Page 97 of Royal Reluctance

Duncan runs off and Spencer grins. “You know he’s got a crush on her, don’t you?” he asks Dad.

“I do. And if it keeps him away from playing matchmaker for me, I’m happy about it. Now.” He looks down the table at Tema, pretending to be serious but with a gleam in his eyes that should make Hettie very nervous. “What are we going to get up to tonight?”

Tema giggles, and the sound does something to my heart. “I think the question is, King Grandpa, is whataren’twe going to get up to tonight?”

King Grandpa, I mouth to Hettie, and she smiles.

“Are all kids that resilient?” I ask in the car as Etienne drives us into town. I refuse security when I’m at my place in Wabush, knowing my neighbours and friends would look after me just as much as ahired a security team, but Dad insists I have someone when I’m home.

Etienne is the head of the team and I like him better than the rest of them.

“I think so,” Hettie says. “At least Tema seems to be taking all of this in stride.”

“She’s a special kid,” Abigail agrees. “But yeah, she took to this princess life pretty well.”

“Who wouldn’t want to be a princess?” Spencer wonders and I lift my hand. “You’d make a horrible princess,” he scoffs. “You don’t have the legs for it.”

“What’s wrong with my legs?”

“Have you seen the size of them? And way too hairy?”

“Are you saying that princess material is judged by the size and hairlessness of one’s legs?” Abigail asks archly.

“I’m saying I remember Bo in a dress one Halloween, and it was truly scary,” he counters and Hettie laughs.

“I remember that. I think it was one of Mabel’s dresses.”

Being with the three of them like this does something to my heart as well. I’m content living alone in Wabush. I’ve told myself I didn’t need constant companionship, that I was better off by myself than dealing with personalities and opinions, but now that I’m with them, have spent the last two days with them, I can admit that I might be a bit lonely on my own.

That gets me wondering what it’s going to be like if I go back there on my own, knowing what it could be like with Hettie and Tema and not being able to have it all.

But until she tells me differently, I’m going to hope I might have a chance to have it all. Somehow.

And because of this, by the time we pull up in front of Hela’s, Fenella’s club, I’m almost excited about the evening’s events.

35

Hettie

“It’s so pink,” Igasp, staring around the bar.

“And starry,” Abigail adds.

Having a child so young means that I missed out on the club years and going to bars and dance clubs. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been to a nightclub in Victoria.

Not that I’m upset about that—having Tema is the best thing I’ve ever done.

But even if I went to all the clubs Victoria has to offer, I’d still be excited to be here tonight. Abigail found us dresses somewhere—probably with Spencer’s help—and I straightened my hair and put on makeup and a pair of shoes that is going to make my feet hurt tomorrow.

It’ll be worth it. I’m here with Bo and Abigail and Spencer and it feels like old times. The way Bo looks at me in this dress sends shivers through me and I can’t wait to finish our conversation from earlier.

It feels like tonight is the beginning of something. Maybe because I want it to be. But it feels like something is about to happen and I’m ready to go with it.

Plus, Fenella Carrington owns this place and she’s—well, she’s a lot of things. And she was standing with Silas when we walked in the door, so I got to meet her right away.

Abigail was tongue-tied because she spends more time on social media than I do. Not that I manage to say much.

Luckily, Fenella has to deal with a problem at the bar so we don’t look too silly trying not to fangirl over her.

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