Page 69 of A Royal Arrangement
After grabbing a sandwich from the kitchen, Colin took slow steps as he walked toward Isabella’s gravesite. The pain and memories that still bombarded him out of nowhere kept him from visiting it often.
Grief wasn’t something that was linear. It came in waves. Some days it was a small, lapping wave he almost couldn’t even feel. Other days it was a roaring tsunami that crashed into him with enough force to pull him under. Healing wasn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of process.
His heart raced as he neared her grave. When he rounded the corner, he found a red-and-white-checkered picnic blanket set up in front of it. A bouquet of vibrantly colored wildflowers had been placed in front of the tombstone, and placed carefully along the bottom were beautiful seashells. He instantly knew Rosalie had been the one who placed them there. Knowing how much seashells had meant to her, especially after her own loss, the gesture brought tears to his eyes. He truly didn’t deserve her.
Colin settled himself onto the blanket and took a few minutes to soak everything in. He needed to process through all the things he wanted to tell Isabella. Finally, he started talking. He thought it might feel weird at first, but once he had said a few words, it was like the floodgates had opened, and he poured everything out.
Colin told Isabella what he would’ve said if he had the chance to tell her goodbye. He told her everything that had happened over the last five years—things he wished she could have been there for. And then he told her every little detail he could think of about Addie.
“You should see her, Isa.” Colin looked up at the cloudy sky with a light chuckle. “She’s so different from both of us. Addie has more spirit and spunk in her pinky finger than both of us put together.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “It’s hard watching her grow up without you. I miss you more than words can express, but I know you’re here with us in your own way. And I think you would love Rosalie and the ways she cares for both Addie and me.”
He paused, his brain roaming over every memory with Rosalie thus far. And in that moment, he knew his relationship with Rosalie was right. That she was always meant to be in his life. That she was exactly who heneededin his life.
Colin got up and put his hand on Isabella’s headstone. Leaning in close, he whispered, “I’ll always love you, but I think it’s time I open my heart up to loving someone again. Goodbye, Isa. I won’t take so long to come back and talk again.”
He stood and walked back to the palace, not stopping until he arrived on the balcony where Rosalie was waiting for him.
When hereached her, she jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around his middle.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, her face pressed against his chest.
“Honestly, like a new person. I feel…lighter.”
She pulled back, smiling softly at him. “That’s great, Colin. You should go back and visit her whenever you want to. I want to honor Isabella’s memory. I want Addie to know about her mother.” She reached up and took his face in her hands. “I want you to know you can always talk to me about her. I don’t want you to have any reservations about that.I understand that you were with her and that you love her. I want you to always feel like you have the space to remember and acknowledge her.”
He found himself yet again surprised by the amount of kindness she extended to those around her. But Colin supposed he shouldn’t be shocked by that anymore. It was truly who she was. Rosalie was kindness and grace and sunshine all wrapped up in one woman.
When he couldn’t figure out what words to say that would be as meaningful as hers, Colin enveloped her in another hug. All the tension in his shoulders dissolved like sugar in a hot cup of tea. He breathed deeply and released it in a long breath. “Thank you,” he finally whispered into her hair.
He stepped back and glanced at his watch, gasping when he saw what time it was. “I’m late,” he said. “I’m so sorry. I have the meeting with my Royal Board. I’ve gotta go.” He paused, looking at her, not wanting to interrupt the moment they just had.
“It’s fine.” She waved him off. “Go to your meeting, otherwise Wes will never let you hear the end of it.” She winked at him, and one side of his mouth twitched.
“I’ll find you later,” he called over his shoulder before jogging through the palace and down the stairs to the second floor. Colin paused for a moment to catch his breath before opening the door where he was meeting with his Royal Board.
All heads turned toward the door as he came in. He quickly walked to the front of the room, taking his seat at the head of the table.
Wes sat in the seat next to him, wearing a Cheshire grin. “Remember how I told you one day I would make you eat your words? Today is that day.”
“What are you talking about?” Colin groaned.
His friend pulled out his phone and opened the notes app. “You told me, ‘You know I’m never late for a meeting.’ And I said, ‘One day, I will make you eat those words, Colin.’” Wes put his phone back on the table. “Now, today is the day I’m making you eat them. You were late for a meeting because you were spending time with yourwife, weren’t you?”
“We can discuss this later,” Colin responded through gritted teeth.
“Oh, we definitely will.” Wes chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “This is gonna be good.”
Colin ignored him and cleared his throat to get the attention of the board members. “The first thing on our agenda today is the water sanitization project in the town of Emberley.”
No matter how much policy and politics Colin talked about, the image of Rosalie remained in the back of his mind during the entire meeting. People didn’t smile whentalking about water sanitization projects or trade agreements with other countries. But with the picture of her in his mind, he had to work to keep a smile off his face the whole time.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rosalie
Rosalie startled awake, her heart pounding. A loud groan followed by a manly scream sounded close by. She threw off her covers and jumped out of bed, rushing to the adjoining door between her and Colin’s rooms. Without hesitating, she grabbed the knob and opened the door, hurrying into her husband’s room.
She spotted his bed along the wall across from her as soon as his body started thrashing, another groan escaping his mouth. Rosalie rushed over to him, climbing onto his bed and gently shaking his shoulders.
