“You talk to her?” he asked. “How?”
She smiled. “I just… talk. Sometimes I look at her picture and talk to her, other times I just talk like this, out loud, and it helps. You should try it.”
“I’ll feel silly,” he giggled.
“Matteo,” I admonished.
Ren’s hand shot out and rested on my forearm before she realized what she was doing and yanked it back. “It’s okay to feel silly because you won’t feel that way forever. After a few minutes, you’ll forget to feel silly; you’ll just be happy to share your life with her.”
I memorized every word as the miles drifted by. Open roads turned into farmland, and then open fields before a forest appeared. Above us, a wide-open blue sky was dotted with white, puffy clouds. Ren stared out the window, her posture rigid and her hands folded in her lap. Matteo eventually fell asleep with Leo tucked under his chin, leaving a thick silence between us.
She didn’t ask me any questions, though I was sure she had to have at least a few. She remained silent, and so did I, at least until the long, winding road ended just as thick trees appearedon either side of a dirt road. Trees were on all sides, quiet and secluded. Protected on all sides. Luca had thought of everything.
The mansion, disguised as a ranch house, came into view—Italian architecture blended with oversized Texas sprawl. It was big enough for security to move unseen, if necessary, and private enough that no one could get close without alarms going off.
Ren’s quiet gasp hit like a punch. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
Matteo stirred awake as I parked. “Are we here?”
“We’re here, buddy.”
He scrambled out and took Serenity’s hand without asking. She didn’t miss a beat, wrapping her hand around his and following him to the door.
Inside, we stepped into a sweeping foyer with wide oak floors, vaulted ceilings, and soft lighting. Ren took it all in with that same quiet awe. Each time, the awe iced over, probably when she remembered where she was. And why.
I walked her through the living room, the kitchen, Matteo’s wing, the library, and the theater room. She smiled when Matteo showed her his dinosaur shelf, introducing her to his favorites.
Her appreciative smiles sent my mind to a place I hadn’t let it wander in too many years. To a future that had never existed, where Ren and I were together, building a life and a business. The future that could have been ours if not for family obligations. And decisions I made unilaterally.What could’ve been.
I shook the thought off and led her to the other wing of the house. “These are your rooms.”
Ren stepped inside and looked around, hardly noticing the tall windows or the window seat I knew she would love. The room was cozy and quiet, in other words, perfect for her. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s perfect.” Her tone was polite and neutral.
I fucking hated it. “Unpack,” I instructed. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Can I stay with Ren?” Matteo asked.
She nodded when I looked at her. “We can continue getting to know one another since we’ll be spending so much time together.”
I stood in the hall for longer than I should have, then forced myself to walk away. My office was on the other side of the house, giving me plenty of time to shake off the way Ren made me feel. The memories that surfaced when she was around.
The moment I closed the door, I called Luca. “I found a nanny,” I said without preamble the minute he picked up the call.
“Someone you trust?”
“Yes,” I answered, nodding even though he couldn’t see me. “I trust her.”
“Someone good with Mattie?”
“So far, so good,” I answered, smiling as I thought of all the questions they’d asked and answered.
There was a beat of silence as if he was waiting for me to say what he was trying like hell not to.
“You knew she was in Texas,” I accused. There was coincidence, and then there was whatever the hell had brought me storming into Ren’s office.
Luca didn’t respond immediately, but his silence was answer enough. “You never got over her, and this small town was as good as any other,” he said and changed the topic as if we were done. “I’m in Chicago right now, and I’ll be coming with a small security team not associated with the family. I know it’s unorthodox,” he began, but I cut him off.
“I get it. Not sure who we can trust. Thanks, Luca.”
