“Did I misspeak again?”
“No, you did beautifully.” Her smile blossomed. It was the first she’d given him since their meeting earlier in the day. Her elegant features lit up, her eyes widened, and her teeth gleamed. The smile only highlighted how lovely she was, and it nearly took his breath away.
He dragged in a lungful of the cool evening air, not sure why he was reacting so strongly to this woman’s smile, except that a part of him already knew that her smiles were rare, and he’d been the one to put it on her face. If he’d done it once, could he do it again?
Without giving him the chance to try—and likely make a fool of himself in the process—she turned and began to walk away. “I’ll be back for dinner.”
For a moment, he could only watch her, but then he found his voice. “I would like you to stay.”
She didn’t break her stride.
He’d done it again. Ordered her, or at least assumed she’d harken to his wishes. He mentally slapped himself, then rushed to correct his mistake. “Would you please come inside and perhaps join me for a drink until dinner arrives?”
She stopped and tossed him a sassy look. “That’s better, Max. You’re a quick learner.”
He couldn’t keep from smiling. “Thank you.”
“But no, I can’t stay.”
His delight fell away immediately, along with his smile. “Whyever not?”
She gave him a last look before continuing on her way. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
He wanted to say more, to ask her where she was going, what she was doing, who she was seeing. But the questions would be totally irrational and entirely out of line in this situation. Maybe even in all situations.
With a sigh, he watched her until she disappeared, then he entered the cabin and left the door open for Winzig, who had been waiting in the shadows of the porch.
At the table in the kitchenette, Braun had his monocular loupe in one eye and his stamp collection book spread out in front of him.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” Braun stated in German as he hovered above one of the stamps. “Would you like to wear the red tie or blue to dinner?”
“Neither, since I am not going.” Max shrugged out of his coat.
Braun immediately straightened in his chair, the single magnifier still in his eye socket. “You must. It’s on the schedule.”
“I have decided to dine in the cabin this evening.” Max tossed off his gloves as Winzig entered and closed the door.
Braun pushed back from the table, stood, and crossed toward Max, his face creasing with worry, even with the loupe in his eye. “Are you unwell, Your Highness?”
“I am completely fine.”
“I do not understand.”
Max bent to unlace his boots. He didn’t quite understand himself either. The bank was his life. He ate, slept, and lived for the bank and always had, but more so over recent months. When he wasn’t at his desk at the main branch in Vollenstadt, he was traveling to the ancillary banks in other cities and countries, meeting with investors and other executives.
Even on the long flight over from Europe, he’d worked most of the way and slept only a little. After they’d landed in Denver, he’d spent the ride into the mountains on one conference call after another.
He honestly hadn’t planned on spending the entire afternoon touring the ranch. He’d expected to be gone an hour so that he’d have time to work until dinner. But once he’d started hiking with Emberly, he’d stopped paying attention to his watch. He also hadn’t cared that his phone had been vibrating in his pocket, accumulating messages to respond to in addition to everything else he needed to do.
He’d been too distracted by her and by the beauty of the land to let himself worry about anything.
Then she’d made a comment about being at the ranch that had struck a chord deep inside:A week here at the ranch could be just what you need to regain perspective.
What if she were right? What if he’d been using his work to escape from the increasing pressure of what to do about his future? What if he simply needed to be here at the ranch to rest and relax? Would it help him gain the perspective he needed for the monumental decision on whether to marry Sarah or abdicate the throne to Alex?
Braun stopped in front of Max and examined him through his single magnifying lens, as if that could somehow unravel the confusion.
Max kicked off his boot. “I would like to enjoy an evening off, Braun.”
