Page 38 of Royal Reluctance

And he smiles like I’ve given him one. “I heard that too.” He picks up the bag he had set down when I launched myself at him. “I brought wine. I thought we’d have a reunion.”

“With pizza.” Both Spencer and I turn to Bo with the mountain of pizza boxes in his arms.

“I didn’t know what kind she likes,” he says sheepishly. He also has a bag of juice boxes and three bags of cookies.

“Well, we’re not going to go hungry.”

Bo meets my gaze, returning my smile and… something happens to my heart. It clenches, like someone has given it a squeeze with their fist—a very warm fist because a warmth spreads through my chest.

It’s strange and yet comforting. Because if I can feel it, then I know Bo can too. And that just relieves one of my fears.

The one that’s afraid he no longer wants me.

It might be easier if he didn’t, then I wouldn’t have to choose. But the way my heart feels after a simple smile suggests the choice might not be as difficult as I thought.

Which is just wrong; I have a good man waiting in British Columbia who wants to marry me and take care of my little girl. Timothy supported my decision to come back here without a worry what seeing Bo again would do to me.

He didn’t seem to worry at all.

Which seems wrong, because Bo isBo. My first love. Plus, he’s a prince; not onlyaprince but one of the sexiest in the world.

I still have a copy of the People’s magazine to prove it.

I may have Timothy waiting for me, but here, in Laandia, I have a really good man who I’m still married to. It’s all very complicated, made more so because Bo knows about Tema now, and I know he’ll want to do the right thing.

Is that why I told him? To make something happen? To force his hand? To shock Bo into acting?

I’m not entirely sure.

“I brought food, but I wanted to…”

My heart squeezes at the expression on his face. Bo likes easy and safe and no drama or conflict. We always got along so well because that’s what I wanted too.

It’s still what I want, but I know I can handle difficult and drama and when things don’t go my way.

Can Bo?

“I saw your sister.” He puts the boxes on the table, filling the room with the aroma of melted cheese and pizza sauce.

“You went to The King’s Hat.” It’s not a question. Neither is: “To see your brothers.”

Bo shrugs. “Odin is in town.”

“Did you tell them…?” I trail off. About Tema. About me.

Bo nods and I bite my lip. “What did they say?”

But before he can answer, the door bursts open. “I smell pizza,” Tema cries.

14

Bo

We eat pizza andopen one of the bottles of wine Spencer brought.

It was his idea to avoid a serious conversation with Hettie tonight. “She’ll be exhausted,” he said as he drove me back to the castle. “She flew across Laandia twice today, and that’s before she was kidnapped and taken to the castle.”

“I didn’t kidnap her,” I muttered as the car pulled up to the door of the castle.

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