“Looks like I’ll be joining the cheering section.” Elena refused to look at Luca.
Annabelle glanced around. “And now I need a replacement captain. Luca, since you caused the ruckus, you can be the captain. Get over here and start picking players. We have a game to play.”
Elena joined Annabelle off to the side of the field that had been painted up with white lines just like a regulation field. Even nets stood at either end. And the part Elena liked best was the hot dog and refreshment cart. She was getting a little hungry...and since she was eating for two now, she had the perfect excuse to ditch her diet for the day.
“So what’s up with you and my brother?” Annabelle took a seat in one of the fold-out chairs.
Elena sat next to her. She willed herself to act normal. “Not much.”
“Sure seems like something to me. The looks you two were sending each other were rather stormy. I hope you two aren’t fighting. You barely see each other anymore.”
“Oh, we’re not fighting. I promise.” At least not yet—not until she was alone with Luca.
“You’re sure? Because I could say something to him. Now that my brother has reemerged into our lives, he seems to think he knows what’s best for everyone. Don’t let him push you around.”
“Trust me, I’ve known him long enough to know all his tricks.”
“Good.” Annabelle smiled. “Us girls, we have to stick together.”
“Yes, we do.”
Was it wrong that Elena was starting to feel like she would have an ally in Annabelle? Her friend didn’t even know the truth yet. Would Annabelle be upset when she learned that her brother had eloped? Would everyone think that he had married beneath himself?
Elena lifted her chin a little higher. She was, after all, famous. That had to count for something. She would make sure people respected her, starting with her husband.
* * *
“What was that back there?”
The hiss in Elena’s voice drew Luca up short.
He stopped on the beach and glanced around to make sure they were alone. They’d meandered toward the beach while everyone else headed back to the palace to get cleaned up before dinner. But right now, food was the last thing on Luca’
s mind.
He turned back to her. “What are you talking about?”
“That scene you made before the football game. You shouldn’t have done it.”
“Well, excuse me for worrying about my—” he caught himself before he said wife “—my child. I was just doing what I thought was best.”
“That’s not for you to do. I can take care of myself. I was about to back out of playing the game before you interrupted.”
“I didn’t know.” He suddenly felt as though he’d done something wrong when all he’d meant to do was make sure that everyone was safe. Being a husband and father was trickier than he’d imagined.
“I think the problem is that we rushed into this marriage and we didn’t take time to figure out how it was going to work.”
He had a distinct feeling he wasn’t going to like what she said next. “And how do you think it should work?”
“Well, my life is in Paris. I plan to return there.”
He didn’t like the thought of her being so far away. “When do you plan to leave?”
“My flight is scheduled for next week.”
He nodded, but he didn’t speak right away. Time was running out for them. He took a moment before he spoke. He’d already learned the value of carefully considering his words where Elena was concerned. “You do realize the paparazzi is going to follow you around and dig up whatever dirt they can find?”
She shrugged it off, but he caught a glimpse of the worry in her eyes. She didn’t like living her life in the spotlight. So why was she in such a rush to get back to that world? Was it truly her career? Or was she anxious to get away from him?