Francesca moved onto the bed and pulled Kelly into her arms. Kelly clung to her.

“I’m s-sorry,” she breathed between sobs. “I hate being a dancer. I know you guys g-gave up so much for me. I know it c-cost a lot. But I hate it.” She raised her head and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I hurt all the time. The physical work is grueling. I’m tired and I’m hungry. I don’t have what it takes. I don’t. Even if I do, I don’t want to anymore.”

Francesca hugged her close. “Then you can stop right now.” She smiled at Mia over Kelly’s curly red hair and mouthed “Thank you.”

Mia didn’t bother to point out that she wasn’t the one to be thanking. Rafael had figured out the truth none of them had been able to see. She wouldn’t have thought he had the sensitivity or awareness, but she’d been wrong.

Kelly continued to cry. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be,” Francesca said. “You’re only twenty. How can you know what you want to do with your life? You’re allowed to change your mind.”

Kelly raised her head and wiped at her tears. “Really?”

Francesca nodded. “Of course.”

“Then I want to go to college. Maybe community college at first. I want to be a physical therapist, get married, and have kids. I could teach ballet on the side or something. I don’t want to let it go, but I can’t make it my life anymore.”

“Then you won’t.”

Kelly smiled. “Thanks for making me talk about this.”

“Not a problem. I want you to know you can always come to me or your dad if you need to.”

“I know, I just felt so stupid. I finally had what I’d always wanted and suddenly I didn’t want it anymore. And…” She ducked her head. “I’m really sorry about Etienne. He was another mistake.”

“You were trying to get our attention.”

Kelly grinned at her. “Did it work?”

“Big-time.”

Kelly hugged her, then slid off the bed. She crossed to Mia and caught her in a hug. “Thank Rafael for me, okay? Maybe he’s not such a big butthead.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kelly straightened. “I’m gonna go call Dad, then ask the Grands for some leftovers.”

“Good. He’ll want to talk to you, and you know how the Grands feel about feeding you. You’ll make their day.”

Kelly raced from the room. Francesca watched her go. “I’m so relieved,” she said with a sigh. “I feel so much better about things. I know Kelly does, too. It’s just…how could we not have figured it out before? She’s been crying for help and no one noticed.”

“We noticed,” Mia told her. “We just weren’t sure what was wrong. To quote your daughter, it took the butthead to see it.”

“Which means he isn’t as completely self-centered as we thought.”

“Actually he is. He told me with the idea of getting points in return.”

Francesca shrugged. “Still, it took a little emotional awareness for him to figure it out.”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.”

“It’s not bad. Mia, we’re talking about Danny’s father. You can’t ignore him forever.”

“Watch me try.”

“Oh, that’s mature.”

Mia shook her head. “I know what you’re saying, but I’m not prepared to be mature right now. I’m still angry and I don’t trust him.”

She thought about all they’d discussed while waiting for Danny’s play to start. What bugged her wasn’t what he said-it was her desire to believe it.

“Maybe he’s learned his lesson,” Francesca said.

“People don’t change.”

“Of course they do. Look at you. You’re not the same person you were six years ago.”

“We’re talking about days, not years,” Mia reminded her. “People change if motivated. Do you really think Rafael is? Right now he’s pissed because he didn’t win. He’ll get tired and go home.”

“Do you really believe he’s going to walk away from Danny?”

Mia drew in a deep breath. “No,” she said slowly, knowing anything else was wishful thinking on her part. “He’ll come up with another plan. Maybe he already has. Whatever happens, I refuse to trust him.”

Francesca winced. “Be careful about drawing a line in the sand. You don’t want to get trapped by your own words.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. There is nothing Rafael can say or do to make me ever believe him again. He knows it and I know it.”

“I’m riding, I’m riding,” Danny cried as he circled the lawn behind the house.

“You look great,” Mia called to the boy.

“Excellent,” Rafael said. “Just like that. Very good.”

Mia watched her son on the pony and realized that with the trip to Calandria off, she was going to have to find a place for Gaspare. She couldn’t keep him tied up by the garage under Joe’s makeshift tent/stable.

“I need to find a stable,” she murmured. “Are they listed in the phone book?”

Rafael stiffened, but didn’t protest that Danny and his pony would soon be leaving.

