Page 89 of Happily Ever After

“I won’t hear of it. I mean it. We’ll bringyou in through the cellar if you’re worried about people seeing her.”

“We’ll get a hotel,” he lied. They had almost no money left, just enough to find some cheap food and drive up toLe Roseytomorrow.

Océane glanced at him. “You were standing outside, alone, in the beginnings of an ice storm, wearing nothing but a tee shirt.” Her pale eyebrows rose. “And,ahem,you obviously have not been properlycared for.”

Yeah, Dieter needed a shower. Sprinting across Monaco had made him sweat.

She asked, “What kind of a Christian would turn someone away who is obviously in distress, running from murderers and, I think, hungry?”

Dieter shrugged. “We’ll make it on our own.”

Océane scowled. “You see here, my little Raphe. I will not turn anyone away. It’s my duty as a decent human being to make sureyou’re all right, to make sure everyone is all right. You’re my brother, in blood as well as in Christ.”

“When did you become so religious?” he asked, smiling at her.

“When I prayed that my children wouldn’t be murdered every damn day because I worked at a damned bank with my psychopathic father. Now, go get Flicka. Do you want something to take with you, to tide you over until you can havea proper meal?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” he said.

“If I wouldn’t mind!” Her eyes flared, and she clenched her fists. It was too easy for Dieter to rile up his sister. “Come to the kitchen, right now. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Raphael.”

“That’s not how that saying goes.”

“Get your ass in the kitchen and then go get Flicka before I jump on you and tickle you, you little twerp!”

Before Dietercould help himself, he found himself turning sideways and pulling his hands up in case she did, indeed, try to tickle him. She knew right where to poke him in the ribs to make him completely helpless. “If someone were looking for us, this would be the first place they’d look. They would know that I would come to you.”

“Oh,” she said, dropping her hands. “Really?”

“Yeah, Océane. Of course. You’rethe one person I trust.”

As much as he could trust anyone, just then.

She frowned and wrapped her arms around Dieter. He hugged her back. She asked, “Do you have money for a hotel? I can give you what I have in my purse, and I can go out to an ATM and get more if you need it. If you feel better in a hotel, I understand. I’m not sure how I feel about this family right now, either.”

“I’d appreciateit. I’ll pay you back.”

Something hard jammed into Dieter’s ribs, right in the ticklish spot, and he jumped away, laughing.

Océane said, “I will give you every euro I have, and the kitchen will pack food for you. There must be some spare clothes around here for you and Flicka that you can take with you. Jesus, Raphael. You don’t have topay me back.”Her despair at such a thought came throughher last few words.

“Thank you, my sister. One more thing?”

“Anything.”

“I’ve been Dieter Schwarz for almost as long as I was Raphael Mirabaud, and I’ve been called Dieter all of my adult life. My name is Dieter Schwarz now.”

She hugged him more tightly. “Yeah, that’s going to take me a while to get used to.”