Reclaiming the Prince's Heart

“Yes. I phoned him while you were in session with Doctor Tullia. You’ll always be in charge of this office and the mine, but I wanted to give him the courtesy of a heads-up this one time.”

There was nothing about Luna he didn’t admire. “You’re a wonder.”

“I hope you feel the same way after we’ve spent a few hours together on the books.”

“I love being with you no matter what we do.”

Her eyes gave off green sparks. “That sounds perfect. Are you ready to plunge in?”

“Ready and eager. Let’s see what kind of a teacher you make.”

“Oh, dear. I wish you hadn’t said that.”

He chuckled as she pulled up a file and they got started. Since numbers didn’t have to be translated, Rini was able to grasp quite a bit for a first round. He hadn’t lost his math capabilities. Luna made it easy by compiling a list of headings in Romansh. In another day or two he’d have the terms memorized into Italian.

An hour later they left the building to eat lunch. “What are you in the mood for, Rini?”

“I think fish.”

“Then I know a perfect spot.” They got into the car and she showed him where to drive to a port on the lake. “It’s the place we love after we’ve been out swimming and fishing.”

“On what?”

“You have a cabin cruiser.”

“I do?”

“We’ve spent many a night on it.”

Soon, they reached the port and she pointed out his sleek blue-and-white cruiser moored at the pier alongside half a dozen others.

“I’ve got an idea, Luna. We could move to the cruiser.”

She laughed. “You us

ed to say that to me whenever we’d been out on it. You loved being on the water.”

“I’d like to see it. Why don’t we pick up some lunch and eat it on board?”

“Let’s do it, but I don’t have the key for us to take a drive.”

“I don’t care about that.”

It didn’t take long for them to buy crab and pasta to go. The delightful news that they had a cruiser had excited him. She waved to the security guard at the dock, who recognized them. Rini helped her get on board and they went below deck out of the hot sun to eat. They sat together on the couch while they ate.

“Let’s come out here tonight.”

“I’d love it, but maybe we should wait until tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“First of all, we need to go shopping so you’ll feel like you’ve joined the world. You need a watch and wallet. And I think a few new casual shirts, too. And then this evening your grandparents are hoping to hear from you. We could run by the palace.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Then we’ll set up a video conversation with them at the palazzo.”

“I’m not ready to spend time with my grandparents yet.”