Two days later, I finish packing up my bag for our weekend trip, excited to spend two days with Delaney at the bed and breakfast in Martha’s Vineyard. It’s going to be cold and that suits my plans just fine. The two of us, a fire, and a bed is all we need.
As I fold a few shirts, my phone rings. I reach across the bed to grab it, seeing Ophelia’s number.
“Cousin,” I answer. “How are you?”
“Wonderful. You?”
“Very well. What news do you have?”
“What news do you have?”
I sit on the edge of the bed. “What do you mean?”
“Any updates on the charming American woman?”
I narrow my eyes. “Have you seen Tristan lately?”
“Oh, as a matter of fact, I may have bumped into him in the park earlier today.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “So then you already have an update, do you not?”
“I’d rather hear it straight from the source. Is it true you made a commitment gesture?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“Ooh,” she squeals. “What did you do?”
“I gave her a ring of amethyst and diamonds.”
“Sounds lovely.”
“It is. Her birthday is tomorrow so amethyst is her birthstone.”
“But your birthday is tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“What an amazing coincidence.”
“Yes, it is.”
“How did she react?”
“As I’d hoped. She was excited and accepted it. There’s just one problem.”
“What?”
“She’s worried about the future, and quite frankly, so am I.”
“Oh for all the flowers in Havendon, we’ve been over this. You are so stubborn. If you want her, you keep her. It’s that bloody simple.”
My eyebrows raise as she speaks. Ophelia rarely swears and only does so to make a point. “Settle down, cousin.”
“I won’t settle down. Do you honestly think if you left her to come here you’d find someone like her again?”
“Most definitely not.”
“Even close?”
“Not even close.”
“Do you want to be happy?”
“Of course. Everyone does, but it’s not that simple and you know it.”
“It is that simple. Is it easy? No, but some of the best things in life are the hardest to obtain. Everything in your life has been easy, handed to you before you even knew you wanted it. You’ve never had to struggle for anything, especially not in romance, so I understand why you feel so ill prepared for this adventure, but listen to me. If she’s worth it, you can and you will fight for her. No matter what anyone else says or thinks. All that matters, is what you and Delaney want. It’s as simple as that, and you cannot convince me otherwise.”
I sit on the bed listening to my cousin’s proper butt-chewing and sigh. She’s right. Delaney is absolutely worth fighting for.
“I understand your point, and I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
“What?”
I chuckle. “It’s an expression meaning we’re not at that point yet.”
“Ah, well, that may be true, but can you not see the bridge coming? It’s in view, I believe, if you’re giving her a commitment ring. Why not break her in slowly? Bring her here for a visit and see how it goes.”
“Perhaps in the near future. We’ve only been together less than two months.” I stop as soon as the words are out of my mouth. Two months and I can’t imagine life without her now. “Perhaps for Christmas.”
“Christmas? That’s nearly a year away.”
“I know.”
“I always thought you were brave and there was nothing in this world that intimidated you. Am I wrong? Is love your Achilles’ heel?”
“No, it’s not. My parents, specifically my father is. It’s not like I can just waltz in and announce I’m marrying an American woman.”
“And why not?”
“That’s a ridiculous question and you know it.”
“I don’t know it. You are ridiculous. What are they going to do about it? Not one thing. Maybe he won’t like it, but maybe he will. You’re only considering the negative option.”
“He doesn’t even talk to me, cousin.”
“An even better point then. You are not obligated to share this news with him if he won’t talk to you.”
I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. “As I said, we’ve not yet reached that bridge. When we do, I will take her hand, and cross it as carefully as possible. She is special to me, and my bravery grows each day.”
“I suppose that is all I can ask then. You know all I want is your happiness?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I love you, cousin, and I know your life is not as ordinary as others. I know it will be a shock to some, but I also know that you have so much support, more than you even know from the people who love you, and there are many.”
“Thank you, Ophelia. I love you as well, and I do appreciate your words of encouragement. I will need them as I move forward with Delaney.”
“You will always have them. Now, what are you doing the rest of the weekend?”
“I’m taking her away for the weekend to celebrate our birthday.”
“Lovely. She’s a lucky woman to have found you. Once you open your heart to her, she will be overwhelmed by the sheer depth and immensity of your love. If your passion for your family extends to her, she will be loved.”
“Thank you, but it is I that is the lucky one. My entire life has been changed by her. I will open my heart to her, very soon, and when I do, I pray that my love is enough to get us through the upcoming challenges.”
“It will be. I am sure of it.” I hear a baby’s cry in the background. “Oh, I must go. Grace has woken from her nap. It was good to speak to you.”
“Always a pleasure to hear your voice, sweet cousin.”
I hang up and lie back on the bed with a smile on my face. At least I have two people in Havendon who support my decision. I’ll need them when the time comes.
