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Was there no end to how sweet Jack could be? Siobhan wanted so badly to kiss his socks off, but this was neither the time nor the place.
“Which are your bags?” Jack asked.
Her mother pointed to two large wheeled suitcases at her side. “I can hardly wait to see the show in person. I knew it would be a smashing success. And I bet it has all been so much fun too.”
“It’s been an amazing ride.” She still didn’t believe all this was happening so fast.
Jack sighed. “I could have done without the idiots trying to steal you and your camera.”
“Wait.” Her mum came to a stop. “What do you mean steal you?”
“Well. The key word is try.” Siobhan hadn’t seen the need to tell her mother about the two guys from the park, and until now hadn’t seen a need to tell Jack that she hadn’t shared that little tidbit about the exhibit’s opening day. “I didn’t realize at the time, but the park not far from Jack’s place has a bit of a seedy reputation.”
Her mother’s brows rose a little higher but she wasn’t moving.
“Maybe,” Jack gestured toward the doors, “we should explain this in the car.”
Without a word, her mother nodded and began walking. “Start explaining now.”
His hands full with her mother’s bags, Jack gave her an encouraging nod.
“As I mentioned, unbeknownst to me, the park is known to the locals for being a gang hangout and a base for drug deals.”
“Oh, no.” Her mum gasped.
“Yeah. Apparently, I not only photographed a drug deal going down without realizing it, I also got a photo of one of the ringleaders, if that’s what they’re called. Needless to say, they wanted my camera back badly.”
“Does this have something to do with the break in at the ranch?” her mother asked.
Siobhan nodded. “Yep. Turns out they’d been following me for days. They’d first spooked me the day I took the photos. They had stayed close to me—”
“Too close,” Jack interrupted.
“Agreed. Too close to me in hopes of simply grabbing the camera without me noticing, but then Jack showed up and they abandoned that idea. Instead, they struck the ranch house once it was empty, but didn’t know that my cameras were not in my room but my workshop. The fact that we’re Barons wasn’t enough to scare them off.”
“But,” Jack interjected, “everyone is now safely behind bars awaiting trial.”
“Is bail a risk?”
Jack shook his head. “Let’s just say there are a few good reasons not to go up against the Baron family.”
“Good.” Her mother looped an arm around her waist. “Hopefully, you’ll be old and gray before they get out of jail.”
“That’s the plan.” Jack smiled at them, then opening the hatch of his SUV with the fob, tossed the two suitcases into the back as if they were nothing more than a pair of pillows. “Next stop the gallery.”
In the car, settled and buckled in, Siobhan thought about what her mother had said about Jack pulling strings. “Exactly how did you get a prince involved in getting Mum here?”
Backing out of the parking space, Jack shrugged. “I met a lot of important people hanging out with your brother on the racing circuit. As it so happened, I also made this particular prince a great deal of money. Calling in a favor wasn’t very difficult. Your mother’s stellar reputation made it even easier to convince the bride and groom that there was no better place for a royal reception.”
This man was seriously thoughtful and down right amazing. Reaching over the console, she squeezed Jack’s hand and mouthed, ‘I love you.’
With a wide smile on his face, he mouthed back, ‘love you more.’ Siobhan’s heart did a now familiar two-step. Could life get any sweeter than this?
Chapter Eighteen– Epilogue
If there was one thing Lila Baron loved, it was a party. Mitch’s grandmother could write the book on being the perfect hostess. Whether it was a comic-themed birthday bash, a nineteen fifties sock hop graduation party, or a Gatsby-themed engagement soiree, Lila Baron would guarantee a party the guests would never forget. Siobhan’s engagement party was exactly that.
“You look very pensive.” His sister Paige handed him a glass of wine. “Care to share?”
