Reluctantly Royal
Page 33
“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.”
“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.”
