“Honestly, I felt like I’d been transported into a soap opera. They were horrible.” She didn’t know if Leo knew about Max’s childhood. The only reason he would was if Max had told Marie, and Marie had told Leo. It was strange, having a topic she had to tread carefully around with Leo. She used to tell Leo everything.

“It really is a whole different world,” Leo said, “and not just in the obvious ways. The trappings of extreme wealth, you expect. What trips you up are the subtle machinations.”

She laughed, but only because the phrase subtle machinations was so spot on and so not something she’d expect Leo to say. “I’m not sure they were so subtle in this case, but I know what you mean. They’re trying to marry him off to someone, and I think they viewed my presence as a threat.”

“Was it?”

“No,” she said quickly. “Of course not.”

Why, then, did that feel like a lie?

But that was ridiculous. In what universe was Dani’s presence in Max’s life a threat to his future? Honestly, she needed to get over herself.

“Unlike Max’s parents, the king doesn’t seem so bad anymore,” she said in an attempt to shift the subject. Leo had told her stories of his first visit to Eldovia, and when she’d met the king herself on her first visit, he had definitely been snooty. But he seemed to have mellowed.

“It’s Gabby, I think. He’s crazy about Gabby.”

“Don’t you think you should take some of the credit? You know, for raising the kid he’s crazy about? Not to mention making his daughter happy?”

“Nope. We coexist. As long as he’s decent to Marie, which he is, we’re all good.”

“So he’s fond of Gabby?”

“He treats her like a granddaughter. Spoils her rotten. She cracked his stone-cold heart. They write each other letters about books even though they live under the same—giant—roof. Benz loves her, too. I think that’s half the reason he and I have become friendly.” He snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Gabby lost her parents, and now she has all these new people who love her. I think it’s great.”

He grumbled. “Yeah, okay, it’s great.”

“You know what else is great?” She bumped her shoulder against his. “You’re getting married! I hope you don’t lose sight of that elemental fact among all this pomp.”

He was trying—and failing—not to grin.

“What are we talking about?” Imogen, the owner of the pub and a friend of Leo’s, asked as she came over to check on them.

“We’re talking about how Leo’s in looove.” Dani drew out the syllable and made a face at Leo.