slept for a while on the plane, by the time they arrived at the hotel, Dylan was growing heavy eyed again but the sight of the Grand Marina’s impressive expanse of glass and marble had him staring around him in amazement. ‘It’s big!’ he said, awed.
‘Enormous.’ Rhianna agreed with a smile. When they reached the suite of rooms Gabriel had reserved for them, Rhianna let Dylan explore a few moments. ‘Okay,’ she said when he’d peeked into every room. ‘It’s time we thought about getting you into bed. You’ve had a very busy day. Did you like the plane?’
‘Uh-huh.’ Dylan agreed eagerly. All in all, he’d had a very exciting twenty-four hours. While Gabriel carried Dylan’s bag into one of the bedrooms, Dylan trotted over to the big sliding windows that ran alone one wall of the living room and pushed his head through the curtains to peer out. ‘Spain?’
‘It certainly is. A whole new country. Shall we go out on the balcony to take a look around before you hop into bed? I think we should be able to see the ocean from up here.’
Dylan didn’t need to be asked twice. He dragged excitedly at the curtains, trying to open them. Rhianna went to help him, sliding them across and they paused in delight at the sight that awaited them. The Mediterranean seemed to stretch out forever, dark blue in the soft evening light and extraordinarily beautiful, so close it seemed to come all the way up to the foot of their hotel. Rhianna slid the door open and they went out onto the balcony together. The air was cool, a small breeze blowing off the water, which smelt of salt and food and a combination of exotic scents that brought the country rushing back to Rhianna in a wave of remembrance. She picked up her son and they stood staring at the water. ‘Wow!’ Dylan whispered.
‘Beautiful, is it not?’ The deep voice so close behind them made Rhianna tense instinctively.
Dylan turned in her arms to smile at his father. ‘Look, Papa. You can see everything!’
Gabriel came to stand at Rhianna’s side and held out his arms. Dylan moved into them willingly. ‘And what do you think of your first sight of your papa’s country?’
‘It’s nice,’ Dylan thought about it a moment, ‘and big. Is this our house?’
Rhianna smiled a little. The Ortega’s were wealthy but even they couldn’t aspire to live in a place like the Grand Marina. Gabriel chuckled. ‘No, mi hijo , this is a hotel. Our home is a little drive away. Tomorrow morning, when you have had a big sleep we will have some breakfast and then we will go there. You will meet your abulea and your tia and I will show you where we are going to live.’
‘Tia means aunt.’ Dylan frowned. ‘I remember. But abu...ab..’
‘You’re grandmother. She will be very happy to meet you,’
Rhianna wondered about that. Would Gabriel’s mother really be all that overjoyed to meet her son’s illegitimate child? And how would she feel about her grandson’s mother?
‘Will you show all the places in your house to Mommy too?’
Gabriel glanced at Rhianna and smiled. ‘Oh yes. I will show your mother everything, you may be sure of that.’
Rhianna bent her head, unwilling to meet his eyes. Their relationship for the past few days had been far from friendly and she felt uncomfortable with this sudden, enforced companionship. It had been easy enough to avoid him when she was busy with last minute things in Sydney but all that was about to change. ‘I think it’s time to get Dylan ready for bed,’ she said abruptly and they left the view behind them.
Dylan was too tired to be hungry. By the time Rhianna had gotten him into his pajamas, washed his face and brushed his teeth he was yawning hugely, so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Rhianna tucked her son up in bed and he fell asleep at almost the same time as his head hit the pillow, hand tucked beneath his cheek. Rhianna kissed him lightly, pulling up the covers. She switched the bedside light
‘Enormous.’ Rhianna agreed with a smile. When they reached the suite of rooms Gabriel had reserved for them, Rhianna let Dylan explore a few moments. ‘Okay,’ she said when he’d peeked into every room. ‘It’s time we thought about getting you into bed. You’ve had a very busy day. Did you like the plane?’
‘Uh-huh.’ Dylan agreed eagerly. All in all, he’d had a very exciting twenty-four hours. While Gabriel carried Dylan’s bag into one of the bedrooms, Dylan trotted over to the big sliding windows that ran alone one wall of the living room and pushed his head through the curtains to peer out. ‘Spain?’
‘It certainly is. A whole new country. Shall we go out on the balcony to take a look around before you hop into bed? I think we should be able to see the ocean from up here.’
Dylan didn’t need to be asked twice. He dragged excitedly at the curtains, trying to open them. Rhianna went to help him, sliding them across and they paused in delight at the sight that awaited them. The Mediterranean seemed to stretch out forever, dark blue in the soft evening light and extraordinarily beautiful, so close it seemed to come all the way up to the foot of their hotel. Rhianna slid the door open and they went out onto the balcony together. The air was cool, a small breeze blowing off the water, which smelt of salt and food and a combination of exotic scents that brought the country rushing back to Rhianna in a wave of remembrance. She picked up her son and they stood staring at the water. ‘Wow!’ Dylan whispered.
‘Beautiful, is it not?’ The deep voice so close behind them made Rhianna tense instinctively.
Dylan turned in her arms to smile at his father. ‘Look, Papa. You can see everything!’
Gabriel came to stand at Rhianna’s side and held out his arms. Dylan moved into them willingly. ‘And what do you think of your first sight of your papa’s country?’
‘It’s nice,’ Dylan thought about it a moment, ‘and big. Is this our house?’
Rhianna smiled a little. The Ortega’s were wealthy but even they couldn’t aspire to live in a place like the Grand Marina. Gabriel chuckled. ‘No, mi hijo , this is a hotel. Our home is a little drive away. Tomorrow morning, when you have had a big sleep we will have some breakfast and then we will go there. You will meet your abulea and your tia and I will show you where we are going to live.’
‘Tia means aunt.’ Dylan frowned. ‘I remember. But abu...ab..’
‘You’re grandmother. She will be very happy to meet you,’
Rhianna wondered about that. Would Gabriel’s mother really be all that overjoyed to meet her son’s illegitimate child? And how would she feel about her grandson’s mother?
‘Will you show all the places in your house to Mommy too?’
Gabriel glanced at Rhianna and smiled. ‘Oh yes. I will show your mother everything, you may be sure of that.’
Rhianna bent her head, unwilling to meet his eyes. Their relationship for the past few days had been far from friendly and she felt uncomfortable with this sudden, enforced companionship. It had been easy enough to avoid him when she was busy with last minute things in Sydney but all that was about to change. ‘I think it’s time to get Dylan ready for bed,’ she said abruptly and they left the view behind them.
Dylan was too tired to be hungry. By the time Rhianna had gotten him into his pajamas, washed his face and brushed his teeth he was yawning hugely, so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Rhianna tucked her son up in bed and he fell asleep at almost the same time as his head hit the pillow, hand tucked beneath his cheek. Rhianna kissed him lightly, pulling up the covers. She switched the bedside light
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