Resolve firmed inside Emma. Whatever Konstantin had planned, he was going to play a significant part in his son’s life from this point forward. Even if Emma had to go to the media and shame him into it.
Tiana, the former Queen of Mirrus and his sister-in-law, not to mention the woman who had threatened to take her baby away, was dead now. It was time for Emma to stop acting out of fear of Konstantin’s family.
“I am going nowhere,” Konstantin promised.
Emma only hoped he meant it.
“Would you like to eat lunch with us?” she invited.
See her remembering manners taught by her parents and patience taught by her yogi.
“Yes, thank you.” Konstantin looked surprised by the offer. “What would you like? I will send Sergei out for it.”
Sergei had been careful to stay close, but always shifting to a different room than the one she, Mickey and Konstantin were in. The rest of the detail were outside watching her front and back door for threats, but probably just as much for paparazzi sniffing around.
“Thank you for the offer, but Mickey needs to eat now, or he’s going to get hangry and none of us wants to deal with that.”
“Hangry? I am not familiar with this term.”
“Hungry and angry together. Hangry.”
Konstantin smiled. “I too can become hangry,” he admitted to Mickey. “We should both eat lunch.”
“We’ll all eat together at the table, like a family. That’s okay, right, Mom?” Mickey’s nerves were showing again.
“Yes. We’ll all eat together. Do you want to help me make sandwiches?”
“Will Dad...” He looked at Konstantin as if asking if that was okay.
The Prince nodded at his son, swallowing like he was having trouble containing emotion.
“Will Dad help us make them too?” Mickey asked, stressing his father’s title like he was savoring it.
Tears burned at the back of Emma’s eyes and she hated Konstantin more in that moment than she ever had before. For all he’d stolen from Mickey, for the fear of loss her son couldn’t hide.
Konstantin met her gaze and something must have shown on her face because he flinched backward as if she’d struck him.
Emma forced her anger deep inside, repeating the mantra she’d used to let go of her hatred in the first place and gave her son the reassuring smile he needed. “I’m not sure Konstantin has ever made a sandwich before. You can show him how to spread the mayo.”
Emma insisted on making sandwiches for the security detail as well as the three of them, which she knew meant she’d have to dip into the rainy day fund to buy more groceries, but needs must. Konstantin tried to argue with her that his people didn’t need to be fed by her, but she ignored him.
What did he know about what the average person needed? He lived in his rarified world and had no clue what it meant to be just a regular guy.
Cooking with her ex-lover in her tiny kitchen turned into a test of Emma’s strength.
He kept brushing up against her and sending her senses into orbit. And the worst part? She didn’t think he even realized he was doing it.
There just wasn’t enough space not to bump into each other with three of them working at the counter, putting the food together. She pulled a container of gazpacho she’d made the day before out and dished it up to go with the sandwiches for everyone.
The day was warm and chilled soup would be refreshing. Never mind it was supposed to be her and Mickey’s dinner two nights next week.
“You’re gonna like this, Dad,” Mickey assured Konstantin. “Mom’s the best cook!”
“I remember a time when she struggled to boil water.” He smiled at her, inviting her to share the joke.
Emma’s mother had been old-fashioned in so many ways, but her kitchen was her private domain and she never allowed anyone in it. Not even her daughter. Emma had had no clue how to cook when she’d gone to college.
“I learned.” When she’d been pregnant and alone.