“What should I bring?” I call out from my closet to Fallyn.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t know.” I peek out at her. “He said it was a surprise.”
“Negative. He needs to give some parameters. Otherwise you have to pack your entire closet.”
I laugh. “I’ll see what I can find out.” I pick up my phone and dial his number.
“Hello, my darling,” he answers.
“Hi. I’m trying to pack for tomorrow. Do you think you could just give me an idea of what kinds of clothes I need?”
“None.”
“I’m sorry? Are we going to a nudist camp?”
He laughs. “No, but that’s an amazing idea.”
“Not in February it’s not.”
“A fair point. I’ll tell you that we’ll be mostly alone, staying locally in Massachusetts, so all you need is comfortable clothing.”
“That works.”
“Good. Are you excited?”
“Extremely.”
“So am I. Would you like to come over tonight?”
“I would, but Fallyn’s here. We’re having girl’s night in.”
“What will you do?”
“Watch movies, drink martini’s, and talk about boys.”
“Ah, so I will be a topic.”
“Definitely.”
“Then I’ll let you get back to it. Tell Fallyn I said hello, and I’m jealous of her.”
I laugh. “Why?”
“Because she’s with you, and I’m not.”
“You’re sweet.”
“You deserve sweetness. Have a good night.”
“You too. See you tomorrow.”
I hang up, tossing the phone on the bed. “He said casual clothes.”
“What was that comment about a nudist camp?”
“He said I didn’t need clothes.”
“Ah, sound
s like a fun weekend.”
“Yeah.”
“Let me see this rock again.” She grabs my hand. “It’s really beautiful.”
“It is. So is the message behind it. I’m starting to think things could really work out for us long term.”
“It seems like it.”
“Honestly, I’m sort of nervous giving him the book tomorrow when he got me something so nice.”
“Don’t be. I think he’ll get why it’s awesome. Besides, rich people don’t need more stuff. They need substance and your gift is that.”
“You’re right.” I sit down next to her. “I hope he gets that it’s only because I like him that I would give it to him.”
“If he’s the guy we think he is, then he will.”
“Yeah.” I take her hand in mine. “Thanks for coming over tonight.”
“Ah, come on, Del, it’s me. You don’t have to thank me.”
“I know. I just want you to know that you’re important to me.”
“I know that, silly.” She gently shoves me. “Finish packing. I’ll go start the martinis.”
“Okay.”
I watch her walk out then go back into my closet to pull out a few sweaters. I don’t know where we’re going, but it doesn’t even matter. As long as I’m with Lathan, I’m good.
The next morning, I stand in my bedroom looking out the window at the heavy snowfall. It’s beautiful, but traveling anywhere is going to be difficult. My phone rings, and I hurry to grab it.
“Hi, Lathan.”
“Hi. Did you see the weather?”
“I did. What are we gonna do?”
“I have a plan B.”
“Awesome. What is it?” I hear knocking on my front door. “Oh, hold on a sec. Someone’s at my door.” I walk into the living room, open the door, then grin. “Hi.”
He grins, holding several bags. “Hi.”
“Come in.”
“Thank you.” He kicks the snow off his shoes and steps inside, setting the bags down, and taking his coat off. “I grabbed some food since it looks like we might be inside again for several days.”
“Your plan B is hanging out here?”
“Yes.” He steps closer, pulling me close, and making me laugh as he buries his cold face on my neck. “My plans for the weekend involved making love to you as much as possible in a romantic place. That can still be accomplished here.”
“My apartment isn’t romantic.”
“Yes it is. Your bed is soft and the bedding warm. You have a bathtub we can soak in, a fireplace for warmth, and you’re here. I have everything I need.”
“Me too actually. Where were you taking me?”
“Martha’s Vineyard. They called this morning to tell me the roads were closed.”
“Ah, I love it there. We can go this summer.”
“I’d like that.” He looks around for a minute. “I really do like it here, Delaney.”
“I’m glad.”
We walk over and sit on the couch, cuddling together. “The trip was my gift to you, so now I have nothing.”
I lift my hand wiggling the finger with my ring on it. “I think I’m good, Lathan.”
“I’m happy you like it.”
“Love it.” I kiss his cheek. “It’s my favorite thing I own.”
“Wonderful.”
“I have something for you.”
“I don’t need anything.”
“I wanted to give you something important to me.” I stand up and pull it from the bag I had packed for our trip, then walk over and hand it to him. “I’ll explain once you open it.”
Lathan gently pulls open the wrapping paper revealing the book. Silently, he looks at it, turning it from front to back, then flipping through pages.
“I love it,” he says softly.
“How could you?”
“How did you know about it?”
