Page 17 of A Happy Endings Wedding
She elbowed Josh. He ignored her.
Gabriel stared at Josh, his expression even harder, jaw clenched tight.
Josh stared back, giving nothing more.
“Who would like a brandy?” Phillip asked in a cheerful voice.
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Hailey whispered, becoming concerned at the staredown. “Um, Josh?”
He reluctantly turned from Gabriel. “I’m good, thanks.”
Gabriel let out a sound of disgust and joined Phillip, helping himself to more brandy.
She whispered furiously to Josh, “You have to call him your highness. You have to show respect.”
“He’s just a man,” Josh said.
“He is not just a man. He’s soon to be king.”
“A king is still a man who puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else.”
“Show some respect!” she hissed under her breath.
“I did.”
She left Josh’s side to try to smooth things over with Gabriel. The last thing she needed was to be kicked out of the royal palace two days before their wedding. She came up behind Gabriel and Phillip. The pair were having a fierce low conversation.
“Hello,” she said, alerting them to her presence.
They stopped talking and turned to her.
She smiled at Gabriel. “Your Majesty, I just wanted to thank you for having us in your lovely home. It’s quite an honor and one we don’t take lightly. It’s a dream come true for a bride, and I do hope that our wedding can assist Villroy with the destination-wedding business.”
Gabriel’s lip curled. “Our business is fishing.”
Phillip spoke under his breath to his brother. “We agreed to give this a try. Don’t be rude.”
“Do not speak to me of rude,” Gabriel snapped. “Swear to God, if it were up to me, that daft wedding planner and her furry lot would be dumped at sea.”
“He doesn’t mean you,” Phillip quickly assured her.
Hailey lifted a hand and nodded.
Phillip scowled and turned to Gabriel. “There are major wedding magazines here. We will proceed as best we can.”
“If it helps, I plan on supervising Bonnie tomorrow,” Hailey offered. “I know you don’t know me very well, Gabriel, Your Royal Highness, but I’ve run a very successful wedding planning business for six years now.”
Josh’s arm dropped over her shoulders. “She is the best. You won’t find anyone better.”
“We should’ve hired her,” Gabriel told Phillip.
“No, you can’t hire her,” Josh said sharply. “We both own businesses back home. Her place is with me.”
Gabriel merely raised a brow. Josh bristled at her side.
Phillip jumped in. “Bonnie reminded me of you, Hailey, with your similar coloring, and she was very enthusiastic at the interview. Now I’m afraid she’s under pressure and may be cracking a bit.”
Gabriel snorted and sipped his brandy.
