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“Hi, Donald. We fell into the Mississippi. I honestly don’t have anything on me, ID or keys. My purse is at the bottom ofthe river.” She sounded so forlorn. “Do you think you could let me into my apartment?”

“Of course, Ms. Deveraux. I usually ask guests for ID, but since he’s with you...” He was obviously teasing her, seeing how upset she was and trying to lighten the moment.

“How generous of you,” Grace said, and Donald laughed. He clearly felt at ease enough with her to joke around.

She didn’t seem at all like the haughty socialite I’d taken her for. Anyone else could’ve been a real bitch if something like this happened to them. Instead, she was appreciative and trying to maintain her composure even though she obviously wanted to sit down and cry.

Donald got a set of keys from under his desk and then went with us to the elevator. Grace lived on the top floor. We thanked Donald for assisting us as he opened the door to her condo. I tipped him generously.

Once inside, I noticed how big her place was, with modern decor. It was tasteful and comfortable, not overly done or pretentious.

“Zachary, I have a washing machine and a dryer in the smaller bathroom, so you can take care of your clothes in there. It’s probably going to take a couple of hours, so you can shower in the meantime.”

“I’m going to take you up on that. The Mississippi isn’t the bayou, but it doesn’t smell much better. And a warm shower sounds inviting.”

Grace lifted and sniffed her dress. “You’re right. I think I can just toss this dress in the garbage. It’s supposed to be dry clean only.” She stroked her arms, looking at me and swallowing hard. I could see her eyes softening, the shock of the evening finally dissipating.

“Thank you for jumping in,” she said quietly. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Grace, I wasn’t about to let you drown or be carried away by the river. The water is tricky, and I didn’t know how good of a swimmer you were. I would never have let you manage that on your own.”

“I’m a decent swimmer, just not when I’m panicking. That could’ve ended so badly.” She pulled her hair to one side before putting her hands over her face.

On instinct, I walked closer. The back of her neck was exposed, and I put my thumb there, resting my other four fingers under her hair on her neck. Her pulse was erratic.

Even though we both smelled like scum, I couldn’t help but lean in. This woman was alluring to me in a way I couldn’t explain.

“Don’t be hard on yourself, Grace. Ninety-nine percent of people can’t think straight when their life is in danger.”

She lowered her hands, glancing at me. “Thanks. Why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll get you a robe. I guess you’ll have to wear that until the clothes are dry.” She tiptoed away from me, rubbing the back of her neck in the exact spot where I’d touched her.

“Do you want to have dinner while we wait?” I asked. I still had a credit card in my wallet and could order something from DoorDash. Or from our restaurant for that matter.

“Oh no!” She turned around with her eyes wide. “I was supposed to meet my best friend for drinks at eight. What time is it?” We both glanced at the clock on her oven. It was six thirty. Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t feel like going.”

“I’d advise against going anyway. After what you’ve just been through, your nervous system needs a chance to calm down.”

Grace smiled, and I realized it was the very first time she’d smiledat me. She’d smiled at Donald earlier, and even at Gaston and Felicia at the ranch, but not at me. “You really talk like a doctor. It’s very calming.”

“I’m glad it’s helping.”

“I need to contact Lais, but without my phone... I’ll send her an email. I can also check how we can order something from the laptop. I haven’t done that in ages. I always use apps.”

“Mind if I shower in the meantime? I can’t stand how I smell.”

“Sure. What do you want to eat?”

“I’ll have anything. Just order whatever you normally eat.”

“Okay.”

She led me to the master bedroom, which was an explosion of pink and violet. I hadn’t really expected that of a businesswoman in her thirties, but I was starting to realize that maybe I did have the wrong idea about Grace.

“Word of warning: everything in my bathroom smells like roses.”

That made me laugh. “Honestly, I don’t care. It’s much better than smelling like swamp.”

“True. You’ve got towels there. I’ll show you where the washer and dryer are after you’re done.”