Reluctantly Royal

by Nichole Chase

  “Well, for being out of practice you’re pretty damn good at it.”

  Rose crept up her cheeks and I felt a stab of pride that I had put it there.

  “You reminded me of what I was missing out on.” Her eyes darted to my lips briefly.

  “Maybe we can try it again sometime.” It was taking all of my willpower to keep from trying it again right that moment. “When things calm down.”

  “Maybe.” The word came out a little breathless.

  It was like my body was on autopilot. I could only sense what I wanted and right that moment I wanted her. Her breath fanned out across my face and I inhaled deeply. Her hand wrapped around my wrist and she stood up on her tiptoes.

  “Mom!” Marty clambered down the stairs.

  Meredith jumped away from me as if she had been electrocuted. “Back here.”

  “Saved by the bell.” I winked at her and was surprised when she blushed. I had a feeling that I was getting a rare look at the real Meredith.

  “C’mon! I’m starving.” Marty stuck his head out of the hallway. “What are you doing?”

  “Just talking.” I shrugged.

  “You can leave your poles there while we eat dinner.” She looked at me briefly before gently pushing Marty toward the dining room.

  “I hate to impose.” I followed behind them not really feeling guilty in the least.

  “Don’t worry about it. D’Lynsal is two hours from here. You’ll starve to death by the time you reach your family’s home.” She shook her head at me. “Besides, we have enough for everyone.”

  “If you insist.” I smiled at her.

  “We insist!” Marty said firmly. He opened the door to the dining room and quickly jumped into a chair.

  She sat next to her son and I took a seat opposite them. She started dishing out the food, despite Marty’s grumbles about beans and broccoli. Between mouthfuls he told her about fishing.

  “And he can’t tie a lure on!” He laughed. “Can you believe that? I had to do it for him.”

  “It’s not nice to make fun of someone,” she admonished, but couldn’t help a small smile.

  “To be fair, I’m complete rubbish.” I held up my hands. “It’s been years since I’ve gone fishing.”

  “I thought you liked to fish!” Marty looked at me accusingly.

  “I do! I just haven’t had the free time in a while.”

  “Well, you should definitely practice some more.” He stabbed a bean with his fork and stuck it in his mouth. “You should come back tomorrow.”

  “We’ll have to check with your mom about that.” I looked at her as she tried to decide what to say.

  “I believe your sister and sister-in-law are coming tomorrow.” Meredith shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably. “They want to pay their respects.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me.” I had to fight to not laugh. “They like to take care of people. Both of them. If you’re not careful, they’ll wrap you up, send you to bed, and take over everything.”

  “What is it with your family?” She looked at me with disbelief.

  “We take care of our own.” I wondered if she realized that she had been adopted by my family. Because that is exactly what had happened. And once they set their hooks in you, you were never alone. Something she had no experience with.

  NINE

  MY HEART BOUNCED in my chest as Max teased Marty. They had obviously bonded over the last couple of days. They got along effortlessly, like they’d always known each other. I felt a little like the third wheel.

  But he had called us their own.

  As if that was normal. The way it should be.

  Theirs.

  That was such a foreign concept. Other than Granddad, Marty and I had forged our way through life with just the two of us. It wasn’t until Granddad found out about our lineage that we’d all come back to Lilaria together. Dad had just gotten out of jail after being caught in an underground gambling ring. At first I had thought that maybe things would work out. Granddad insisted that Dad would shape up, but I knew better. I applied to schools, looked for other options. The night I got my acceptance e-mail for university in England, Dad came back to Thysmer incredibly drunk. I’d been so relieved to have a way to escape.

  “Mom?” Marty’s voice broke into my thoughts.

  “What, baby?” I looked at him and realized he must have been asking me something before that.

  “Is there anything for dessert?” Marty looked at me hopefully.

  “Hm. I don’t know.” I pursed my lips. “Did you clean your room today?”

  “Um, mostly?” He looked at me hopefully. “I ate all my beans though.”

  “Well, that is something to celebrate.” I laughed. “Go see if we have any ice cream.”

  “Yes!” He was out of his chair faster than lightning.

  I fiddled with my fork on my plate, not sure what to say. I was normally full of words, full of things to talk about, but today I just wanted to crawl in my bed and hide under the blanket. I couldn’t do that even if Max hadn’t been sitting across the table from me. I needed to stay strong, work hard to keep everything level and calm for Marty.

  “Are you sleeping?” Max’s deep voice rumbled quietly.

  “Right now?” I offered him a smile.

  “You know what I mean.” He leaned forward, concern etched on his face. “You look tired.”

  “Not exactly what every girl wants to hear, Prince Charming.” I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat.

  “You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on.” The sincerity in his words sent my heart into overdrive. “That doesn’t mean you can’t look tired.”

  I closed my eyes for a minute. “I don’t have time to be tired.”

  “How’d the speech go today?” He put his arms on the table and leaned forward.

  “Fine.” I shrugged. It had been one of the most painful things I’d ever had to do. Telling a crowd of strangers, cameras, and reporters that my granddad had passed away had been emotionally draining. Answering their questions had been like having someone dig around in an open wound.

