He waited until they’d reached her car to turn her to him, kiss her. Despite the security cameras, she lingered there for an extra moment.
“Can you put the day behind you for a few hours?”
“If I do that, it’s breathing down my neck. Better to stuff in it a box, lock it up for a while.”
“Not easy for you, I know.” He flicked a finger along the shallow dent in her chin. “But you’ll tell me about it later, when you open the box again.”
“Count on it. You know art, and unless Peabody and I, and Mira along with us, have it wrong, art’s at the center of this. So I’ll be tapping you on art.”
“Delighted to assist there.”
Knowing she could count on just that, Eve took a breath. “Now it’s in the box until.”
She glanced in the back as she got in the passenger’s side. “Where’s the champagne?”
“Tucked in the trunk with your field kit and umbrellas. Caught in the rain, were you?”
“For about five minutes. That was enough time for me to ruin a street thief’s day.”
“Well then, that’s a bright spot for you. Chase him down, did you?”
“I didn’t have to. I made him, he made me. Then he pulled a Galahad and sort of sauntered in the other direction. Twice. Yeah,” she realized. “A bright spot. Did you have any?”
“A few actually. Work on your Off Duty club is moving very well, as are the additions and improvements on the resort in Australia, and Caro’s daughter’s expecting.”
“Expecting what?”
“A child, darling. She’s been seeing someone for nearly a year now, and they decided they wanted a child. And so.”
“Considering her first husband was a son of a bitch, that’s either crazy or brave.”
“A bit of both. Caro’s thrilled. She likes the expectant father quite a lot.”
“Then he probably deserves it. Caro’s nobody’s fool.”
The short drive from Central took them to the gates of what had been the Great House Project. And was now, Eve thought, just a great house.
Those gates opened to a lush lawn with young trees and shrubs adding welcome. The house itself sprawled with its long porch and many windows. More welcome with the colorful chairs and tables, the burst of blooms in pots.
Two long chains of crystals hung from the eaves of the porch roof and caught the early evening light in quick flashes. And pots of lush and thriving flowers added more warmth.
Before they’d parked, all the residents came out on the porch, another welcome.
The minute Eve stepped out of the car, Bella—bright as those flashing crystals—raced down.
“Das, Ork! Yay! Come home!”
She took a running leap at Eve, a pint-sized rocket with her blond hair and the ribbons in it flying. She wore little pink kicks scattered with white stars that matched the frilly dress her designer father had no doubt made for her.
Eve found her arms full of wild excitement that babbled like a rushing brook and laughed like a lunatic.
Eve said, “Yeah, sure,” without any idea what she’d agreed to.
As Roarke took the champagne, tucked in ice sleeves, from the trunk, Bella squealed at him. “Ork!” She threw out her arms.
He traded champagne for the toddler.
“There’s that beauty.”
