“Well, he must have changed. He married Lauren, and she was black.”
“That was the best decision he ever made in his miserable life. They were perfect for each other.”
Kaya smiled. “I believe that.”
He gave her a quizzical look. “You’re bi-racial.”
“Yes. My mother is Caucasian. Are you originally from Granite Falls?” she asked to keep the conversation away from Nadine. That topic was off limits.
“I’m from Queens, New York, actually.”
“A city boy, huh? What brought you to Granite Falls?”
“Boarding school. I fell in love with the natural landscape—the mountains, lakes, rivers, and the people.” He looked out the wall of glass, to the four-season porch and the line of evergreen trees bordering the lake. He smiled like a man who knew he was home and was happy about it. “I had no desire to return to an overcrowded city after this.”
“But Granite Falls is a buzzing city, too,” Kaya remarked. “I was totally surprised when I drove through downtown the first time and saw skyscrapers towering against the snow-covered mountains, and the beautifully restored mill buildings that housed department stores and elite boutiques. Who would think there was a little mecca like this buried in the foothills of the White Mountain National Range? Nobody.”
“Shh. We try to keep it quiet.”
Kaya giggled like a schoolgirl. He did have a sense of humor. “Do you have any other family?”
A frown settled between his brows. “Just my parents. They live in New York. But they like to spend the winters in warmer climates. They’re in Cambodia right now. Last time I heard, they were teaching Cambodian children English at a monastery. I’ve been trying to get them to move here, but they keep putting it off.”
He’s lonely, Kaya thought with a thud in her heart. “How did you finally convince Michael to teach you how to ski?” she asked to brighten the mood.
He chortled. “Michael liked to go off on his own at the end of the day. One afternoon, I followed him out on a pond and he happened to fall through a crack in the ice. I helped him out on the promise that he’d give up his archaic notions about black people and teach me how to ski.”
“So you both got what you wanted?”
“You could say that.”
“Was that when you began honing your negotiating skills?” His reputation as a relentless negotiator preceded him. He’d given her a taste of his shrewdness this morning in Steven’s office, and then later in the nursery when he’d tried to manipulate her with seduction.
The corners of his eyes crinkled on a smile. “Probably. I learned that if people want something badly enough, they’re always willing to make a deal.”
“Your tactics work. Look at what you’ve accomplished in such a short time. This is probably the most beautiful house I’ve ever set foot in. And I should know. I’ve been in some of the grandest on the East Coast.”
His countenance suddenly turned somber and he dropped his gaze to the baby in his arms.
Did speaking about the house bring back unhappy memories for him? Did it have anything to do with Pilar? Did he build the house for her? Did they live here together before she died? Questions swirled around in Kaya’s head. Questions she dared not ask.
They’d only met a few hours ago. She had no right to probe into his private life. The lives of her sister and brother-in-law, however, were open for discussion. She had a right to know how they came to financial ruin, and the reason her whole life had changed overnight at their deaths. “Why were Michael and Lauren living in your house, Bryce?” she asked.
He gazed up through thick, dark lashes. “Lauren never told you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Have you noticed the small scar over Alyssa’s left eye?”
“Yes. But what has that to do with anything?”