Royal Baby

by Layla Valentine

  “I forgive you,” I said. “For everything. And, hey, if none of this had ever happened, I would have never met Joel.”

  A pained look crossed her face. “Have you heard from him?”

  “No.” I shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean I regret having the experience in the first place. And hell, it was quite the experience.”

  Chelsea smirked and hit me in the ribs me with her elbow. “I bet it was.”

  “So, you’re going to stay in Seattle, huh?”

  She sobered a little. “For right now, I think that this is the best place for me to be. I clearly have some stuff I need to work through.” A small smile flitted over her mouth. “I was a little afraid I’d never get to see Mom and Dad again, either. That they’d put me in some prison in Florida and Mom and Dad would be too mad at me to ever come visit.”

  “They wouldn’t do that,” I assured. “The not visiting thing. The Florida prison thing, I could definitely see happening.” I bumped my shoulder against hers. “But Mom and Dad love us. They wouldn’t forget about us so easily.”

  “I know that now, but it was a real anxiety I had while we were locked up.” She grimaced. “Ugh. Listen to me talking like we’re some sort of badass gang ladies or something.”

  “I was thinking about getting a tattoo,” I joked.

  “Let’s get matching ones with our incarceration dates.” She pulled up the sleeve of her t-shirt, exposing her shoulder. “And maybe a skull or two. What do you think?”

  We both stone faced it for a couple seconds, and then burst out laughing.

  “Can you imagine?” my sister giggled. “The worst part is that I feel like we’d totally goad each other into actually doing it.”

  “Oh, I know.” I wiped a tear from my eye, reveling in how good it felt just to laugh for the first time in a while. I felt like I hadn’t laughed in years. “But we’ve done stupider things.”

  “Like embezzling thousands of dollars and nearly getting plastic surgery?” she probed.

  I had to nod. It sounded ridiculous when she said it like that, but at the time, neither of us had seen any better options.

  “At least we can say we’re definitely on the right path now,” I offered. “And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re staying with Mom and Dad. I think they were really worried about us, and it’ll do them good to have you around. That being said…” I bumped her shoulder again. “It was nice getting to spend so much time with you, even if we were on the run from the law.”

  “Yeah, I did think it was exciting, in a weird way.” Chelsea shrugged. “I figure that means I need some sort of therapy or something.”

  I laughed. “I’m sure Mom’s got a whole pack of therapeutic stuff she’ll want you to try out during your stay.”

  Our mother was infamous for the assorted ‘cures’ she’d thrust on us over the years. Calming herbs to fight anxiety, burning sage to aid sleep, that kind of thing. I don’t think any of it actually worked, but Dad always claimed to feel better after he would let her have a go at him. Maybe that was why their marriage was so strong.

  “I am gonna miss being so close to you, though,” I said after a moment. “I know we didn’t see each other much—even though we were in the same state—but we should have.”

  “Yeah. What happened?”

  It wasn’t an accusatory question, just a question, directed at both of us. I knew she didn’t blame me for our estrangement any more than I blamed her.

  “I guess we just got busy,” I said. “And I think after so many years of living the same life, maybe it was nice to have different ones that were completely our own for a while.”

  Chelsea nodded. “I have to say, I identified as a twin for so long that I think I forgot what it was like to be an individual. I did get that out of San Diego, at least. I just got a heaping pile of bullcrap as well.”

  I smiled warmly at her, glad that she was out of there. I wished I could have been there for her when she had been going through all the drama with her boss, but I hadn’t even known about it.

  “Let’s promise not to get like that again, okay?” I said. “If there’s something crazy going on in your life—even if we haven’t talked for months for whatever reason—can you please make sure you tell me?”

  “I promise. And the same to you, as well.”

  “I promise.”

  We sat in silence for a few moments, leaning against each other and listening to the sound of the rain tumbling over the roof tiles. It was so natural, so comfortable, that it felt like our mini-estrangement had never happened.

