Mia knew the dig was aimed at Grammy M, who seemed happy to accept Rafael at face value.
Tessa nodded at the refrigerator. “There’s corn in there. It won’t be shucking itself.”
Mia collected the bag and went to work. “I don’t know what to think about all this,” she admitted. “I know who he was, but I don’t know who he is.” She brushed corn silk into the trash can, then put the clean ear on the counter.
“Have you called Marco and Colleen?”
“No. I will. I want to tell them; it’s just they’ve been looking forward to this trip for years and it took so long to arrange.” Her parents, in charge of the overseas sales of Marcelli Wines, had just left for China three days ago. They were supposed to be gone two months. “I’m going to wait until they’re in Beijing, then phone them at the hotel. I don’t want them to come home early just for me. It’s not as if Rafael is going anywhere.”
Nor did she know if she wanted him to. While it would make her life easier, what about Danny? She wanted him to know his father.
“What about the girls?” Tessa asked, referring to Mia’s sisters.
“I left a message for each of them already.” There would be plenty of shrieking when they found out. “Brenna’s out of town until tomorrow night, so Francesca and Katie will come over with her.”
“They’ll want to be with you,” Tessa said. “They’ll understand.”
“I know.” Sometimes her family made her crazy, but in situations like this, she appreciated the support. She wouldn’t want to be going through this on her own.
Not that she even knew what “this” was.
The back door opened and Danny raced inside. Grammy M followed a bit more slowly.
“We picked berries,” Danny said proudly as he showed off his red and purple fingers. “For dessert. Grammy M said I could help make it.”
“I thought a berry shortcake would be nice for tonight,” Grammy M said as she carried a basket to the sink. “I’m sure Rafael will appreciate some fine home cooking.”
Tessa snorted. “I’m sure he’s been longing for a little homemade dessert to chase away the flavor of all those five-star meals he’s been forced to eat.”
The two old women glared at each other. Mia took Danny by the hand. “Let’s get you washed up,” she said, more than willing to let them fight it out themselves.
“Is that man really my daddy?” Danny asked as they climbed the stairs.
“Yes, he is.”
Her son looked at her, his eyes large and filled with questions. “Does he like me?”
Mia stopped and dropped to her knees. She took Danny’s hands in hers and smiled. “Of course he does. You’re a wonderful boy. Smart and funny and kind. You always help the Grands in the kitchen and you know your letters.”
“I can write my name,” he reminded her.
“Yes, you can. But even if you couldn’t do all those things your daddy would like you because of who you are inside. Because you’re his son.”
At least she hoped that was the case. Honestly, how much did she really know about Rafael? Diego’s background had been carefully spelled out during her briefings, but the crown prince had only been mentioned in passing. Who was the man inside?
After washing Danny’s hands in the hall bathroom, Mia debated whether to return to the relative safety of the kitchen or to face Rafael. While the former had more appeal, the latter somehow felt right, so she smiled at her son and asked, “Want to go see your daddy?”
Danny nodded eagerly, but as they left the bathroom, he clutched her hand tightly.
They walked the few steps to the main guest room, the one with its own bathroom. The door stood open. She reached up to knock anyway when she saw Rafael placing what looked like socks in a dresser drawer.
He might be a prince now, but when she first knew him he was a big, bad thief with a reputation for killing the competition. She couldn’t imagine either man putting away his own socks.
“I guess this is really different from living in a palace,” she said.
He smiled. “In some ways, but if you are curious, I assure you I will survive without my butler.”
“Good to know.” The man had a butler? Sure. It probably came with the prince thing. Someone had to be responsible for his formal wear.
“I’m sure you have dry cleaning nearby,” he said.
“Yes. I can show you. Or will the bodyguards take care of that?”
“They will. And my laundry.”
“How nice. Proficiency with handguns and knowledge of the delicate cycle. They truly are the contemporary version of the Renaissance man.”
Rafael raised his right eyebrow in a gesture that was so familiar, her breath caught. In that moment she was transported back to her days with Diego after they had become lovers. She remembered sitting through a long planning meeting, barely able to stay awake because they’d been up all night making love. He’d caught her yawning and had raised his right eyebrow. The gesture, so unlikely in a dark and dangerous man, had caused her to giggle. Then he had smiled. The meeting had ended suddenly and he had ushered her back to his room.
She shook off the memory and her body’s visceral reaction to it. Ignoring Rafael, she glanced at Danny.
“What do you think?” she asked.
The boy didn’t speak.
His father crouched down in front of him. “This is a very unusual situation. It isn’t every day that a man finds out that he’s a father. We’re going to have to take some time and get to know each other.”
Danny’s eyes widened slightly, but again he didn’t speak.
“I am very fortunate,” Rafael continued. “Some fathers never find their children. I’m glad that didn’t happen to us.”
“Do I look like you?” Danny asked.
Mia wanted to answer but sensed this was a moment when it was better to keep quiet.
Rafael looked Danny over, then smiled. “I think you do.”
“Charlie looks like his daddy. So does Brandon. Billy looks like his mom.” He glanced at Mia, as if wondering if she understood why that was a bad thing.
She smiled. “You have the same eyes and smile. The hair color could have come from either of us.”
“You are my son,” Rafael told the boy. “You are a prince and one day you will rule Calandria.”
Mia didn’t want to think of things in those terms. Right now she would be thrilled to get Danny to eat more vegetables.
“A prince?” Danny laughed.