Page 82 of Royal Caleva: Luis

Grace was holding up well, but Eve could see the tension in her shoulders. Yet when her daughter faced each of the Dragóns, her features were reflected there. It was clear that Grace belonged in this room.

Eve did not.

From now on, she would be a visitor in her daughter’s world. Eve had to hold on to her smile as her lips threatened to tremble.

As Grace was drawn into conversation with the younger generation, Luis stopped beside Eve. “Our daughter is amazing,” he said, love ringing in his voice.

That nearly tipped Eve into weeping. She swallowed and managed to choke out, “Yes, she is.”

He must have heard her struggle, because he lowered his head to speak with soft concern. “I hope you are glad to meet my family. I want you to know and like them.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

Somehow, he guessed her feelings. “Eve, you are a part of this family as well. You are Grace’s mother, and that secures you a place of great respect here.”

“I…I appreciate that,” she said.

Hélène approached them, rescuing Eve from Luis’s kindness. She took a deep breath to fight back the tears.

“I know that Luis has enlisted Quinn’s assistance,” the blond duchess said. “But I wish to offer you mine as well. I have spent a fair amount of time in the U.S., so I am aware of the cultural differences.” Her smile softened the perfect angles of her face.

“Thank you,” Eve said, understanding that Hélène also offered the experience of someone closer to her own age. “I look forward to learning about Caleva from your perspective.”

A woman dressed in black trousers, a white shirt, and a Calevan green tie approached and bowed silently to Luis. He nodded before offering one arm to Eve and the other to Hélène. “Let us go into dinner. I am fortunate to be able to escort two beautiful women to the table.”

Eve slid her hand around his elbow and braced herself for the unwanted thrill of touching the firm muscles of his forearm under the fabric of his shirt. How long would it take to stop reacting to him this way?

As they approached the table, the same woman who had signaled Luis about dinner pulled out the chair to the left of the head of the table. Luis smoothly handed Hélène into the proffered seat before bringing Eve around to the right-hand chair, which he pulled out himself. When she was seated, he went to the head of the table and sat without ceremony, although she caught him wincing slightly. At least she wasn’t the only one still feeling the aftereffects of their riding expedition.

She glanced down the table to see Raul holding a chair for Grace. Gabriel and then Quinn sat on the same side as Eve, facing the prince and her daughter, while Lorenzo sat at the foot of the table. In between, the glow of candles in silver candlesticks reflected off crystal, silver flatware, and the gilt dragons painted on the chargers at each place setting. Not exactly casual.

As soon as everyone was settled, Luis surprised her by saying a brief prayer of thanks. He must have seen her puzzlement, because he leaned over to say, “It is a tradition within the palace to always say grace.”

She nodded as servers placed small plates of something that looked similar to Iowa ham balls in front of each diner.

“Chef Marta thanks you for the recipe,” Luis said, a smile lighting his eyes. “Although she says that she has given it a Calevan twist. I’m not sure what that means.”

“Ham balls!” Raul exclaimed. “I dream of these!”

As Hélène looked confused, Eve said, “They’re a specialty from our home state of Iowa.” She turned to Luis. “It was kind of you to ask your chef to make them for us.”

“It was Raul’s request, not mine,” Luis said, spearing a ham ball with his silver fork. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Everyone politely complimented the Iowan cuisine. Eve would have laughed if she hadn’t felt so out of her depth. Even the so-called informal dining room seemed calculated to overwhelm her, with its green silk-covered walls, gilt-framed paintings, and tall windows hung with yards and yards of matching silk.

She mentally squared her shoulders. She was here to support Grace and to make sure no one made her daughter feel in any way unwelcome.

As dinner progressed, it became apparent that she need not have worried. Luis firmly steered the conversation to topics that Grace would enjoy or was knowledgeable about. He made sure their daughter shone in front of his family.

His family reciprocated, drawing Grace out and paying flattering attention to her words. Of course, Eve was included, both by Luis’s skill and by the fact that Iowa and veterinary matters were prominent in the discussion.

By the end of the main course, Eve was glowing with pride at how brilliantly Grace was handling the situation. Even more, she might admit to liking Luis’s family members.

She turned to tell Luis and found his gaze resting on Grace, his face filled with the same pride she felt. A sudden lightness floated through her, as though a weight had slid away. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out why, and then it hit her.

She would no longer be a single parent. Luis would share her responsibility for supporting and protecting Grace from now on. For all that it made her sad to loosen the close bond she and Grace shared, it was also a relief to know that there was another person in the world who would always be there for their daughter. Not to mention that Grace’s other parent could wield his considerable power and influence on her behalf.

Before she thought about it, Eve leaned in to touch Luis’s hand where it rested on the linen tablecloth. “Thank you,” she said. “You are a good father.”

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