  Better yet, I knew that it would never happen again. For now, that was all that mattered. Even if my heart hurt and I missed the face of the handsome doctor who had saved my life as I knew it.

  Chapter Twelve

  I hit print on my mother's laptop and slid it over to the other side of the table, happily rising to my feet and stretching. Another couple of days in Seattle's endless rainy environment had made me excited to go back home to L.A., even though I knew I’d have to readjust to the hustle and bustle of the city. Nonetheless, I couldn't wait to get back to work. Now all I needed to do was find the printer.

  “Mom!” I called.

  “Yeah?” she called back from her craft room, just down the hall from the living room.

  “Where’s the printer? Is it in Dad's office?”

  “What?”

  I sighed and headed over to the doorway, sticking my head in. Mom was bent over her craft table, bending wire for the piece of jewelry she was working on. I had forgotten how absorbed she could get in her work. As soon as the weekend hit, my mom was no longer an office warrior, but a dreamy artisan.

  “Where's the printer?” I asked again. “Dad's office?”

  Mom glanced over her shoulder at me. “No, we had it in there, but your father was getting startled by the sudden print-jobs. It's in the garage now.”

  I raised a skeptical brow. “The garage?”

  “That's what I said, isn't it?” She turned her head and went back to her work, the conversation clearly over. I chuckled bemusedly and started for the garage, reflecting on how much of my mom I saw in my sister. They could both be so sassy sometimes.

  Sure enough, the printer was set up on a little table in the corner of the garage. I swiped the flight itinerary from the tray and headed back into the main section of the house, rounding the bottom of the staircase and starting the ascent to my room.

  The doorbell rang, startling me. I glanced behind me at the door, wondering who it could be. I supposed my parents had a number of friends—I just wasn't sure if I wanted to see any of them.

  “Can you get that?” my mom yelled in the distance.

  I sighed. Of course I could hear her perfectly, but she could never hear me. I stepped down to the doorway and yanked it open.

  Joel stood there in a light jacket, completely soaked by the rain. His hair was plastered to his forehead, a dark streak against his skin. The visual reminded me of our night on the beach together, when we'd both been drenched. I felt a flush rise up my cheeks.

  “J-Joel,” I stammered. “What are you doing here?”

  Before he could say anything, my mother barged in front of me and pulled Joel into a big hug.

  “Well, hello again, Doctor Handsome! How are you?” She pulled back and looked into his face adoringly. Joel smiled down at her, and I felt my heart melt just a little bit more.

  “I'm very well, Mrs. Redfield. And you?”

  She chuckled. “I've got two daughters not in jail. It's as good a day as any. Why don't you come in?”

  I stood at the sidelines, still completely bewildered by what was going on. Why was Joel here? Why was my mother being so casual about him being here on our doorstep? As far as I was concerned, this was a big deal.

  Chelsea, clearly attracted by the ruckus, came down the stairs as Joel took off his shoes in the entryway.

  “Oh my God!” she yelped. “Joel! What are you doing here?”

  F
inally, someone was asking the right question. Before Joel could answer, my father came downstairs from his office.

  “Why is everyone crowding him? Christ, give the man some space!” Dad said. “Joel, my good man, can I get you something to drink?”

  “You must be exhausted,” said my mother, grabbing him by the elbow and leading him to the living room. “Why don't you come sit down? We weren't expecting to see you again. This is such a delight.”

  Joel still hadn't had the opportunity to get a single word in, which was just as well, since I also hadn't managed to say anything. Chelsea and I watched our parents disappear with the man of my dreams, their voices fading as they moved to the other side of the house.

  “What's he doing here?” Chelsea asked. “Did he say?”

  “He didn't have the chance,” I muttered bitterly.

  “Remind me never to bring a guy home.” Chelsea grabbed my arm and started tugging me toward the living room. “Come on, you.”

