Page 84 of Moonlit Colorado

Mr. Knightly hadn’t been rude to me last night. He had laughed at my little joke about Dane being charming. But he hadn’t been welcoming either. It didn’t matter so much what Dane’s father thought ofme, though. I cared a lot more about whatever he had said to upset Dane before I found him out on the balcony.

Dane could obviously fight his own battles, but I was starting to feel protective of him. Maybe that was silly when the man was a decorated soldier and richer than I could ever dream of being. But for all his over-the-top confidence, Dane was incredibly kind and generous and intelligent too. It made me angry that his father didn’t value him.

How was it possible for anyone to get to know this man and not think the world of him?

At least it was a beautiful day. It was chillier than yesterday, and I wore a coat that Dane had bought me at one of the boutiques. It was off-white and made of wool, both warm and fashionable enough to wear with my gown to the wedding tonight. Dane looked effortlessly handsome with his dark-gray peacoat and a navy cashmere scarf.

We stopped at the bakery, where Dane greeted the woman behind the counter by name, and she grinned so wide when she saw him it was like the sun coming up. She went right to the strawberry tarts in the case. Dane bought four of them, since they were individually sized, and the woman boxed them up.

The building where his parents lived was half a block away. The doorman ushered us in, warmly greeting Dane, and then we were in the elevator and on our way up.

I started fidgeting, but Dane reached for my hand and squeezed it.

I was surprised when he didn’t use a key, knocking at the door instead, but it opened up almost that same moment. I assumed the doorman downstairs had called up.

“Morning, Dane!”

“Hey, Mary Beth. Good to see you. This is Grace.” After I greeted her, Dane tugged me along by my hand as my head swiveled, amazed that this place was called an apartment at all. It was huge. Beautifully decorated. Yet, unlike Dane’s place, it actually felt like people lived here.

When we walked into the kitchen, a woman in an apron exclaimed, “Look who it is!”

She gave him a hug, and Dane introduced her as Rhiannon, their chef.

Rhiannon gasped. “You’ve brought a young lady home? How exciting. Will you and your girlfriend stay for lunch?”

He smiled, glancing over at me, but he didn’t correct her. “Sadly, I don’t think we’ll have time for lunch. Lots to do before the wedding.”

The chef pursed her lips and dropped her voice to a murmur. “I’m just glad I’m not the caterer. Your brother’s future wife has been putting them through their paces.”

Dane barked a laugh and patted her on the shoulder. “I’m glad you were spared that as well.”

Rhiannon gave me a conspiratorial look and dropped her voice. “But if my favorite member of the Knightly family needs a wedding caterer in the future,” she said in a mock whisper, “I’d be happy to do it. Just don’t tell this one I said he was my favorite.”

Oh lordy. I felt my blush getting even worse.

But Dane just laughed again and put his arm around me. “We’ll let you know.” He asked for some plates and silverware, and Rhiannon went to grab them, along with some linen napkins.

“Shouldn’t you tell her that we’re not…” I whispered.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t do any harm. Let her think what she wants. Easier than explaining our weekend arrangement.”

“Good point.” It was getting harder for me to explain it even to myself. And the fact that it would be over in just a few days.

Dane was…wow. So much more than I’d imagined he would be.

I wasn’t the only one who saw it, either. Everyone we’d met this morning seemed to love him.

I helped carry the plates and napkins, and we went up a grand staircase to the second floor. Again, how was this called an apartment when it was the size of a mansion? I kept bracing myself to run into his father, but there was no sign of the man. Until I saw the photos on the walls upstairs. I recognized Dennis and Kip Knightly from meeting them last night. And there was a younger Dane in all his handsome glory, though his smiles didn’t look so bright.

A beautiful blond woman stood beside the Knightly men, her charisma vibrant even through the two-dimensional images.

That had to be Dane’s mom. Isadora.

Dane didn’t glance at the photos, instead ushering me along. “Mom’s wing is this way.” We went down a hall, then stepped into a room full of cabinets and shelves holding medical supplies. A woman wearing purple scrubs looked up from organizing the contents of a plastic box and smiled.

“Well, well. You’re back in town. We missed you.”

“I brought someone special with me. Grace, this is Jasmine Choi. Chief of medicine around here.”

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