“I’m glad the name is finally fading into history,” I offered after a moment, eyes glued to the imposing, columned façade. To my eyes, it looked like the cold-blooded offspring of a public library and an upscale sanitarium you’d find tucked away somewhere in the Hamptons. “It’s certainly not surprising. As far as I’m concerned, the family fading away into nothing was inevitable.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It was never a family that thrived. If you look back along the family tree—even going back a couple centuries—you’ll find that each generation only had one or maybe two offspring. Heirs were created because they were a necessary obligation, not because they were wanted. Or at least, that’s what it always seemed like to me.”
Luke made a sound that could have meant anything. “Dumbasses clearly didn’t know that sex is something you’re supposed to enjoy, and enjoy often.”
I started to laugh before ending up in a groan. “Oh God, now I’m envisioning Klaus von Krummacher trying to get going with the sexy times, and it’s just the worst. I’m traumatized.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll erase that nightmare with some sexy times of our own,” he murmured, moving up the circular drive to stop in front of the verandah’s steps. “I’ve never had sex in the ocean before, but I’m thinking we need to give it a try.”
Heat swept along my skin, to the point where I needed to fan myself. “Says the man who drove me to the exact middle of a continent. How far away is the nearest ocean?”
“It’s just past this visit with Miss Ramona.”
Right. “I do love a man who knows how to motivate me.” Taking a deep breath, I undid my seatbelt. “Let’s get this over with, husband.”
“Your wish is my command, wife.”
Wife. I smiled to myself as we headed up the stairs to the front door. We’d only been married a few hours, but I hoped I’d never stop feeling that giddy little tingle every time Luke called me his wife.
When the door opened, I fully expected a liveried butler or maid, but to my surprise a tiny, ancient-looking woman who had probably been five feet tall a couple decades ago opened the door, thick glasses perched on her nose. “I saw you coming up the driveway, and I just got so excited… Is that you, Ramona?”
“I… Yes,” I said awkwardly and offered my hand, wondering why the hell my throat was tightening and my heart suddenly hurt, like a gentle hand squeezed it. For one completely insane moment I thought it might be my mother’s loving spirit. “Though you should know my father had my name changed to Eden when I was eight, so that’s who I am now. I did like my old name, though. It means—”
“Wise protector. Yes, I’ve always liked it myself.” Beaming, Miss Ramona stepped back with a gesture of welcome, while I tried not to faint in shock at how she pulled the name trick on me. “Come in, come in. Please, make yourselves at home. Oh, and I hear congratulations are in order?”
“That’s right, Miss Ramona.” Grinning at my shock, Luke put a hand at the small of my back and guided me into a grand foyer complete with a curved staircase, black and white marble floors and a crystal chandelier. I tried not to gape, but good grief, it was difficult. This was light years away from the dirt-floor shack where I’d spent the first eight years of my life, a mere two miles down the hill from where we now stood. “First she was Ramona von Krummacher, then she was Eden Steadfast. Now, as of eleven this morning, she’s Eden Keyes.”
“Oh my, so many changes.” Slowly strolling through a set of double doors, we entered a room frozen in time. It looked to be an old-fashioned drawing room, complete with Aubusson rugs, camelback sofas and settees, a grand piano on one end and a mahogany bar on the other. I doubted either had been used in decades. “I’m so pleased you decided to take the time to come and see me before going off on your honeymoon. Or are you planning to spend your honeymoon here in Gobbler Gulch?”
“It’s tempting,” Luke drawled, smiling as he waited until both Miss Ramona and I had taken our seats before sitting beside me, “but my mother has a pal who owns a resort on the French Riviera. Since she knew I’d already promised Eden a trip to Paris for a little lingerie shopping, she got inspired and gave us a two-week honeymoon just outside of Saint-Tropez on a private beach that is clothing-optional. As picturesque as Gobbler Gulch is, it can’t beat that.”
“Wait a minute,” I heard myself say even as my face burned. “Did you just say…clothing-optional?”I whispered the last two words, because now was a terrible time to remember that Luke didn’t believe in manners.
“Yep. Clothing-optional,” Luke affirmed in normal tones. He’d be lucky if Miss Ramona didn’t fall over dead from the scandal. “Which does happen during honeymoons, or so I’m told.”
“I can’t tell, sweetheart,” I said through a deadly smile. “Are you trying to be shocking?”
“Oh, I remember that I was quite shocked during my honeymoon.” Miss Ramona giggled like a schoolgirl, apparently not nearly as fragile or shockable as I thought. “But it didn’t take place in a delightful paradise like the French Riviera. No, my honeymoon took place right here in this very house. Klaus, my husband, never saw the need for a honeymoon once he got a ring on my finger, and he certainly wouldn’t have imagined leaving his work. So, Gobbler Gulch became my so-called delightful paradise.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured without thinking, then put a hand to my mouth. The one thing I didn’t want her to think was that I pitied her. “What I mean is, I uh… I remember Klaus von Krummacher. It doesn’t surprise me that he didn’t make time for a honeymoon.”
Miss Ramona’s nonexistent brows went up as an older man trundled in with a teacart filled with delicacies that belonged in an English castle. “Oh dear. You met him? I didn’t know about that.”
“I didn’t meet him, exactly. I overheard him talking about me to my mother. He made quite an impression.” I thought of changing my face to cover the hurt, before I remembered Luke’s words—let go of your old way of life. That includes working people like they’re your marks.
This woman wasn’t a mark, and I didn’t have to play her. She was my grandmother who deserved to see the real me, warts and all.
“To be honest,” I said slowly, hoping against hope that I didn’t hurt her feelings while still trying to be the real me, “Klaus von Krummacher was the most frightening person I’d ever seen up to that point in my life. He’s the reason why I never spoke a single word to you whenever my mother and I met up with you in the woods, and I would like to apologize for that long-ago rudeness now. The thing is, I assumed you hated my existence just as much as he did.”
Miss Ramona’s face fell. “Oh no, darling.Never. I loved you from the moment I knew you were coming into this world. Eden, listen to me, please.” As teacups were passed around, she reached over to hesitantly touch my hand. “There’s a measure of good and bad in all of us. However bad Klaus was, your mother was the complete opposite, as if she’d gotten her father’s dose of good as well as her own. I was so proud to have her as my daughter, my beautiful, shining light that could hold back that dark. She once told me that you were just the same—her brilliant star that lit up her world. She was so proud of you, and she would be thrilled to see you so happy now—just as thrilled as I am. Once I learned that you were still alive, my only wish for you was to find that happiness. Heaven knows you deserve it after the life you’ve been made to live.”
“I am happy.” I looked to the source of my happiness sitting next to me. He was the one man on earth who’d both shown me how to love and gave me love in return, and I couldn’t help the rush of liquid warmth in my eyes. “And I’m complete. Whole. I even said as much just a few hours ago when we exchanged our vows, and I meant every word.”
“How romantic.” Miss Ramona gave a fluttery little sigh. “When I got married, I was simply asked to say, ‘I do’ and that was it, done and dusted. Did you write your own vows?”
“I did,” I said, at last looking away from Luke at last to smile at my grandmother. “I could have written an entire novel about how wonderful Luke is and how completely he’s become my world, but I kept it down to one index card. Luke, on the other hand, chose to wing it.”