Page 2 of The Duke's Brother

His driver dropped him off in front of the palace and he went in search of his brothers. The Valdez family had just finished the summit for environmental reform on the Mediterranean. His brother, Trane, and Nico’s wife, Jo, had headed up the summit and all the countries had agreed on important changes. Tripp was proud of his part. But now that it was finished, he didn’t have any work to rush back to. Thoughts of the girl in the bakery kept making him smile. Jenneca. With amber flecks in her eyes. He winced. If Lucan could hear him now, Tripp’d never hear the end of it.

“Why are you grinning like a love sick puppy?” Lucan joined him on his walk down the hallway.

“I’m not. And the purpose of my smoldering smiles is strictly confidential. Even you don’t need to know.” As head of security for the family and their palace, Lucan sometimes forgot he was just a brother and there were some things he didn’t need to know.

“Nothing is strictly confidential, but we can all be relieved your grimaces are not matters of national security, so I’ll let it go.”

Tripp shook his head. But he was grateful Lucan took his job so seriously. “Brother. We need a vacation.” He had avoided the slopes since he had to step away from his position on a world slalom team. When his father died, and Nico was adjusting, then the bomb at the salt water facility and other typical issues for his family, Tripp quietly let his opportunities slip away. And he hadn’t plugged into that world since. It was still too painful. But now, suddenly, he wanted to return.

Lucan raised his eyebrows. “Somewhere ice cold and I’m in.”

He said just what Tripp was hoping he would say. They were having an unusually hot summer. The palace sat on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Even with their constant breezes and their higher altitude, the palace was sweltering. But Dachstein, in Austria. That sounded perfect.

“Helicopter terrain skiing.” Tripp raised his eyebrows.

Lucan’s eyes lit. “Dachstein? I’m so in. I think Hacher and the others will be training now; maybe we can pull them away.”

The Olympic and world skiers often used the facilities at one of Austria’s best resorts to train year round because the snow almost always boasted a fine texture and fell reliably, even in late July.

Lucan liked to come if anything extreme was involved.

“I’ll tell the staff to ready everything. We leave this afternoon.”

Nico joined them. “We leave where?”

“Dachstein.”

He groaned. “Today? I can’t go today.”

“Come later this week. Come for a day. Get out of this oven and hit some runs with us.” Lucan knew everyone’s schedule. So Nico must have some time later on.

Tripp encouraged him. “Yes, Nico, and bring Jo. She’d love it.”

His frown turned hopeful. “Ok! I’ll see what I can arrange.” He shook his head. “I used to just ask Trane to take over, but now that he’s gone and found himself a woman, he doesn’t have any more time than I do.”

Trane and Seraphina approached. “That’s right brother. What do we need time for?”

Tripp grinned. “Dachstein.”

Seraphina’s eyes widened and she turned to Trane. “Oh yes!” They laughed and then Trane said, “When do we leave?”

“No, you are killing me.” Nico used to be the biggest partier of everyone, dodging his responsibilities all the time. Once their father had passed away leaving the crown to Nico, he had taken everything more seriously and with his new wife, Jo’s, help, had become one of the best monarchs Torren had seen in decades.

But Tripp knew Nico was dying inside at the thought of everyone having fun but him. “Just come, Nico. The Summit is over. Surely you can get away for a couple days.”

Nico’s face relaxed into a smile. “I think you’re right. I think we all need a break. Text your assistants, alter the schedules. We are heading to Austria. Dates invited.”

Tripp shrugged. He didn’t have anyone he would invite. And he preferred the steep helicopter drops. He didn’t usually do those when girls came along.

They boarded their jet; the staff loaded all the luggage and equipment. The noise of everyone made Tripp smile some more. The brothers relived every epic run they’d ever taken.

Thad called over to Tripp. “But Tripp there, he’s the one who will really slay.”

“You know it, brother. I’m doing strictly helicopter drops the first two days.” He couldn’t wait. The speed, the jumps, the unknown, the freakin’ adrenaline. His blood raced just thinking about it. And if he was being introspective, which he was for some reason, he loved the peace. Skiing in the quiet, through thick snow at the top of a mountain with only God and sky above you—it was the peace he craved even more than the thrill. He sat back and closed his eyes thinking about it.

A pair of brown eyes sparkled back at him in his thoughts, Jenneca from the bakery in town. Maybe he’d have to stop in there more often. He made a mental note to buy some Austrian chocolate for her and drop it by when he returned.

Chapter 2

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