Page 184 of Diego

“Hi,” I say a bit hesitantly.

That gets a small laugh from her as Leonardo stops just inside the kitchen and looks up at me with the solemn concentration only a toddler can manage. He seems to be deciding whether I am interesting enough to approach.

“I’m sorry to just appear in your house like this,” Victoria says.

“That's all right,” I say. Especially because it's definitely not my house.

Her expression shifts with amusement, but she lets the comment pass. “Mario needed Diego to handle something. There’s a client who refuses to deal with anyone else, and apparently whatever they needed to discuss could not be pushed off again.”

I glance toward the hallway. “Diego’s not here?”

“He left a little while ago.”

That explains why I felt so unsettled before. It's not just that it's quiet; it's that Diego's not here at all.

Something about that should make me stop and think for a moment about why Diego not being here hit me so strongly, but I can't think what it is just now.

Victoria walks farther into the kitchen, and Leonardo follows with the uneven gait of someone still figuring out how to use his legs. “He refused initially,” she continues. “Mario knew he would refuse. I knew he would refuse. So I volunteered to stay here with you while he went.”

I stare at her. “He needed a babysitter for me before he would go to work?”

Victoria’s mouth curves. “I'm sure he would object to that term.”

I close my eyes for a second.

“Only because he knows I would.”

Victoria's smile turns into a grin. I'm well aware the amusement on her face is not at my expense, but at the absurdity of the situation.

“There's something I've learned about the Conti men in my time married to one of them.”

“Oh, do enlighten me,” I say dryly.

“Sometimes it's easier to just let them have their way.”

I lift my brows. “That's not really my philosophy.”

She lifts a finger. “Of course not, mine either. But I found that if you let the little things slide, you have a lot more leverage when it comes to the big ones.”

I stare at her for a second. “You're a lawyer, right?”

She laughs. “That I am.” She glances toward Leonardo, who has discovered the lower cabinets and is testing each handle with great concentration. “I know the difference between conceding something and losing.”

“I can respect that.”

Her eyes come back to mine, warm and amused. “Good. Then we should get along just fine.”

Leonardo chooses that moment to lose his balance and drop down on his butt fairly hard. Victoria barely reacts beyond watching to make sure he is all right, which tells me this is a regular occurrence.

“I was actually coming down to find something to eat,” I say.

“Perfect. I was about to feed him too.” She walks to the oven and opens it, and I see things that definitely weren't in there this morning.

I groan. “Please tell me you did not bring more food.”

Victoria laughs. “I brought more food.”

“There is still enough in this house to feed a small army.”