“Hi,” he said softly.
“Is Eve up?” Mira asked through a yawn. She didn’t hurry to rise because she knew Kei would be with her daughter as soon as she opened her eyes.
“She’s in her chair eating dry cereal. I want to take you two to breakfast. How fast can you get dressed?”
Today was not the day for an excursion. She really craved more sleep. Mira smiled weakly. “I can cook something for us.”
“Enough of you in the kitchen. I want to take my girls out. It’s nice today. Besides you stay cooped up in here too much as it is.”
“I’m a little tired.” She wiped her hand down her face and stretched her eyes to fight back her exhaustion.
“I see. You don’t get much sun or exercise. Relax sweetheart. Please let me help. Let’s have breakfast and let Little Rabbit run around in the snow.”
Mira nodded. “Fine, bring her to me so I can change her. We’ll be ready within the hour.”
Kei nodded but stepped forward instead of backward. “I feel like you’ve been avoiding us, since we had our talk.”
“Really. Have you been paying attention? I spend every minute of the day chasing a toddler.” She crossed her arms.
“And I’ve been chasing you.”
Despite the twinge of irritation pricking at her heart she smiled and cupped the side of his face. “Eve does love the snow. Doesn’t she?”
Kei stood on the step beneath her. Because of his height he continued to look her directly in the eye. Giving her body to him wasn’t an option. God knows sex would only complicate things further between them. But she’d have to be inhuman to ignore how handsome he was. He had the silent calmness in and out of his personal life that commanded respect. Mira decided she wouldn’t fight his offer of support. And she was ready to try. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one,” he said turning his face to kiss the inside of her palm. Mira leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. It ended. They continued to look into each other's eyes. He finally cleared his voice and spoke. “I love you.”
“I adore you. Thank you, Kei. For everything.”
She turned and went up the stairs. When she reached the top she glanced back at him. He stared up at her with a satisfied smirk. He winked and bounded back to the kitchen. Mira chuckled. Today would be a good day for them all. She could feel it.
****
They arrived. From the back of his chauffeured car Giovanni slipped deeper into thoughts of her. Two days had boiled his anger down to a smoldering calm. He loved her just as much today as the last time he’d laid eyes on her. The thought of rejection left him nervous and doubtful of his decision to confront her. She could slam the door in his face. What right did he have to force it open? She made no attempt to contact him. Did she know he’d attended her fake funeral? Did she know he made everyone with the name Calderone pay, and pay even more for Fabiana’s death?
“How do you want to run this?” Dominic asked.
“I have no plan,” he muttered.
“However you decide to handle seeing her we support you one hundred percent,” Dominic said.
Giovanni nodded clenching and unclenching his gloved fist. He rode the rest of the way in silence. He half listened to Dominic and Lorenzo discuss directions from the map they followed. The drive progressed slowly through hills and snow covered valleys. Giovanni reclined his head and closed his eyes. He slipped in to the drowsy warmth of his memories, good sweet memories of her.