  “You don’t have to pretend.” He clasped his hands in front of him and looked down at the table. “I’d need a stiff drink.”

  “I don’t drink.” My eyes shot toward my father’s room.

  “Then maybe a long, hot shower.” His lips curved into a small smile. “Or a bath. I imagine that would go a long way to soothing your tense muscles.”

  “That does sound nice.” I sighed at the thought. “But I have to go scrub down a little boy who smells like fish.”

  “I’ll do it.” He shrugged.

  “You’ll give my six-year-old boy a bath?” I laughed.

  “How hard can it be? A broom, little dish soap, and the hose are all I need.” He raised one eyebrow when I laughed. “It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”

  “Nice. Would you just let him run naked through the house like a crazed person to dry off?”

  “How else would you do it?” His smile grew a little.

  “I can only imagine the housekeeper’s face at the puddles all over the place.” I chuckled.

  “You could get a dog and blame them on it.” He laughed.

  “No, those leave their own sort of puddles.” I shook my head and fought my grin. “And don’t you dare mention that in front of Marty. I’ve been fending off the dog request for a while now.”

  “Duly noted.” He bobbed his head and looked up at me through his brown hair, with a grin. “I remember wanting a dog at his age. I drove my parents crazy.”

  “Did they let you have one?”

  “It took a lot of convincing, but I finally got a Lab.” His eyes turned thoughtful. “We had some great adventures. He was my best friend.”

  “Are you trying to convince me to get my son a dog?” I leaned forward and leveled my eyes at the prince sitting across from me.

  “Is it working?” His teeth flashed white in the light.

&nb
sp; “Not even a little bit.” I laughed.

  “Well, I tried.” He shrugged as his eyes glinted with mischief.

  “Marty would appreciate the effort.” I smiled but looked away from him. He was doing it again. Breaking through my barriers. I couldn’t remember the last time I had discussed Marty with a man who wasn’t family.

  “I found ice cream!” Marty bounded through the door with a stack of bowls in his hands.

  The cook followed behind him with an amused expression. She was carrying a tub of ice cream.

  “We only have vanilla, but I can make a chocolate syrup if you’d like.” She set the tub on the table and folded her hands in front of her.

  “Do we have any sprinkles?” Marty set the bowls on the table and climbed into his chair.

  “We have some from the last time you were here.” She pulled a bottle out of the pocket of her apron and set it on the table. “Enjoy.”

  “Yes!” Marty reached for the tub of ice cream but I was faster.

  “I’ll put some in your bowl.” I lumped some ice cream into his bowl and handed him the bottle of sprinkles, which he liberally applied. Without thinking, I grabbed Max’s bowl and filled it with ice cream. “Do you want sprinkles too?”

  “No, thanks.” He smiled at me when I handed him his bowl.

  By the time I’d gotten my own dessert, Marty was ready to lick his bowl clean. Max reached across the table and flicked a sprinkle off my son’s nose, making him giggle.

  “Okay. It’s time for a bath.” I shook my head when Marty groaned. “You’re filthy, buddy.”

  “But it’s a good, healthy filthy.” Marty grinned.

  “Go upstairs and pick out some pajamas.” I shook my head.

  “I’m going.” He hopped out of his chair and ran around the table. To my complete surprise, he hugged Max and whispered something I couldn’t hear. Max laughed softly and hugged my son back. A stab of pain filled my chest and I squashed it. Other than Granddad, Marty hadn’t had a man in his life that he could count on. I didn’t let anyone get close enough to hurt him.

  To hurt us. Marty’s father and my own had shown me how quickly men could leave you or hurt you.

  “I’ll be up there soon,” I told Marty as he flew out the door.

  “He’s a smart kid.”

  “I know.” I looked over at Max and tried to sort through all the emotions that were bombarding me. To not hold the past against this man. “Thank you for taking him fishing today.”

  “You’re not still angry?” He leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to the side.

  “Your intentions were good.” I shrugged. Play it cool, I told myself. Don’t let him know what a big deal it is to let him hang out with my son. “But next time call me.”

  His mouth twitched upward on one side. “So far, we’ve skipped that part and I’ve stuck to just barging into your home.”

  “This isn’t my home.” I fought my smile. “But you have been barging in here a lot.”

  “I’d like to barge in tomorrow if that’s okay.” He watched my face carefully.

  “I think Marty would enjoy that.” I kept my face neutral.

  “And what about you, Meredith?” With a smooth movement he leaned forward and reached out to touch the back of my hand with his fingertips. “Would you mind if I came over tomorrow?”

  My immediate response stuck in my throat, surprising me. I looked into his green eyes and swallowed. How did this man continually make me feel like I was sixteen again? I was used to being the one in charge—the person who made decisions about where a relationship went. Which was usually nowhere.

  “I . . . I would like that.” I tried to keep my tone nonchalant, but failed miserably. This wasn’t a relationship. This was just a person helping another person. Right?

  Something in his expression shifted and I realized that he had been tense, waiting for my response. Maybe I wasn’t the only one feeling at the other’s mercy.

