Page 1 of The Duke's Brother

The Duke’s Brother

Tripp Valdez, Prince of Torren, a small Mediterranean island, told the driver to pull over to the curb on the busiest street of Grevena, the village outside of the Valdez palace. The limo door opened and the familiar smells of sausages in the street carts, the candied nuts from Torren Chocolatier, and the many flowers from the florist filled him with a sense of home. Grevena was his favorite place. Tripp drank in the charm of his home village in great breaths of happiness.

“Prince Tripp!” A young boy shouted down the street, waving his hands around.

He waved back, feeling the familiarity of his home settle around him. Rarely did he take the time to visit Grevena, something he planned to change. He started walking up the cobblestone sidewalks, smiling and waving every now and then. He stepped out in the street to avoid the tables of the street café. Julliano owned it and made the best Italian food of any he had had.

The kids lined up outside the gelato counter.

Tripp called to the girl working the counter, “What’s the new flavor?”

“Coconut,” she called back with a warm blush.

The town protected the Valdez family from the press. They never called in when the brothers made an appearance on the streets and therefore the family could be out and associate with the shop owners and residents of Grevena. Tripp, of all the brothers, spent the most time in town; but today he realized it wasn’t nearly enough.

He turned the corner, his stomach rumbling for the cannolis in Stefano’s bakery. The bell jingled as he stepped into the small space, cinnamon tickled his nose and made him think of their famous cinnamon rolls. “Making the rolls today?”

The girl at the counter wiped flour on the front of her apron. “The first batch is just—” She met his eyes and stopped. “Oh. Your highness. It’s just coming out now.” She looked down at herself and then took off her apron. She brought a hand to her face, wiping flour there as well.

Tripp smiled. “Here, let me.” He reached forward over the counter and used a napkin to wipe the flour off her cheek. When she raised her eyes to his, he was charmed. Her deep browns held flecks of amber. They twinkled up in the corners and he found her delightful. “And who might you be?”

“Jenneca.”

He smiled and nodded. “Fitting.”

She cleared her throat. “And you are Tripp Valdez?”

“Yes I am.” He held out his hand to shake hers. When she placed her small cool fingers in his palm, he covered them with his other hand. “Happy to meet you. I haven’t seen you before, have I?”

She shook her head. “Not since we were children. I’ve been away.”

“But you’re back?” He hoped she was back. He wanted to get to know her. She was the first intriguing woman he had met in a long time.

She looked down. “Well, no, my mother fell. I’m just here to help with things until she’s up and around again.”

Tripp was again charmed by this alluring woman. Without a hint of bitterness in her tone she spoke matter-of-factly of leaving her life to help her mother.

Her pert nose twitched when the flour at its tip must have itched her. He resisted wiping it too from her face.

She wiped the counter again, in slow circles. “So, what can I get for you today?”

“Oh, yes.” He ordered his favorites and then some extras just because he wanted to linger. Something about her made him want to get to know little things, like her favorite ice cream. A bandana, wrapped around her head tried to contain brown curls which escaped in all directions. He smiled at the rebellious ringlets that hung down almost to her forehead.

She gathered all his items and placed them in a box. Then she pulled an extra cookie from the top of the counter. “Here’s one I made.” She grinned, shyly eyeing him through her lowered lashes. “Just an extra.” She shrugged. “If you’d like.”

He stopped her hand as it went to nervously flip hair off her forehead and held it in his own. “Thank you.” Then he winked, grabbed his things and turned to leave the store. As the door shut, he heard her happy voice, “You’re welcome!”

Grinning, he called for the car to come get him. He couldn’t think of another time he had been so charmed by a lady.

She opened up her shop door and called, “You overpaid, by a lot.” Her deep blush made him smile.

“I think I paid just the right amount. Seems worth it to support my favorite bakery and the lovely shop assistant who dropped everything to help her mom.”

Her face pinched with emotion and he felt an inappropriate desire to pull her into his arms. “Everything ok?”

She nodded, looked as if she was about to say something, and then re-entered the shop without a word.

Perhaps he could come calling at the bakery a few times this week just to see if she was ok. And to see if his fascination continued. He really couldn’t be pursuing a woman right now. With things calming down around the palace, a quiet, hidden place inside yearned to be back on the slopes. The flare of hope ignited. Perhaps he could even work his way back onto the pre-Olympic trials world team.

---