“I was going to provide reimbursement.”
Luke nodded.
“Same answer.”
“No.”
Marcus stared.
“Sir—”
“I fixed a fuel line.”
“You sheltered a protected principal whose security status was unknown.”
Luke looked toward Raven.
“She was a woman with a broken bike.”
Marcus glanced at her.
Raven gave him a look that said do not ruin this.
He understood.
Mostly.
Luke wiped his hands on a rag.
“So.”
Raven looked at him.
“So.”
“You’re Raven Steele.”
“Yes.”
“Billionaire Raven Steele.”
She sighed.
“Yes.”
Emma looked impressed.
“Do you have a castle?”
Raven smiled.
“No.”
“Dragon?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the point?”
Luke laughed despite himself.
Raven laughed too.
Marcus did not.
He looked at the damaged hose again.
“Ms. Steele, we really need to leave.”
Raven’s smile disappeared.
She looked toward Luke.
For the first time that evening, she seemed uncertain.
Not billionaire uncertain.
Woman uncertain.
“I didn’t lie about my first name.”
Luke leaned against the bench.
“Congratulations.”
“I didn’t tell you because…”
She stopped.
Luke waited.
Raven looked toward Emma, then back.
“Because I wanted one person to meet me before they knew.”
Luke’s expression softened despite himself.
“Knew what?”
She gestured toward the SUVs.
“That.”
Marcus looked away politely.
Emma did not understand.
Luke did.
Probably better than Raven expected.
He looked around the garage.
“At least your bike was honest.”
Raven raised an eyebrow.
“How?”
“It broke before asking your net worth.”
She smiled.
Then Marcus showed her the hose again.
“Raven.”
One word.
Security chief now.
Raven nodded.
She picked up her riding jacket.
Emma looked disappointed.
“You’re going?”
“Yes.”
“Will you come back?”
Raven paused.
Luke watched.
She could have given the easy answer children wanted.
Instead:
“I’d like to.”
Emma nodded seriously.
“Okay.”
Raven looked toward Luke.
“Thank you.”
“For the bike?”
“For not asking.”
He knew what she meant.
“Drive safe.”
Marcus coughed.
“She is not riding that motorcycle.”
Raven stared.
Marcus held her gaze.
“Not tonight.”
Luke smiled.
“Looks like the billionaire lost.”
Raven put on her jacket.
“I’m beginning to regret fixing the bike.”
Then she left.
The black SUVs disappeared down the driveway ten minutes later.
Her motorcycle remained in Luke’s garage.
Emma stood beside him.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“She’s really a billionaire?”
“Apparently.”
“Can billionaires be nice?”
Luke looked toward the empty road.
“They can be anything people can be.”
Emma considered.