  “What time would be a good time to show up?” His fingers were still on my hand. My skin tingled under his touch.

  “Why don’t you come with your sister and sister-in-law?” I tried to keep my nerves to myself. So far my father hadn’t come out of his room, but who knew what tomorrow would bring?

  As if he was reading my mind, Max’s eyes darted to the stairs. “Maybe I could come a little earlier.”

  “We’ll be fine,” I said. We would. I’d dealt with this a hundred times before. But not without my grandfather in the background, my mind whispered.

  “What have you decided about going back to England?” His eyes had taken on a serious cast and the light highlighted his sharp cheekbones.

  “I have to wait until the will reading.” I shrugged.

  “Your grandfather left a will?” His eyes brightened.

  I tried to keep the frustration out of my voice. “I found out this morning.”

  “How?” His fingers rubbed gently along my knuckles and I wondered if he was doing it on purpose.

  “Rachel. The woman your mother sent to take care of the family.” Gently, I extracted my hand from underneath his. It was hard to think when he touched me. “She said that he entrusted it to the queen.”

  He sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin. “That’s not completely unusual.”

  “Even you didn’t sound convinced when you said that.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what to expect.” I shivered. What if Granddad did do something crazy in his will? What if he left everything to my father, expecting him to do the right thing? I would hope that he had left money for Marty and me, because if he left it all to my father, we’d be screwed. Thank God I had been squirreling away money and living well within our new means.

  “Who will be here when the will is read?” He looked at me with serious eyes.

  “I’m not sure. Who comes to the reading of a will?” I snorted. “A lawyer? Rachel will be here. Me and my father. I don’t know who else.”

  “If he entrusted it to the queen, then she will have a representative present.” He narrowed his eyes.

  “Rachel will be there. She sent Rachel to represent her interest.” I frowned.

  “If she has taken the will in trust, either my mother or one of our family must be present.” He leaned back in his chair, his eyes half lidded. “I’m sure that my brother would be willing to step in.”

  “The last thing I want to do is have more of your family involved in my drama.” I clenched my teeth. “Seriously. What is it with your family sticking their nose in my business? My granddad died. Lots of people die. Every day. Why are you guys not bothering them?”

  “Because they aren’t you.” He lowered his voice. “My mother uprooted your family, changed your entire world, and feels responsible for you.”

  “Is it that or the fact that my father is a drunk? God help us if we do something embarrassing.” I stood up. “I’ve been dodging his issues for years, cutting him out of my life, moving to a different country. The last thing I want is to have everyone standing around, staring at me with sad eyes. I just want to have a normal life. I was having a normal life. And then—then my granddad died. He died and he left us with a giant mess.”

  “Meredith.” He said my name softly.

  “No. Don’t you dare look at me like that.” I pointed my finger at him, ignoring the tears that were threatening to overflow. I was too tired, too sad, too broken. “This is like reliving my childhood all over. I’m covering for my father at a school dance or praying that he doesn’t show up to a parent-teacher conference slurring. Only it’s all there for the media to show the world. The embarrassing new royal family. And all because the one man that held us together died.”

  “Meredith.” He stood up and walked slowly around the table. “This is why I’m here. Why mother sent Rachel. No one should have to deal with all of this on their own.”

  “Having all of you here makes it worse.” I was shaking. Our calm, almost peaceful dinner was now a thing of the past. “Don’t you get
it?”

  “You’re embarrassed.” He said the words quietly. “You don’t need to be.”

  I snorted and wrapped my arms around myself. “My father tried to deck me in front of a prince. Of course I’m embarrassed.”

  His hands clenched at his sides and I wondered what was going through his mind as he stared at me.

  “I need to go give Marty a bath. He’s waiting on me.” I took a deep breath. I couldn’t afford to lose control right now. I couldn’t afford to lose control at all.

  “Let the nanny give him a bath.”

  “It’s my job.” I lifted my chin and stared at him. “It’s not the nanny’s job to be his mother.”

  “It’s the nanny’s job to help you when you need it.” He moved closer to me. “When my mother reinstated your title, she wasn’t just giving you your inheritance. She was bringing you into a world where much would be asked of you. For some, it might seem like winning the lottery, but the truth is that it isn’t always easy to wear a royal title. That’s why you have a cook, a butler, and a nanny. That’s why I’m here to help during a difficult time.”

  I just looked up at him. I wasn’t sure I knew how to let other people help me.

  “Go take a hot shower.” Gently he placed his hands on my shoulders and steered me toward the door. “Take a long hot shower and let other people help you for once.”

  I let him guide me through the hallway and to the stairs. “Are you going home now?”

  The light in the foyer was dim and his face was cloaked in shadow as he looked down at me. “No.”

  “What will you do?” I shivered. I was more worn out than I had realized.

  “Stay.”

  With that one word, relief crashed over me. How could this man, whom I barely knew, make me feel safe?

  “Thank you.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

  He turned just enough so that I could feel his breath on my own cheek. “Get some rest, Meredith.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” I trudged up the stairs with a backward glance over my shoulder. He was watching me, one hand on the stair rail, but my barb had made him smile just a little.