Page 49 of The Problem with Princes
Finally, all the categories are selected. Twisting the paper on the table, I push it toward him and point at each thing I’ve circled starting at the top with the P. “You will live in a palace,” I give him my best surprised look. “Shocker, drive a Ferrari, be a king and live in Washington, DC.”
He points to the numbers at the bottom. “What about this?”
I laugh exaggeratedly. “You’ll have twelve children.”
“Oohh.” He grimaces. Then he points to my name and holds my gaze. “And how do you figure into my future?”
His grin tells me he’s already figured it out, but he is going to make me say it out loud. I shift my eyes away from him. “According to this you will marry me. But I’m not having twelve children, so I know it can’t be accurate.”
He leans to the side until he catches my gaze again. “Perhaps the kid part is wrong, although I’m not opposed to that number.” His voice lowers. “But everything else seems to be spot on.”He shifts and chuckles. “I don’t even have to wait for the future to drive a Ferrari. I already have one of those.”
I reach for the paper, but he beats me to it. “I believe this ismyfuture.” He folds it in half, then pulls out his wallet and slips the paper inside. That seems weird, right? Why would a grown man keep some lame elementary school game?
I push back my chair and it clatters to the floor. I need to move, to get on to our next adventure or even just return to my hotel. Something to help end how awkward I feel.
Sander steps forward, but Ty waves him back.
He comes around and picks up my chair off the floor. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m fine.” But I don’t feel fine. I feel all kinds of jittery, like I had just consumed twelve big Fizz Colas. I look at my watch, and my hand shakes slightly. “Wow. We’ve been gone a long time. You’re probably needing to get back.”
He hitches a shoulder up in a half shrug and throws the wrapper from his cone into the garbage.
He holds mine out to me, but I shake my head and he tosses it into the garbage too. I’m not hungry anymore.
He stares at me a moment before grabbing my hand and leading me toward the door.
I half expect to burst into flames or something with all the current that is flowing through me.
He helps me into the car and as he walks around to his own door, I clench my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. “Pull it together, Grace.”
What am I, some teenager on her first date? I have never felt this out of control of my own emotions before and it’s scaring me.
I swallow and take a deep breath. I have just over twenty-four hours and then I will be on a plane, back to my normal life. I just hope that after this, I can still be satisfied with normal.
ChapterSixteen
I wrapthe towel around me and tuck the corner under my arm. Grabbing my brush, I start at the top and brush out the snarls in my hair.
My phone starts playingI’ll be there for you,by the Rembrandts. I pick it up and press the answer button. “Hey, Tex. I thought we weren’t talking until I come home. What time is it there, anyway?”
“No.Yousaid we weren’t talking until you came home. I never agreed to your terms.”
I sit down on the edge of the tub. “Ah. I must have missed that part.” I tuck the towel between my knees. “How’s your trial going?”
She sighs. “Fine. But I didn’t call to talk about my trial. I want to know how the beach was yesterday.”
I lean over and place my elbows on my knees. “It was beautiful and completely private. It was only Ty and me and his security guys there.”
“Oohh. Sounds cozy.”
“Mm-hm.” I say as I slip on my flip-flops.
“So what did you do at the beach?”
I tell her about what had happened, only leaving out the part where we kissed and when he’d discovered the burns on my stomach. Tex will make a bigger deal of it than it really is.
“Then we went to this ice cream shop, and I got olive oil and fig ice cream.”
