Page 23 of Dangerous Liaisons
“Mamushka!”
All other thoughts flew out the window as she bent down to grab her son, squeezing him as she lifted him up. “Hello, little one. I have missed you.”
“I missed you! We took the plane. It went so high in the air!”
Chuckling, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and lowered him onto his feet. He ran toward Kira, who proceeded to spin him in circles.
“He was quite insistent he see the cockpit. I could not tell him no.”
Scoffing in disbelief, she turned her attention to Sergei approaching from the other side of the car. “You give into him more than I do, and I am his mother,” she scolded with a teasing smile. “You look well.”
“Home is cold this time of year. I welcome the change in scenery.” He glanced over at Mikhail, the boy giggling at Kira tickling him. “I will retrieve our bags. It was a long journey, and he did not sleep well out of excitement.”
“But I want to play with Kira!” Mikhail whined. “I am not tired, Mamushka. Can we swim?” He tugged Kira’s hand. “I wish to swim!”
“Uncle Sergei is right. Let’s get some rest, and afterwards we will swim, I promise.”
Sergei retrieved the bags from the driver. Kira scooped Mikhail up into her arms, and Isabella followed them into the house, remaining by the door until Sergei entered with two duffle bags. Kira took Mikhail’s bag and carried him to his room.
“The house is beautiful, Isabella. You have done well with it.”
She looked away from the two disappearing down the hallway. She could count on one hand the number of times Sergei had visited her home. In the back of her mind, she knew the reason behind it; how he tried every day to forget the brotherhe lost so tragically.
“Thank you. Would you like something to drink or eat?”
“Perhaps another time. I wish to freshen up before I leave.”
“But you just arrived?”
“I have business to attend in Los Angeles. When I return, I would like to view the progress of the winery.”
“Surely you can postpone that.”
“It cannot wait.”
There was no sense in arguing or trying to change his mind. She wanted to inquire what was so important it couldn’t wait, but she also knew he wouldn’t give her any definitive answers. “Promise you will be careful?”
“You have no reason to worry, little bunny. I will return in a couple of days.”
Isabella stood still as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Sergei stepped away to venture further into the house where a guest room was located. She knew in a few hours he would be gone with not another word spoken between them.
CHAPTER TEN
“Mamushka, watch me!” Mikhail cried out as he ran around the backyard with one of his favorite toys. She smiled at him from her seat on the wicker sofa, settling back into the beige cushions with her teacup in her hand. It had only been a couple of hours since Sergei departed. Her son had woken up from his nap asking for his uncle, and she tried not to tear up at how sad he appeared when she informed him Sergei would be gone for a few days. He had only been one when Nikolai died, now only having photos of his father instead of happy memories.
Isabella looked away from her son at the sound of a tap on the sliding glass door.
Kira stood there, hand on the door handle. “You have a visitor.”
For a second, her heart beat faster. “He’s early?”
“It is Ava Collins. Do you want me to turn her away?”
She shook her head, sipping her tea before lowering it onto the coffee table. When the door slid open again, Kira motioned Ava to enter the back patio. Lost in his own world, Mikhail continued to play.
“Mrs. Collins, please have a seat.”