blame him there,” Stefan muttered.
“Leo likes the cat,” she said.
“Leo doesn’t know any better,” Stefan retorted. “Listen, you haven’t even given Mr. Walker a chance. He hasn’t been there a whole day. The least you can do is give him a trial period.”
“One more day,” she said.
Stefan shook his head. “At least a week. He left an assignment in the States at my request.”
“I don’t need this kind of invasion into my privacy. I can’t believe you think Leo or I are at risk here in Chantaine.”
“You forget Eve’s encounter with that crowd before we were married,” he said.
“That’s different. I won’t be doing nearly as many appearances since I’m focusing on the conference. Any time I’m making an appearance, you can assign someone from your security detail for me.”
Stefan sighed. “I don’t like to frighten you, but I don’t trust your ex-husband. How do you know he won’t try to use Leo to get some sort of settlement?”
Ericka’s blood ran cold at the thought. She swallowed over a lump of fear and shook it off. “My ex-husband couldn’t be less interested in Leo. He knew I was pregnant when I left.”
“He could change his mind. If he does, I want to be ready for him.”
Treat heard two voices coming from the den of the house as he walked down the hall. He stopped outside the den and watched as the princess used sign language while she gazed at her computer tablet. The baby sat next to her with his eyes closed, apparently asleep.
“So, how did you like that, Leo?” she asked and turned to look at her child. She gave a soft laugh. “Bored you to sleep, right?”
She sighed. “Well, maybe we can get you to extend your little nap in your crib,” she said as she gently picked up the baby and stood. She turned and met his gaze.
Treat saw the way her body stiffened slightly. “Anything I can do for you? I’ve decided to focus security around the perimeter of the property and give you and your nanny a panic button.”
“Fine,” she said with a total lack of interest. “I’m going to try to put Leo down now. He has a hard time sleeping unless he can see me or I’m holding him.”
“Maybe it has something to do with his other senses being heightened. Do you leave a light on in the bedroom?” he asked.
“No. I hadn’t thought of that,” she said. “I use room darkening shades for him during the day.”
Treat shrugged. “Just something to think about. He’s probably a very visual guy.”
She studied him for a moment. “I’ll do some research.”
He nodded. “Looked like you were doing well with the sign language,” he said.
“You know sign language?” she asked.
“A little. Not enough to get any—” he said, and wiggled his hands for the sign for applause.
Her lips twitched in an almost smile. “I’ve got a long way to go. Right now, though, I’m putting my big guy to bed. I’m glad you won’t be concentrating as much on alarming the house. Leo may not be able to hear the alarms, but it would be startling for Nanny and me.”
“I hear you,” he said. “Listen, do you mind if I take a swim in the pool at night? It’s one of the ways I like to stay in shape.”
He felt her gaze dip to his shoulders then she blinked and cleared her throat. “Of course not,” she said. “Excuse me while I put Leo to bed.”
Treat felt something wrap around his ankles and watched Sam wind around him. He frowned.
“Looks like Sam likes you,” Princess Fredericka said.
Treat watched her as she retreated down the hallway. He shifted from one foot to the other and narrowed his eyes. Sam looked up at him and gave a meow. He glared down at the cat, but the cat continued to mark him. Glancing toward the hallway, he thought about the woman who’d just left the room. He’d expected a snooty princess. At first glance, maybe she was. But in less than twenty-four hours, he’d glimpsed something else. A princess trying to teach herself and her baby son sign language? She wasn’t what he’d expected.
Treat felt a strange gnawing sensation in his gut. He hadn’t felt anything like it in a long time. In fact, he hadn’t felt much of anything for a long time. He’d made sure not to invest in anything too emotional. His life hadn’t allowed for it once he’d suffered that last professional football injury. Treat hadn’t gotten truly involved with a woman in several years. He’d been too busy trying to make a living. Once he’d switched to security, he’d decided to make his fortune with it. The past few years he’d worked non-stop with his partner to build their security business. Now, he was making the step to take the business international.
He needed cooperation from Princess Fredericka and he also needed not to get emotionally involved. No problem, he told himself.
* * *
Another near-sleepless night, Ericka thought as she rubbed her face when the sun shone through the crack of her window coverings. She wasn’t sure when Leo had fallen asleep for more than an hour, but she planned to check out night lights and anything else that might help him. She’d finally turned on a lamp in the hallway. She wondered if that had helped.
Nanny was more than ready to step up, but Ericka had a hard time handing over Leo’s care when he seemed so distressed. Now, however, she had calls and plans to make and she wouldn’t feel quite so guilty handing Leo over to his nanny. Ericka was so exhausted that she knew she needed help.
Lying on her back in her bed, she took several deep breaths and stared up at the ceiling. She needed to open the blinds, she told herself. She’d recently read that exposure to light during the first thirty minutes of her day would make her feel more awake.
“Wake up, Ericka,” she urged herself and dragged herself from her bed. She thrust herself under a shower, brushed her teeth then stumbled toward the kitchen where Nanny sat at the table.
“You should have woken me. That’s why I’m here,” she said, offering Ericka a cup of coffee.
“He was just on the edge,” Ericka said, accepting the coffee and taking a long draw. “He kept going to sleep and waking up. Then going to sleep and waking up.”
“You should have awakened me after the first time,” Nanny said.
“I think it became a challenge,” Ericka said.
“Oh,” Nanny said in a dark voice. “That’s bad. No one should ever challenge a Devereaux.”
Ericka laughed and took another long drink from her coffee. “You’re so right.” She paused a half beat. “The security man suggested I do something
