Page 407 of The Romance Adventure

Royal slings his arms across his chest. “And just how do you propose we do that?”

My husband’s lips twist as if he hadn’t thought that far.

Clearing my throat, I say, “May I suggest a ruse de guerre?”

CJ snaps his fingers. “Yes!”

“What’s a roo de whatsit?” Isla asks.

CJ explains the French term, meaning ruse of war. “A ruse is a strategy of subterfuge and war, well. That’s what Jerkovic declared when he messed with the McGregors.”

There’s a round of cheering. Then Harley says, “How do we do a ruse de guerre?”

“This is where your caper crew montage comes in, Isla,” I say.

Between CJ and me, putting our heads together, brainstorming, and working on the fly, we come up with a pretty solid plan to deceive my father.

The others don’t know his identity yet, but CJ is quietly comforting because he knows this is hard for me. Not because I don’t want to see Jerkovic brought to justice, but because the last bit of hope I’d held onto at having a family has been solidly thrown out the door. It was a thread of hope, really. No, not even a thread, just a little girl who didn’t get to pick her parents. But do any of us? They didn’t turn out to be the best family, but the one I have now is.

“The old bait and switch,” Magnus says.

Isla raises her hand. “I can forge the stones like I almost did with that painting.”

Lally brings up a few Trojan horse events in history that point out strengths and weaknesses in the plan.

Once we have everything hammered out, Royal still hems and haws.

Looking lovingly at my husband, I say, “Trust CJ. He’s really, really good at his job. He fooled me and I’m the best at mine.” I wink.

Words of confusion filter through the group, but that’s the most I can give away before I drift away, falling asleep on the couch. Aside from one final move on my part, I’m off the case, no longer questing for the crown or my father’s approval.

I wake up at dawn, alone and scrunched up among the couch’s pillows. I go to the kitchen to get some water and a shaft of light streams from the garage. CJ appears a moment later.

Thumbing over his shoulder, he says, “Secret lair. Top secret lair.”

“Is that what you were doing while I was gone and why Delaney Construction contacted me when I was in Europe about the location of a well line? I just figured they had the wrong number or the wrong house.”

CJ places his forefinger in front of his lips in the universal symbol for quiet. “Are you ready?”

I nod slowly and exhale a long-held breath.

He laces his arms around my lower back, pulling me tight.

“Going with you is unadvisable for a variety of reasons. This is your mission.”

“What? You have to come with us.”

I shake my head. “I’m afraid that if I’m there, I might provoke my father...or get soft.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I can’t risk it. Just like not wanting to be tempted when everyone was trying on the crown. You’d do anything for your family. How do I know that at the last minute, I wouldn’t do the same? Von Dräger is slick. I made my decision. It’s the right thing to do.”

CJ nods in understanding. “This got bigger than both of us, but ironic that our parents are involved.”

“Honest to goodness, I had no idea Von Dräger had your parents.”

“I’m not going to let speculation about your intentions get in the way of us. For you, it was about righting a wrong. For me, it’s about saving my mom and dad. Thank you for helping us where you could.”