  I dropped my flight itinerary on the hallway table, and ran through all the reasons in my head why Joel might arrive at my front door out of the blue. Nothing seemed to make any sense to me. I didn't want to give in to the fantasy that he might be there to see me, but I couldn't think of another reason, besides him coming over here to request we pay him back for getting us out of jail. Neither of those seemed likely. If he wanted to see me, he wouldn't have left things the way he did in Miami, and if he wanted to be paid back, he could have just sent an email or something.

  Nonetheless, I was ecstatic that he was there. All I wanted to do was jump into his arms and beg him to take me far away from this dreary, rain-soaked city.

  In the living room, my mother was bringing him up to speed on everything Chelsea and I had been up to since we’d seen him last.

  “Chelsea's going to stay at home for a while to figure out what she wants to do. I thought it was a very wise decision of her to make, if I do say so myself. I still think both of them left the nest far too early. And look what happened!” She clucked to herself. “Not that I don't understand the situation...but you know how it is.”

  I half-expected Joel to be skulking away by now, trying to escape my mother's incessant chatter, but he seemed relaxed, and their conversation flowed easily.

  “I wouldn't want to go anywhere, either, if I were her,” said Joel. “Your home is beautiful, and I've always loved Seattle.”

  Mom beamed. She was always a sucker for a good compliment.

  “You're so kind to say that.”

  My father got up suddenly. “I forgot to grab us drinks! Beer, Joel?”

  “Sure.”

  Dad disappeared, and I snuck further into the room. Joel's eyes found mine. He looked amused, the faintest twinkle in the depths of his green eyes. I tried not to blush. I tried to think of something to say.

  I failed on both counts.

  Dad returned a second later as Mom was chatting to Joel about the necklaces she was making, and how she'd had a massive creative surge following the adventure we'd had in Miami. It was so heartwarming to see them interact with each other, and I felt a genuine pang of longing for him, and for everything he represented.

  Please let him be here for me, I begged silently. Please.

  Joel thanked my father for the beer, and then his gaze met mine again. This time, the room was silent, and Joel's smile was broad.

  “Gotten into any trouble lately?” he asked.

  I'd forgotten how his voice sent shivers up my spine. My gaze dipped to his lips, lips that curved mischievously. Sensually. If my parents and sister hadn’t been in the room, I had a feeling this reunion would have gone very differently.

  “No trouble,” I said. “I'm back on the straight and narrow. At least, until the next great Redfield heist.”

  Mom tutted. “Don't joke like that!”

  Dad laughed.

  Joel was clearly in the same camp as my father, smiling easily and tipping his head back for a swig of beer.

  “Did you come to check up on me?” I asked. “To make sure I hadn't gone back to my deviant ways?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Are you satisfied with how domestic and harmless I am?” I asked.

  Joel leaned further into the couch, at ease even though my family surrounded him on all sides. I'd never had a boyfriend who was so relaxed in my home.

  Stop it. He’s not your boyfriend. I didn’t know what he was. Savior? Definitely. Lover? It was just one night…

  “On the outside, it seems like you're settling back into a law-abiding life quite well,” he said airily. “But I think the only way to know for sure is to spend some time with you, alone.”

  My heart skipped. I coughed, my mouth suddenly dry, and answered. “Are you asking me on a date?”

  Joel raised his brows. “I suppose you could call it that.”

  “She would love to go on a date with you!” Mom burst out.

  I'd forgotten that she was there for a moment. It had been only Joel and I, with the rest of the room so out of focus that it might as well have not existed.

  “Mom!” I hissed. “Can you not?”

  She made the motion of zipping her mouth shut and throwing away the key, though I doubted that would stick. If Betty Redfield wanted to meddle, she would meddle. If she wanted to chat, she'd chat. I suspected that unrelenting attitude was how she'd gotten my father, quiet man that he was, to marry her. They loved each other, sure, but I doubted that my Dad had had much say in their initial courtship.

  I turned my attention back to Joel and gave him a warm smile. “I'd love to go on a date with you.”

