King's Ransom (Man on a Mission 2)

Two additional bodyguards were waiting at the heliport for their arrival, probably in response to the incident with the helicopter engine that the pilot must have reported. Before he left in their company, Andre addressed the man who’d looked after her all day, making sure she had everything she needed. This time she understood what Andre was saying in Zakharan when he told the man, “See her safely into the palace. Let nothing happen to her.” She was unexpectedly touched by his concern for her, although she knew it was misplaced.

Andre turned to her. “I must leave you here. I have a meeting with the Privy Council already scheduled—they are waiting for my return.”

“I understand,” she replied quickly.

He looked as if he wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t. He left with a hasty “Thank you again, little one” instead, words uttered in a caressing undertone that told Juliana he didn’t want to leave her just then...but had to.

Juliana’s escort took her into the palace, then left as soon as she entered the door to the Queen’s Suite and closed it firmly behind her. Once there she realized she desperately needed to talk with someone about the chaos in her mind. Someone she’d taken her troubles to when she was a little girl, and who’d never failed to give her wise counsel. She wasn’t a little girl any longer, but still...

She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and checked the time, thankful Maddie had obtained a sim card for her so she could use her phone in Zakhar. She mentally tried to calculate the time difference between Zakhar and Virginia but couldn’t remember how many time zones she’d crossed on her flight here and whether you subtracted time or added it. Then she crossed her fingers in hopes it wasn’t too early, and hit speed dial for her father.

When he answered, she said, “I hope I didn’t wake you, Dad.”

He laughed softly. “What time is it there, Juliana?”

She glanced at the ormolu clock on the mantelpiece. “Almost seven. In the evening.”

“We’re six hours behind you. Which means it’s early afternoon here. So unless you were talking about disturbing my afternoon nap...”

Juliana winced. “Sorry, Dad. Math never was my strong point.”

Her father chuckled in her ear. “That’s okay, honey. I wouldn’t have minded if you had woken me. It’s good to hear your voice no matter what.” He cleared his throat. “So what’s wrong?”

“I don’t just call you when something’s wrong,” she protested.

“No, but I’ve known you all your life,” he reminded her. “And a father can tell when something’s troubling his baby girl.”

“Oh, Dad...” She laughed, more rueful than anything else. “That’s just it. I’m not your baby girl anymore. And I...” Good girls don’t, she suddenly remembered him saying, and realized this might not be such a good idea, after all.

“It’s about Andre, isn’t it?” he asked her gently.

She gasped. “How did you know?”

“You think I didn’t know how you felt about him all those years ago? That I didn’t know you loved him with all your heart when you left Zakhar to attend college? You think because I’m an old man I don’t remember what it’s like to be in love?”

“You’re not old.”

“I’m seventy-five, honey. That’s old in anyone’s book, especially mine. But I remember the moment I met your mother as if it were yesterday. I loved her then and I love her still. I always will. Her death didn’t change that.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “You...you’ve never really talked about Mom with me that way. You told me what she was like, but...not about how you felt. About...” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

He was silent for a moment. “I waited a long time to fall in love, Juliana. You know that much. And I only had your mother for five years before she was taken from me. But I wouldn’t trade one moment of the time I did have with her for anything you could offer me. I wouldn’t be surprised if you finally realize that’s how you feel about Andre now that you’ve seen him again, and that’s why you’re calling me.”

When Juliana didn’t answer, he said, “I never brought it up at the time because I figured if you wanted my advice you’d ask for it. You always had before. But even though you didn’t ask, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened between the two of you. Wonder why you stopped loving him. If you stopped loving him.”

The slight upward inflection on the last sentence turned it into a half question.