“Don’t turn into a gold-digger now, princess,” Baron smirks, poking me gently in the ribs. “Or I’ll have to trade you in for another model.”
“Another model!” I laugh. “You jerk!”
Compared to how things went when we met, the day is a complete reversal. We walk through the sunlit foliage to a grassy meadow, and Baron produces two sandwiches from his bag and a bottle of sparkling water to share.
“I’m surprised you don’t have a private chef and dining room table set out for us,” I tease.
“This is more romantic.” He smiles.
“Oh is it?” I’m hungrier than I realized and take a big bite of the sandwich. My eyes go wide. “Turkey and honey mustard? How did you know this was my favorite?”
Again, Baron just smiles and shakes his head. “What did I tell you about me being observant?”
“God, I feel like such a bad woman,” I reply, trying not to laugh as I chew. “You’ve made me breakfast and a sandwich, and I’ve done absolutely nothing for you.”
“Don’t worry. There’s plenty of time to learn how to cook me all my favorite meals.”
It’s the strangest transformation I’ve ever witnessed. I used to be terrified of him, but now I feel so safe the world itself seems harmless. It’s like I’ve just stepped into a fantasy film. The monster I once thought he was has vanished and has been replaced with a man who has swept me off my feet completely.
What a puzzle of a man. I should have run from him when he took me that night. Now I know why I didn’t. There was more to him and I wanted to discover his depths. I’m getting there, but there are still so many things unanswered.
“Baron,” I say slowly. “Why did you marry my mom?”
I regret saying it immediately. Baron’s body goes tense, and he slowly swallows his bite of sandwich. Eyes on the grass, he sighs deeply.
“Yeah…that’s a pretty big regret of mine.” His voice is softer than usual. I get the sense that he’s showing me a side of himself he rarely shows anyone – if ever. “When I was young, I was single-minded. Aggressive and driven. Ambition was my only quality. I pushed people out of my life, and once I achieved success, I found myself at the top completely alone.”
“I’m sorry…”
“It was my own fault.” He shakes his head. “Your mother came to me, innocent, compassionate, pretending to understand me. And I bought it. I guess in the back of my mind there was always a suspicion, but I told myself I had to try. If I didn’t, I’d end up alone for the rest of my life.”
I never thought about what it must actually be like to be Baron. Of course from the outside everything looks perfect, ideal, incredible. More money than he could spend in ten lifetimes. Every guy wanting to be him. But I never considered the personal cost of getting to where he is today.
“It’s understandable,” I tell him. I want to help him – help soothe him in some way, so I move closer to him and rest my head on his strong shoulder. “You wanted a companion. Love. Something real.”
Baron nods sadly. “And I made a mistake. I married your mom, and then slowly but surely, came to realize she wasn’t interested in me; she was interested in what I had.”
“I’m sorry, Baron.” His body is so strong, but he’s allowing me to see his weakness. It’s as though I’ve discovered the key to a lock that has held his secrets for so long, and each word he speaks that reveals them to me brings us closer. Makes me feel even more special.
“Don’t be. As I said before, princess, my mistake with her is what brought you to me.”
Glowing, I finish my sandwich with my new daddy, and when we’re done, we make our way back down to the house. Baron plucks a bit of purple flocks from the trail and slides it into my hair. “You look like a sexy little forest nymph.”
“Uh oh,” I laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re secretly a furry. Or into monster girls.”
“Monster girls? What’s that?”
“Thank God you don’t know!” I’m still laughing when we reach the back yard of the house, but as we round the corner to the side door, I see something that stops me dead in my tracks.
Two police cars and four policemen are waiting in the driveway. I feel suddenly protective and move in front of Baron as though I could possibly do something to help him.
“Baron Stark?” one of the officers asks loudly.
“You know who I am,” Baron replies, his voice unwavering. “What are you doing on my property?”
“We have a warrant here for your arrest,” another officer announces. “If you’d come with us please.”
“Make it easier on everyone.”