  He nodded, eyes filling with clear relief. “Good.” He handed the beer back to my father. “Sorry, Andrew, I've gotta run. Megan, I’ll pick you up at seven?”

  He was walking toward me, and I barely had time to nod in acquiescence before his lips pressed against mine. It was a brief kiss, and the whole time, my mother hummed in the background. When he pulled away, his eyes were dark with lust, and I bit my lip nervously, savoring the feel of his kiss.

  “I'm sorry,” he said. “I couldn't wait another second.” Then, he turned for the door and left. “I'll see you at seven!”

  By the time the door was closed, my sister was already shaking me. “Oh my God! This is big! Huge! He came all the way across the country for you! Do you know how exciting that is?”

  Yes, I wanted to tell her. I know exactly how exciting this is. It's only what I've dreamed about this whole time. It's only the best thing that's ever happened to me.

  But I was still too stunned by the kiss to respond. In fact, I was practically catatonic. She kept shaking me and I barely moved, my eyes wide and staring at the door he'd just disappeared through.

  My mother came up to me and pulled me into a big hug. “I'm so happy for you. Joel seems like such a nice man.”

  I let her and my sister hug me while I thought about the night to come. Sure, Joel had come to ask me out on a date, but what did that mean? He still lived on the other side of the country, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to get over the embarrassment of him having to bail me out of jail. It was all so surreal.

  Why hadn't he said anything in Miami? He had been so cold compared to how he was today, which I also didn't understand. If he felt so strongly about me, why hadn't I heard from him since we’d left Miami? He had a phone, didn't he? It wasn't like I'd become unreachable the moment I’d reached Seattle. It would have been nice if he'd sent me a quick text to say that he was coming over so that I could have met him somewhere outside of my home, and away from my family.

  “That was pretty amazing, huh?” Chelsea said dreamily.

  I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at her, lifting a brow. “What was pretty amazing?”

  She gave me a pointed look. “Joel. Coming to see you.” She swept a hand toward our parents, now gossiping on the sofa together. “Charming the pants off our parents.”

  “I guess so,” I admitted. “It caught me kind of off guard, though
.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But remember when my boyfriend Graham came over to meet Mom and Dad, and it was the most awkward thing imaginable?”

  “That was different,” I said. “Graham was kind of weird in the first place, and Joel's met them before.” I lowered my voice, feeling ridiculous. “I mean, he paid for their daughters to get out of jail. How hard on him do you think Mom and Dad were going to be?”

  Chelsea tipped her head back and laughed. “I guess so. Still, I think he's a winner.”

  “I second that,” my mother called from the couch. “That young man seems like he has his head firmly attached to his shoulders.”

  “I find him quite likable, too,” added Dad. If he was freely offering his opinion, it was a big thing.

  “Okay, okay,” I said. “So, he's a great guy and everyone approves. I get it.”

  “What? You don't want to go out with him?” Mom shot up off the couch and crossed the room. I expected her to reprimand me, but her eyes were full of concern. “Baby, if it doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel right. Don't let the fact that he saved you make you feel like you have to go. I think Joel's a lovely man, but you don’t owe him anything.”

  It warmed my heart that my family was so supportive. I'd missed this; we really needed to spend more time together. Especially Chelsea and I, since I couldn't remember for the life of me why we'd stopped being close in the first place.

  It was nice to know that if I didn't want Joel and didn't want to go on this date, they would support me—even if they were already ‘Team Joel’.

  “I do want to go out with him,” I said. “And...I do have feelings for him.”

  Mom's face brightened. “That's excellent news, darling! I was so hoping we'd get to have him over for dinner sometime. Maybe a barbecue.” She turned her head to face my dad. “What do you think, Andrew? You and Joel could crack open a couple of beers and burn some meat. Isn't that your favorite thing to do?”

  My dad chuckled and took a swig of his beer. I grimaced.

  “Let's wait for summer for the barbecue, eh?” I nodded toward the window, which was speckled with raindrops. “Not sure it's the right weather for it just yet.”