Page 1 of The Prodigal Prince

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Of all the things Mac thought - or knew - he’d do with his life, stalking wasn’t one of them.

Yet he sat in a lounge chair at a San Majorian resort watching a beautiful blonde, a child, and a nanny.

“Are you going to talk to her?” Over the years, Silas had become more than an employee of Mac’s sister. Somewhere along the line, he’d become Mac’s friend and confidant then more like a brother.

Mac just glared.

“It’s been years already. You should have talked to her a long time ago.”

With a shake of his head, Mac reached for his colorful drink. “You know why I haven’t.”

Silas didn’t say anything. His thoughts on the matter had been expressed more times than Mac could count. Silas had even threatened to take matters into his own hands, but ultimately never had.

Six years.

Six years since he’d been home.

Six years since he’d talked to his sister.

Six years since his mother’s passing.

Six years since his life turned upside down in ways no one, except maybe his mother, could imagine.

Five years since he’d turned into a stalker.

Kind of.

Mac preferred to think of it as being a guardian angel for someone who didn’t know they needed one.

Nothing had happened to prove him correct.

Yet.

But the churning in his gut - and in Silas’s - never truly went away.

And so he continued to keep his distance, but also keep a watchful eye.

It hadn’t always been easy, but he’d managed to remain undetected, to the best of his knowledge anyway.

He still didn’t know how he’d managed it, but he thanked God he had. There were reasons, good ones, that thankfully hadn’t panned out into anything dangerous.

“You need to talk to her, Mac. It’s not healthy for any of you.”

The thought had taken root in Mac’s mind many years earlier.

With a groan, Mac managed to get out of the lounge chair without falling like he had the day before.

“I’ll be back later.” He pulled a t-shirt on, one that didn’t match his board shorts at all, but he didn’t care. His stylist would be scandalized, but he hadn’t seen her in six years either.

A glance toward the mother showed him what he’d always known. She was an amazing mother. She had a happy, well-adjusted child.

The glance was all he allowed himself before walking away.

It didn’t take long to get back to the luxury suite he shared with Silas.

He slipped off his shoes then flopped onto the bed in his room. Mac groaned as he looked up the ceiling. How had his life turned into such a mess?

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