Dante's Temporary Fiancée

“Which is?” she asked uneasily.

He debated for a moment. “I don’t think I’m going to tell you. Not yet.” At least not until he figured out how to convince her it would work. It would be a huge step for both of them. Only time could prove whether that step was the right one. “My plan needs a while to ripen.”

She shifted in her seat, betraying her nervousness. “You do remember that I also have a plan, right?”

“We’ll consider that plan B.”

“I’m not sure that’ll work,” she murmured.

“Why not?”

She released a sigh filled with regret. “It’s sort of on automatic. Eventually it’s going to go off by itself.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

But they arrived at the lake before she responded, which caused her as much relief as it caused him annoyance. He filed the information away for a more opportune time to drag out the details. One nice thing about his fiancée was that she found it impossible to keep secrets from him. A single, tiny nudge and it all spilled out.

They pulled up to the main residence, a huge sprawling building. When he’d been a kid, the place had looked far different, more rustic. But in recent years the family had rebuilt and expanded it, cantilevering the newer two end wings out over the lake. They’d also added private cabins, which dotted the shoreline and were better suited for the privacy issues of newly married couples.

Larkin leaned forward, her breath catching. “My God, it’s magnificent.”

He smiled in satisfaction. “Maybe you can understand why we all make the effort to come here each year.”

“I’d never want to leave.”

He parked in the gravel area adjacent to the storage shed and workshop. “We’ll be expected to stay at the main house.”

“In separate rooms, I assume.”

“Guaranteed. Don’t let it worry you. I know plenty of places where we can find some privacy.”

She appeared intrigued by the possibility. “I’ve never made love in the woods before.”

“Only because there hasn’t been the opportunity until now. I look forward to correcting that oversight.”

She shot him a mischievous look. “So do I.”

The next several days proved enlightening. After an initial shyness, both Larkin and Kiko took to his family with impressive enthusiasm. It made him realize that she never talked about her family, other than the occasional reference to her grandmother, and he couldn’t help but wonder why.

Where he had always found his family somewhat intrusive, particularly when it came to certain personal issues such as women and romance, Larkin soaked in the love and attention as though it were a new and wondrous experience. Over the days they spent at the lake, he noted that she blossomed the most beneath the attention of his mother and father and he remembered her mentioning that she’d been brought up by her grandmother. She’d always taken pains to change the subject whenever the conversation turned to the topic of her parents, which raised an interesting question. What had happened to them?

Toward the end of their stay, he finally found a private moment to ask. He’d arranged for a picnic lunch that he’d set up on one of the rafts dotting the lake, this one offering the most privacy from curious eyes. She laughed in surprised delight when they swam out to the raft and discovered lunch waiting for them.

“What have you been up to, Rafaelo Dante?” She knelt on the raft and opened the lid of the basket, peering inside. Freezer packs kept the chicken and Primo’s uniquely spiced potato salad icy cold, as well as the bottle of white wine Rafe had tossed in at the last minute. She rocked back on her heels. “This is… This is amazing.”

Something in her voice alerted him and he took her chin in his hand and tilted her face toward him. Sure enough, he caught the telltale glint of tears. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she instantly denied. “It’s…” She gazed out across the lake, emotions darting across her face, one after another. Longing. Sorrow. Regret. Then they vanished, replaced by a grateful smile. “Thank you for bringing me here. This week has been like some sort of beautiful dream. I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time here.”