The guy had a great grin when he let it show. Too bad that wasn’t more often.
She smiled back and then looked at Sophie. “I’m glad you did. I can’t wait to see Olga’s design.”
The passenger door opened.
Sophie scooted across the seat and took Claude’s hand as she stepped out of the limousine.
Kat hesitated. She knew Gill wasn’t coming inside, and she didn’t know when she would see him again. “Thank you for calling Olga. That means a lot to Sophie. And to me.”
One of his eyebrows shot up. “The wedding diet is a thing of the past.”
Cold air streamed inside the car. A popular carol—one Kat knew the lyrics by heart—played on the speakers, but she couldn’t recall the title.
Sophie was waiting, but for some odd reason, Kat was in no hurry to get out of the limousine. “I’d better go.”
“You don’t want to keep my mother waiting,” he warned. “I received a text asking the status of our arrival. She’s been here for thirty minutes. So has the duchess.”
Oops. Kat picked up her tote bag.
He watched her. “Remember…”
“Pick my battles.”
He nodded.
“That might not be necessary,” Kat said.
His eyebrow rose higher. “Why is that?”
“The queen might like me.”
A slow smile spread across his face and crinkled the corners of his eyes. The result—breathtaking.
Her heart thudded.
“She might.” He sounded amused, and though that was at Kat’s expense, his killer smile more than made up for it. “But I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
Was she doing that now? She took a breath. Being near him flustered her.
“Kat,” Sophie called from outside the limo. “Are you coming?”
“Hurry,” Gill teased. “You don’t want the queen screamingoff with her head. Especially since she’d be talking about yours.”
Realization hit Kat. “You’re not trying to help me. You want to scare me so I’m afraid to meet the queen.”
Gill rubbed his chin. If that was him feigning innocence, he was failing. Big time. “You think?”
“I bet your mom is a total sweetheart, just like Sophie.”
Wicked laughter lit his eyes. “I may have to skip my appointment.”
“Why?”
“So I can hear firsthand about your meeting with my mother.” His tone was lighthearted, but Kat wasn’t amused. “This has the making of legend or lore.”
Taking a page from Sophie’s book, Kat stuck out her tongue and got out of the limousine.
Sophie held open the broken gate. “What took you so long?”
