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Even his recent search for the woman he’d never been able to forget had come up empty. Running into her in the bank had been some kind of miracle.
Which maybe meant not all of his luck was bad when it came to her.
“That does not make Tiana’s actions your responsibility. A less ruthless, less manipulative person would have supported you without fabricating evidence for a restraining order you knew nothing about.”
Konstantin knew his brother spoke the truth, but he still felt incredibly guilty.
He’d lost out on sharing Emma’s pregnancy and almost five years of his son’s life because he’d made too many bad decisions, not least of which was confiding in the wrong person.
Emma walked into the restaurant where she had agreed to meet Konstantin and wasn’t surprised to find him and an older gentleman at a table already.
The tables on either side were taken up with his security detail, both for protection and privacy, she would imagine.
The Prince hadn’t been thrilled when she’d once again refused to come to his hotel. Emma had stood firm though and Konstantin had eventually given in. Asking where she wanted to meet.
She’d named the restaurant because though Emma didn’t often dine out, a friend worked here and Emma knew it would be nearly empty midmorning.
Which it was. Only one other table was occupied across the dining room from Konstantin and his entourage.
The Prince rose when Emma was a few feet from the table and pulled a chair out for her. The table was set for two, the older man sitting in front of a blank spot. A carafe of coffee sat in the center of the table as well as a plate of small sandwiches.
She didn’t think this restaurant had sandwiches on the menu. They probably didn’t, but the request had been made by royalty. Little chance of it being ignored.
She nodded her thanks to Konstantin and sat down, casting a curious glance at the other man sharing their table.
“Good morning, Emma. Mikhail is well I trust.” Konstantin returned to his seat, his attention fully on her.
Even after all these years, it was a heady feeling. One she did her best to ignore.
“Mickey’s great.” Wanting to see his dad again, but Emma and the Prince had some things to work out first. “He’s at his preschool day care.”
“What does that mean, preschool day care?” Konstantin frowned. He didn’t like not knowing everything.
There had been a time when she’d seen that as an endearing quality. She had to fight against doing so now.
But nothing about this man could be endearing to her.
“It’s exactly what it sounds like,” she told him. “A preschool that also offers day care. Mickey has four hours of preschool daily and the rest of the time there he’s in the day care portion of the facility.”
“How much time does he spend there every day? Does he like it?”
They were legitimate questions. Not really intrusive at all, but Emma had to force herself to answer them. For Mickey’s entire life, there had never been anyone else to question, to offer input on her choices.
Now, suddenly Konstantin was here and making noises like he meant to stay in Mickey’s life. Which was what Emma wanted, but it was going to be an adjustment for her, on so many levels.
“I work full-time, though I’ve arranged to work my last two hours each day from home after Mickey is in bed. I also take thirty-minute lunches, rather than the hour the company offers. So, he’s in day care about six to six and a half hours, depending on my commute time.”
“Your world is arranged around our son,” Konstantin observed as he offered her coffee.
She declined with a wave of her hand. “I don’t drink caffeine.”
She’d cut out all caffeine when she was pregnant and then been encouraged to keep doing so by her first yoga instructor. Since she slept better at night, she had to agree it had been a good, if difficult choice.
“It is. And yes, he likes his day care and preschool,” she said, answering Konstantin’s questions. “Though I’d already taught him a lot of what he is now learning, while I was still working as a nanny and had him with me all the time.”
Mickey complained sometimes of being bored in his school, but for the most part he enjoyed it and he adored his teacher.
Hence picking up the man’s phrases and using them.
