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“Grace!That’s the doorbell. Could you get it? I’m up to my elbows in... in real nasty stuff.”
Crossing to the front hall, she opened the door. All four of Luc and Brand’s brothers stood grouped in the hallway arguing volubly. “Ten bucks, it’s good news.”
“Fifteen, it’s bad.”
“Twenty to one, he’s gone and got himself engaged.”
“Not Luc. Not a chance. I’ll bet twenty-five dollars you’re all wrong.”
The door across the hall opened and Mrs. Bumgartle peered out. “What’s going on there? Who’s gambling?”
“Hello, Mrs. Bumgartle,” the four chorused a cheerful greeting.
“Don’t give me any of your lip,” she retorted. “Gambling’s illegal in this state, you know.”
“It’s just a friendly wager,” Soren assured her gravely. “Just trying to figure out what Luc’s up to.”
“He’s up to no good. No good a’tall,” she snapped. “Now, stop cluttering the hall, or I’ll call the building manager.” With that, the door banged closed.
Grace cleared her throat. “Would you gentlemen care to come in?”
“Oh, hello, Grace,” Soren said, leading the way into the apartment. “Something special going on?”
“No cheating!” the twins, Matteo and Dante, exclaimed in unison. “And no fair pumping Grace.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Soren said calmly, giving her a brotherly peck on the cheek. “Anyone else here?” he whispered in her ear.
“Just Antonia,” she whispered back.
He lifted a speculative eyebrow. “Antonia, huh? Pretty?”
“Gorgeous. Short dark hair, huge brown eyes, a smile that could melt a snowman’s heart and...”
“And?” D’Angelo prompted, coming up behind them.
She spared Angel a smile. “And little bitty dimples on all four cheeks.” All four brothers stared in shock. Barely able to suppress a smile, she led the way to the living room. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
Dante folded his arms across his chest, his black leather jacket stretched tight across broad, muscular shoulders. “Come on, Grace. Give. What’s going on?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell. It’s Luc’s story.”
“Brand’s story, to be exact,” Luc corrected from the doorway.
The expressions on the four Salvatore brothers were all she could have hoped for. Ranging from bemusement to shock, they stared in absolute silence at the baby in Luc’s arms.
Soren was the first to recover, his expression as calm and controlled as ever. “This is Antonia of the four dimples, I assume. Logical, now that I consider everything Grace said.”
“She’s yours?” Matteo shook his head with a grin. “And here I thought Dante was the bad boy of the Salvatores. At least he hasn’t shown up with a baby no one knew anything about.”
“Nor will I,” Dante retorted.
Luc silenced them with a look. “She’s Brand’s daughter.”
Matteo snapped his fingers. “Brand and what was her name? The little foreign exchange student he was so crazy about. Carina! Is it hers?” He shook his head, not bothering to wait for confirmation. “I’ll bet her parents had a thing or two to say when they heard about this little incident.”
“You’ve met Carina?” Grace questioned in surprise.
“Once,” he confirmed. “Briefly. Brand was very protective. He didn’t encourage me to stick around for long.”
