“We could get room service if you want something else to drink instead of wine,” she said as he joined her on the couch.“I know you’re more of a beer guy.”
He chuckled.“True.But I’m good.We’ll probably be drinking a lot of wine while we’re here, so I might as well get used to it.Besides, wine goes better with this kind of food, right?”
“I agree that beer probably wouldn’t be my first choice when it comes to these particular hors d’oeuvres, but there honestly aren’t any rules.”
“Good to know.”
Darwin reached for the plate of hors d’oeuvres, waiting for Katrina to take one before helping himself to something that looked like a chubby mozzarella stick.He bit into it, chewing slowly.
“Mm.This is good,” he said.“What is it?”
“That’s a smoked trout croquette.It’s a deep-fried mashed potato filled with smoked trout, mozzarella, Parmesan, and chives.The others are dates stuffed with goat cheese and salami, Brie and prosciutto shortbreads, and cheddar and herb gougères,” she said, pointing each of them out before holding up her own, adding, “And this is a caviar and crème fraîche tartlet.”
Darwin eyed the plate thoughtfully.“I have no idea what any of those are going to taste like, but I’m eager to find out.”He took another bite of the croquette.“Did you eat this kind of food all the time growing up?”
“Not really.”Katrina nibbled on her tartlet.“This kind of stuff was reserved for parties, especially if my parents were trying to impress people.If we were having a formal family dinner, the food was pretty fancy, but most of the time, Khloe and I ate our meals with Francesca, so it was simple stuff.”
“You and Francesca seem close,” Darwin said, reaching for his glass of wine.
She smiled.“We are.She’s been like a second mother to me since I was a kid.”
In some ways, Francesca was more of a mother to her and Khloe than their real mom.Francesca had taught them how to ride a bike and helped them with their homework.She’d taken them shopping for their prom dresses and helped them move into the dorm when they’d gone to college.She was still the person Katrina went to whenever she needed advice.
“Is she the reason you became a nanny?”Darwin asked, reaching for the Brie and prosciutto shortbread.
Katrina considered that as she sipped her wine.“I never really thought about it, but yeah, I guess so.When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be like Francesca.And since I wanted to work with kids, being a nanny was a no-brainer.”
“Did Francesca help you get the job with the McDaniels?”
“Kind of.”She helped herself to one of the dark chocolate truffles and took a nibble to find that it was espresso cream.Yum.“She got me an interview with the agency she works for and put in a good word for me, but I actually met the McDaniels at a party my parents hosted.Beverly had just turned two, and they were looking for someone to take over for the night nanny, with an eye toward hiring someone full-time.The minute I met Beverly, I fell in love with her, and I moved into the McDaniels’ home a few days later.”She shrugged.“In some ways, it’s like I got a second chance to have a family that wanted me the way I am instead of the way they thought I should be.”
Darwin’s mouth curved.“I’m glad.Not only because you’re obviously happy, but because if you weren’t Beverly’s nanny, we probably never would have met.Unless Lennox and Talia have their wedding here instead of at Legoland, like Maria wants them to.”
Katrina laughed.Maria had their wedding all planned out, right down to Emmet walking Talia down the aisle, even though the couple hadn’t even set a date.
“By then, Mom and Dad probably would have married me off to someone like Upton,” she said.“Now that I think about it, it almost certainly would have been him.”
Ugh.She didn’t even want to think about that.Upton was a nice guy, but so not her type.Plus, they’d known each other from the time they were finger painting in kindergarten.It definitely would have been all kinds of weird.
Darwin made a face.“Wow.Okay.That sucks.Is that why Khloe is marrying Asher?”
“No way.”Katrina frowned.“At least I don’t think so.I mean, I know they’re in love, but Asher is also exactly the kind of man our parents want her to marry and bring into the family business.”
“Asher’s going to help run the resort and winery?”
She eyed the other chocolate truffles on the plate, wondering if she should have another, then decided she’d better not indulge.“Not that part of the family business.The other part that makes the real money.”
Darwin eyed her warily, glass of wine halfway to his mouth.“Are you saying your family is in the mob?”
“Why does everyone ask that?”Katrina said with a laugh.Sheesh.“No!My family isn’t part of the mob.Or any other organized crime syndicate.My dad runs an investment consortium.”
“Isn’t that the same thing with bigger words?”Darwin asked with a smile that showed off the most delightful dimples.
“Not really,” she assured him.“Organized crime syndicates break the law to make a profit.An investment consortium works within the parameters of the law to make a profit.Well, unless there’s an area outside the law that looks especially lucrative.In which case, they buy off politicians to change the laws so they can make their outrageous profits legally.”
He snorted and shook his head.“You realize you’re too young to be so cynical, right?”
“Maybe,” Katrina admitted with a laugh.“But given how I was raised, some people would say I have every right to be a little cynical.”