“You have land here,” he said instead. “You could build a small stable.”

“In theory, but unless the plans came with a way to build a little someone to care for Gaspare then we’d still have a problem. Danny’s too young to care for the pony and I’ll be busy with school. Even if you’re still here, you don’t strike me as the type to muck out a stall.” She glanced at him. “It is ‘muck out,’ isn’t it?”

“That is the term.”

His expression was tight, his eyes narrowed.

“You’re all pinchy,” she said, feeling suddenly cheerful. “Is it the thought of being forced to stay here or the knowledge that the little prince won’t be returning with you?”

“I am enjoying my time here with you,” he said, avoiding the question. “Daniel has an excellent seat.”

Not exactly a smooth change of subject, but that was okay. She glanced at Danny and saw he really did seem to have an instinctive understanding of how to ride.

“He must get that from you,” she said. “I don’t think a Marcelli has been on a horse in eighty or ninety years.”

“Then perhaps it is time. I could arrange for the three of us to go riding.”

“No, thanks. I think the pony is dangerous enough. I don’t want to see a real horse.”

“You are afraid?” he asked, his voice taunting her.

She refused to be trapped by threat of being called chicken. “Sensible. Very sensible.”

“I see. How is Kelly?”

She groaned. “You love that you were right, don’t you?”

“I’m glad she was able to tell her parents the truth and now she’s happy.”

“Oh, please. You’re desperate to do the happy dance,” Mia said. “You think you’re Mr. Sensitivity.”

He smiled. “I assure you, that title never crossed my mind. I meant what I said. I like Kelly.”

“You’re not fooling me, Rafael. I know all this pleasant chitchat is just part of your master plan. You’re trying to lull me into liking you again. It’s not going to happen.”

He glanced at her, then returned his attention to Danny. “Is it so impossible to believe I might regret what happened? That I now wish for a chance to make things right between us?”

“Yes. It is impossible.”

“Because I am so horrible?”

“It’s not about being horrible. It’s about being used to getting your way. You’re not used to regular rules. You don’t believe in them. Why would you play by them now?”

“Because they are all that is left to me.” He looked at her again. “You are right-I planned to steal your son from you. But in my mind, I didn’t take the idea any further. I did not consider that Daniel would be devastated by the loss. I would have, and then I would have realized we needed to come up with another way.”

“That’s it?” she asked, incredulous. “That’s all you got from this?”

“What is wrong with what I said? I have admitted I was wrong. I would have hurt Daniel and that was never my plan. I have also told you several times that I intended for you to be able to see Daniel, that I wasn’t going to keep him from you, but you choose not to believe that. So why would I continue to repeat myself?”

“That’s it?” she demanded again, even as she smiled and waved at Danny as he continued to circle the lawn. “That’s the best you can do?”

“What more do you want from me? Blood?”

“It would at least be a start.”

“Be reasonable, Mia. I cannot undo the past. What would make you feel better now?”

“There’s nothing,” she said between clenched teeth. How she loathed the man. How she wished he’d never seen that stupid picture, had never come here. If only-

“Change the law,” she said suddenly. “I was kidding before, but I’m not now. Change the law that says once Danny is on Calandrian soil I have no rights. Make us equals in Calandria law.”

“Will that be enough?” he asked, surprising her. She’d been so sure he would protest.

“It will be a start.”

“I will call the leader of parliament in the morning,” he said. “I give you my word.”

He held out his hand as if they were supposed to shake on it.

She didn’t want to shake hands with him. She didn’t want to touch him at all. Whenever she did, she was reminded how weak and rebellious her body could be. But there was no polite way to avoid the contact, so she braced herself and slid her hand against his.

The sparks were instant. Need exploded like a firecracker trapped in a box. There was light and heat, which she hated almost as much as his knowing smile.

“It’s just physical,” she snapped as she pulled back and stepped away from him.

“The body and the spirit are not so easily separated,” he said. “They influence each other.”

“Not in this case. Don’t go getting any ideas.” She glanced at her watch. “Your time is up. You need to leave.”

She expected him to protest. Instead he walked over to Danny and lifted him down from the pony. “You have done well,” Rafael told him. “I’m very proud of you.”

“I don’t wanna stop,” Danny said.

“It is time for me to leave.”