I furrow my brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
He tilts my head. “I mean how did you know what this book means to me? Only three people in the world know, and I don’t know how you could have spoken to any of them.”
“You know this book?”
“Yes, of course. Wait. You said you’d explain.”
“It’s mine. My personal copy. I wanted to give you a piece of me, so I chose my favorite book. I’ve read every page a hundred times wishing for someone romantic and special and well, like a fairy tale, and then you came. I thought it fitting you should have it.”
Lathan stares at me with his mouth slightly ajar. “I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true.”
“No, not that.” He shakes his head. “I had a cousin named Guinevere. She was born a year after me, so we were very close. She was so sweet and she loved books. She said because of her name, she was destined to be a hopeless romantic. We would walk in the garden, and she would talk about love. She always wrote poems and little love stories. She would put them in bottles and toss them into the ocean hoping they’d be found by some poor soul on a deserted island.”
“That’s super cute.”
“Yes.” He nods, but his eyes cloud with sadness. “She, uh, she got very sick one year when she was twenty. A terrible fever plagued her and she couldn’t recover. I visited with her one night, and she told me she wanted me to have her favorite book.”
“This is her favorite book?”
He nods. “She loved it. It was one of the last things she talked about before she died.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He smiles. “Don’t be. You just gave me the happiest memory, and even better, you transformed it from a sad one to a new, much better one. It seems that this book has always been connected to people that were special to me. So, my darling, this is an incredible gift. It tells me so much about you, confirms what I knew about the heart you keep in your chest, and how much of it you are willing to share with me. I will treasure it always. Thank you.”
I wipe away a tear that escapes down my cheek. “I had no idea it would have this kind of impact.” I smile. “I just wanted you to understand me.”
“I do. I think, somehow, I always have.” He pulls me close, and as we gaze at the falling snow, he kisses the top of my head. “It’s such a big world, but then all of a sudden, it’s a tiny one. You and I were born thousands of miles and ten years apart, yet while you were living your life, and I, mine, while we were having relationships, and finding favorite books, everything aligned to bring us together. You are everything I always hoped I could find in a woman, but never did, until I was smart enough to come all the way to America.”
I smile, snuggling close to him. “I used to dream about who I would marry when I grew up. I think most girls do. I dreamed he would be tall and handsome and a prince with his own castle.” I laugh. “Silly, I know, but little girls believe in princes and castles.”
“Not silly.”
“As we grow up though, we realize there’s no such thing as Prince Charming. He’s not coming to rescue you from the tower. So you give up hoping and you think about settling with someone that’s just sort of good enough.” I wrap my arms around his waist. “And then you came, Lathan, and you make me believe in all those fairy tales I grew up on. You make me believe that all those childhood dreams I had can come true. You make me see that Prince Charming does exist, and he’s here to rescue me from a life of settling. You don’t live in a castle, but a brownstone in the Back Bay is pretty damn close.”
Lathan laughs softly. “You deserve a prince, Delaney. A prince and castles and fairy tales. I’ll do my best to be your dream come true.”
“You already have, Lathan. You’re better than any man in a book, any fairy tale prince, any make believe fantasy. You’re real and… well… I’m just really happy.”
Lathan pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me. “I’m really happy too.”
As I prepare a bath for us, I look back at Delaney sitting on the edge of my bed. She looks as happy as I feel. I can’t believe it’s been sev
en weeks since our birthday celebration. Seven weeks of bliss. Every day our relationship seems to get stronger as I learn more about her. Soon, I plan to tell my mother about my plans to move forward with her. Delaney deserves a man who can live up to her dreams. That man is me.
“Ready, my darling?”
She pops off the bed, bouncing that luscious body as she saunters toward me. “I am.”
I pull her close, kissing her neck as she giggles. “For anything?”
“What do you mean?” She runs her fingers through my hair. “What are we talking about?”
“Are you ready for me and everything that being with me entails?”
“Don’t you know that already? I would walk through fire for you. I would wade through oceans, remember?”
I kiss her deeply before pressing my forehead on hers. “I do remember.” I feel like maybe I should tell her, but I just can’t yet. Not until I’ve spoken with my mother. I don’t want to set her up, just to tear her down. I smile. “Your bath, my princess.”
“Thank you, my prince.” I help her into the bath watching as she sinks down in it. “It’s perfect. You know how to make a mean bath.”
I chuckle, pulling my clothes off. “May I join you?”
“You bettah.”
“Ah, that accent I love.” I climb in behind her wrapping my arms around her.
“This bath is like our relationship,” she says, quietly.
“How so?”
“It’s hot, steamy, and romantic.”
“That’s a good analogy, but you missed one important part.”
She twists her face to look up at me. “What’s that?”
Unexpectedly Royal Page 16
