‘‘All right. What do you think we should do?’’
Alex hesitated. ‘‘Investigate. Is Elizabeth still…’’ Her voice trailed off.
On the other end of the phone Katherine sighed. ‘‘Acting strange? Yes. I’m not sure why. I’ve tried speaking with her, but she won’t say if anything’s wrong. I talked with Serena, but you know how she is. Why do you ask?’’
‘‘Someone has to look into Bill Lewis, and obviously you’re the only one who can do that. I hate for you to go alone, but Serena would just be trouble, and with Elizabeth not herself I don’t see another choice.’’
‘‘I’ll be fine,’’ Katherine promised. ‘‘You’re surviving by yourself. Why should it be different for me?’’
Alex didn’t know how to answer that. She’d always seen herself as more independent than her sisters. That probably came from being the oldest. No doubt they would tell her it was because she was bossy and insisted on getting her way.
‘‘I know you’ll do well. Just be careful and stay in touch every day.’’
‘‘I will. I guess this means you don’t have any news about John Colton.’’
‘‘Not yet,’’ Alex admitted. ‘‘Mitch has talked to his parents, and they’ll let him know if John contacts them. In the meantime, all I can do is wait—’’ she glanced around the room ‘‘—and go through these records. There are dozens of boxes. I might need Elizabeth and Serena to come help.’’
‘‘Just say the word. They’ll be there.’’
‘‘Thanks. I’ll do some more on my own and see how far I get.’’
Alex shared the details about Bill Lewis that Mitch had provided, then she hung up.
‘‘That guy won’t know what hit him,’’ Mitch said with a grin. ‘‘I know I didn’t. How often does a regular guy meet a real live Princess?’’ He kicked the closed box with the toe of his boot. ‘‘Ready to get back to the salt mines?’’
‘‘If that means am I ready to look through more files, certainly.’’
They worked until it was dark. The single bulb in the room didn’t give off much light, and when Mitch suggested they stop for the day, Alex agreed. ‘‘I’ll make time to come back later in the week,’’ she said.
She glanced up and saw Mitch staring at her. He had the oddest expression on his face, and she couldn’t help reaching up and brushing her fingers against her cheek. ‘‘Am I smudgy?’’
He grinned. ‘‘Nope. I was just wondering. It’s getting late and I’m hungry.’’
Alex’s stomach growled in response to his statement. She laughed. ‘‘I guess I am, too.’’
‘‘So we can head back to the ranch and eat there, or we can eat here, in town. The local diner has great food, if Her Highness doesn’t mind dining with the little people.’’
‘‘I’ve never eaten at a diner,’’ she admitted. ‘‘That sounds like fun. And I promise not to make anyone bow unless he or she wants to.’’
It wasn’t a date, Alex told herself firmly, but it was too late. Her heart had already started thundering in her chest, and she could feel her thighs getting weak.
Dinner out with Mitch. If it wasn’t a date, it was close enough to make her wish the evening would never end.
Chapter Eight
‘‘This was my favorite place to come for dinner when I was a kid,’’ Mitch said as he held open the door to Ruby’s Diner. He leaned close to Alex and lowered his voice. ‘‘They don’t get many of the royal set, so don’t expect much except good, plain food, okay? There’s not going to be salmon mousse or pâté on the menu.’’
She glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. ‘‘What? No pâté? Then I’ll just have to stamp my royal foot in a dainty manner and demand they buy some for me.’’
Mitch was still grinning as he followed her into the diner. The large, brightly lit restaurant was just as he remembered. Booths lined three walls, their red vinyl seats as shiny as ever. Different-size tables filled the space between the booths and the counter seating. All the tabletops were red and gray Formica. Menus stood between metal napkin holders and bottles of mustard and ketchup. Country music blared out of the speakers, and the smell of grilled hamburgers and steaks filled the air.
Alex paused to take it all in. She’d dressed casually for their trip to The Sunshine Home, and her still-too-new jeans outlined her slender hips and long legs. She’d pulled a navy jacket over her white shirt. Her hair was back in some fancy braid, and she didn’t have on much makeup. Even so, she was obviously high-class and incredibly beautiful. Mitch saw the interested glances in their direction and knew that he’d have some questions to answer.
‘‘Sit anywhere you’d like,’’ a female voice hollered from behind the counter. ‘‘The T-bone is better than the rib-eye tonight, and the mashed potatoes are so good they’ll make you cry.’’
Alex pointed to a booth in front of the main window. When he nodded, she led the way over and slid onto the bench seat. ‘‘I’ve never cried over potatoes before,’’ she admitted as he took a seat across from her.
‘‘Then you’ll have to try them, won’t you?’’
