Tripp’s flight home felt heavy. They were all returning to piles of work for the crown. Nico and Jo were lost in each other, as were Trane and Phina. He was so happy their relationship finally worked out after years of on and off dating. They deserved each other. Lucan already had his earpiece in and he was talking in hushed tones at the back of the jet. Daniel scrolled through his pictures and Thad slept. His brothers were busy. Tripp felt restless. He stood and stretched and went back to the wet bar for a water. Maybe they had restocked the chocolate almonds. Torren’s signature chocolate with an almond in the center was his favorite snack. He kept a jar on his desk at all times. The cookie Jenneca had added to his order crept back into his mind. Perhaps he should get an additional jar on his desk.

He was fixated on this woman. He couldn’t get his mind to think of anything or anyone else. Her skiing was the best he had seen up close. And he had skied with plenty of world renowned experts. She had a meticulous precision that impressed him. And she loved it. Her passion for the sport came out in her daring and the beauty of her moves. Such a new phenomenon of whim, to be attracted to a woman’s moves on the slope. He downed a bottle of water standing at the back and reached for another. But her bravery, her heart. She had come for them in the avalanche, just in case someone would need the help. It couldn’t have been easy to hike up and then across through the trees to get to them.

He ground his teeth on four almonds. No wonder Jorge was after her. She seemed amenable enough to his attention—and not so accepting of Tripp’s own offers. He could let her go, maybe, with the busy Torren lifestyle all around him, except that she lived in his village Grevena and would be there on and off all summer. Should he avoid her, guard his heart, or pursue her and win her over? He knew what he wanted to do.

“Brother. Your frown is giving me a headache.” Thad rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Right here.”

“Very funny Thad.”

Lucan approached. “Is ‘happy’ having a bad day?”

They had taken to calling him happy. And truthfully he was usually happy, easy going, carefree. Life was what you made it, and he determined every day to make it happy. But this trip and the weeks leading up to it were full of his own malaise. He needed direction. And he thought being out on the snow again might help with that, but his times on the runs, his turns, everything was just too slow. He could work back up to his former abilities, maybe, but it would take many hours every day. And he would just have to consider if it was worth it, worth leaving all his work as a Prince of Torren.

Lucan pulled out three of his favorite caffeinated beverages. “Out with it. What’s eating you?”

Thad grabbed one of Lucan’s drinks so he got another. “I’m thinking about going to Manhattan for a month or two this fall.”

Tripp almost choked on his water. “What?”

He nodded. “Yup. I want to explore some opportunities over there.”

“The American.” Lucan snorted. Thad had always loved everything about the United States. He wore his favorite mouse sweatshirt right now.

If he took off and worked less on Torren responsibilities, Tripp could hardly do the same in Austria. They could do much of it from anywhere in the world, but Thad especially as the press liaison had significant in-country presence required. Maybe skiing would have to stay where it was for Tripp, an awesome hobby.

“I’ll come back for the press conferences and things. It will work.” Thad looked at Tripp particularly as if he knew how his mind was spinning. Tripp nodded.

But he wasn’t sure. This news combined with his poor progress at Dachstein left him less motivated to continue to pursue skiing professionally. His mind shifted to the village surrounding his palace, his work on their Grevena council meetings, and the shops and owners there. And a particularly bright pair of amber eyes.

After a few more hours in flight, their captain got on the speaker, “We just received news of severe storms coming to Torren. They are expecting hurricane force winds. The system has not progressed to overall hurricane status, but it may as the hours go by.”

The brothers shared looks of concern.

“We will know as we get closer where we should land. So far we are beating the storm by a couple hours and can land at our usual tarmac just fine.”

Tripp immediately thought of Jenneca. He didn’t know when she was coming back, but he thought she said it was a week stay like his own.

The next few hours the brothers slept on and off. The in-flight dinner of Wiener schnitzel made with beef was Tripp’s favorite. He ate as much as he could without bursting.

An hour before landing, the plane started to shake and dip and roll with the turbulence. The pilot got on. “Looks like we are beating the full force of the storm, but still only by about two hours. Airport security and the palace liaison is recommending you expedite your departure and exit the plane and into the waiting cars as quickly as possible.”

Tripp gathered his things.

They landed to pelting rain on the windows, everyone’s faces tight as the plane struggled to stay level. They hurried to the waiting limo, the staff following shortly with all their luggage and their gear.

The wipers moved wildly, barely keeping the road visible. Tripp stopped watching through the divider to the front of the car. Carls was an excellent driver and part of Lucan’s security team. “Wow, I haven’t seen it like this since we were kids.”

Carls turned on the news. The caster was talking to weather specialists all over the island. Some of the smaller villages closest to the water had evacuated. Most had boarded up and the emergency teams were on call to help if needed. Tripp became more concerned thinking of his mother, the only remaining Valdez family member in the palace during all these preparations.

Nico brought a phone to his ear. “Mother.” He waited, his face relaxing into a smile. “We did have fun and yes we are all together and on our way to the palace.”

“Thanks Mom. Glad you had things under control…Yes, I know you were the queen once.” He chuckled. “I’ll tell her.” He pocketed his phone and looked to Jo. “She says she can’t wait for you to get back and be queen again.”

They all laughed. They pulled up into Grevena to fierce winds. Palm trees lowered horizontally and bits of debris whipped past them. The town seemed locked down and secured. As they crept through the silent and deserted streets, Tripp was glad all seemed well there.

A huge clap of thunder shook the air above their car. Then bits of shingles and wood and roofing whipped by them. “That doesn’t look good.”

