Page 105 of Royal Reluctance

I chuckle. “I think it’s sad even if he wasn’t the king. I never met him. He died before I was born.”

“And Grandpa King became king. And when he dies—” Big green eyes stare solemnly at me. “I don’t want to think about him dying.”

“Nobody does.”

“But you won’t be king?”

I squeeze her tightly. “Not if I can help it.”

“You’d be a good king. You like Taylor Swift and books and polar bears… and bubble fights!” Tema gives a surprisingly deep cackle of laughter that makes me smile. “I think I want you to be king.”

“It’s not really how it works, but thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Her arm snakes around my neck and I hoist her higher on my hip.

It feels right holding her, almost as right as if feels withHettie in my arms.

Like she knows I’m thinking about her, my truck rounds a corner coming up the hill. I point it out to Tema, who waves and calls out like Hettie could hear us.

I really hope she doesn’t see us or I might have some explaining to her why I took our daughter up to the battlements to let her look over the edge.

“Do you love Mommy a lot?” Tema asks as the truck disappears from view.

I’m not expecting that question, but then again, I don’t expect half the things that come out of Tema’s mouth. Like my daughter, I believe in honesty. “I do,” I tell her.

Her smile widens. “Does that mean we’re going to be a family?”

“I don’t know what that means yet. Would you like that? To be a family?”

“With Abigail, and Mrs. Theissen to look after me?”

I laugh. “Abigail isn’t going anywhere. Same with Mrs. Theissen. But I guess that means we’d have to stick around here.”

“And live in the castle with King Grandpa? I’d like that.”

“I think he would too.”

“Would you?”

I stare off into the distance as the truck, with Hettie at the wheel reappears. “I think I might like that too.” After more vigorous waving, I set Tema down, and she immediately grasped my hand. “So. Want to help me show Mommy how much I love her?”

“Yes! Can we do it with balloons?”

I laugh out loud. “I had something else in mind.”

“It might be almost as good as balloons.” We start back to the door, the wind trying to push us back to the edge.

“Tema?” I ask when we’ve almost made it.

“Yes, Prince Daddy.”

It feels like my heart is about to explode in my chest. “I love you too, you know,” I say.

“Oh, I know,” Tema retorts with another cackle. “Love you, too, Prince Daddy.”

We eat dinner later with Dad and Odin. Kalle and Edie are both at the pub, and Gunnar has plans with Stella. Spencer and Duncan are there, and Spencer keeps giving me sideways glances because he knows my plan.

I’m not worried about Hettie picking up on the looks I’m getting from Spencer because Tema is going to give it all away anyway by the way she’s bouncing on her chair.

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