As they rounded a corner onto the next street, the source of all the storm debris panned out to their front. A fire in an upstairs window was quickly getting doused by torrential rain pouring through a broken roof. A tree branch jutted out of a hole above the room with the fire. Tripp’s heart clenched. A lone woman stood out in front of the building, drenched through. “It’s Jenneca.” The limo pulled in to the front of the store and the brothers poured out. Nico was already on the phone asking for help. Shop owners from the stores on either side stepped out onto the street.

Tripp stepped slowly, carefully. Jenneca’s body was tense, her face in agony. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped. “Oh!” When she saw him, the worry lines relaxed and she fell into his arms. He wrapped her in his embrace, wishing he could do more to warm her. “Is your mother well?”

She nodded. “She’s in the other room.”

“Help is on the way.”

She turned her wet face to him. “We can’t pay for the repairs. The bakery is struggling. Whatever you arrange, just know it has to be the cheapest option.”

The bakery was struggling? “The palace will take care of the expense.”

A stubborn glint hit her eye but before she could respond, Jo approached with Mrs. Faluna, wrapped in a blanket. A huge umbrella covered them both. “Let’s get you both to the palace. We can send someone back for incidentals tomorrow.”

Jenneca hesitated and then said, “Thank you. I’m still packed, my suitcase is just inside the door.”

Lucan shut the door, her suitcase trailing behind him.

“And you’ve taken care of that too.” Jenneca looked to each one. “Thank you.”

“The emergency team will just get out the fire first—” The fire truck pulled up in that moment. “And secure the store, sealing up the hole. We will send in a construction crew later when we can assess the damage.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Jenneca’s lip lowered, but her eyes shown with gratitude. “You are the best and kindest people.”

Jo called from inside the limo. “Let’s get in the car. Please. You are drenched. And we are freezing.”

Jenneca jumped. “Of course.”

They climbed in, and her mother’s eyes twinkled at her. The wind rattled the windows and the limo moved through the village. No other shop seemed affected yet. Many had windows boarded up. Everything was quiet and still, expect for the elements.

Tripp’s arm rested across her shoulder. They had pulled out several blankets and wrapped her and her mother in them. They sat in the quiet. Tripp pulled her closer, and she nestled into him. And his heart pounded with the importance of her quiet trembling frame next to his. This remarkable woman was shaken, in agony, when he saw her. He wondered at the burdens she bore, and his very core strengthened at the thought that he could assist her.

Jo’s fingers flew across her phone. “Oh my dear. We will get you all warmed up. We’ll put you and your mother in a set of rooms in the west side.”

Trane’s wife, Seraphina snorted. And then turned to Trane and hid her smile. Tripp ignored them. Jo and Phina had both stayed in those rooms when they had come to stay at the palace before they were married. It had become somewhat of a joke between them that they give the prospective girlfriends the best rooms in the house to win them over. So the fact that Jo placed Jenneca in the west rooms told him Jo was already seeing what Tripp saw in Jenneca. The thought made him smile.

They pulled into the palace and the staff was there to greet them. Instead of pulling into the outer courtyard, they went straight to the garage. The shiny metallic walls gleamed at them. The line of Valdez cars were parked in a row, with another set above on the car elevators. He glanced up at his Maserati in the upper far left platform. Maybe he could take it out with Jenneca. Now that he knew she lived so close, and even in his own palace for the next little bit, he planned to make the most of the opportunity. No matter what she saw in Jorge or any other man, no matter her schedule, he would do his best to give them a chance to see what could come of them being together. He had never been more intrigued by a woman, never cared to pursue anyone seriously until he met Jenneca. And that was before he had seen her ski. His mouth broke into a smile.

Jo and Phina surrounded Jenneca and her mother, and before Tripp could say another word to her, she was clustered off toward a hot bath and her rooms. Her mother walked slowly. He remembered her hip. And then before he could say anything, a staff member showed up with a wheelchair. Jo turned to look at him and winked. She was a wonder, that Jo.

“What? You look like the Cheshire cat, brother, and that’s the truth.” Thad shoved him. “Gloat much?”

“Gloat? I have nothing to gloat over. So far this woman has rejected every effort I’ve made to spend time with her…except the day we spent skiing because she came to save me from an avalanche.”

Daniel snorted. “Save you? On the ski slopes?”

Lucan crossed his arms, their muscles rippling. “Yes, she’s J. C. on the women’s ski team, recovering from ACL surgery.”

Tripp turned to him but before he could say anything, Trane just rested a hand on his shoulder. “Get used to it. Lucan knows everything.” Phina had been trailed by Lucan’s men while they were dating. Lucan worked as the country’s minister of defense and security. And personally headed up the palace security team. He kept tabs on everyone close to the crown. And so the fact that he had already investigated Jenneca shouldn’t surprise him but it did. “But Lucan, how could you even know? I didn’t even know her until last week.”

“You played together as children.”

Tripp’s mouth opened.

“Plus she works in the village and came home mid semester so I had her checked out long before you showed up at her shop last week and came home with extra baked goods and starry eyes.”

The other guys razzed him and then they all hurried to their rooms. Trane couldn’t wait to peel off his wet clothes and soak in their hot tub.

He sent a message to Jenneca’s rooms through their servants. “Here’s my phone number. Call me. Hot tubs.”

About ten minutes later, his phone rang. He jumped to where it was sitting on the table. “Hello.”

“Tripp?” Her quiet voice clenched his heart. She was worried. He wanted to erase that nervous tone.

“Yes! I’ve now got your number.” He couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice. “So, we have a hot tub room here. And it’s sounding pretty great right now, but a little lonely…”

She breathed in. He could hear it, a little gasp. Was that a good gasp or a bad one? He couldn’t tell. He waited for a thick moment, full of his impatience.

“Ok, let me get my mom settled, and I’ll be there…uh, where is it?”

“I’ll come get you.”

“Sounds good. Thanks Tripp, for all of this.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a few.”