Page 58 of Royal Catch
“I don’t mind,” Polly says. “I need some time away from home. Now I have twelve months of mandatory time away. I’ve told my parents I’m getting my MBA. They’re all for education.” She turns to me. “Sorry we lost the apartment building.”
I wave that away. “Don’t even worry about it! It was the thought that counted. You wanted to give me a generous gift, and that means so much. I’m just sorry you lost the money you paid for it.” The judge ruled that the deed to the building return to its original owner, and then Polly’s payment was forfeited to the government.
“I’m fine,” she says. “Now that I’m in touch with my family again, all is well. Okay, maybe I told a tiny white lie about getting my MBA, which, come to think of it, I should’ve went with in the first place instead of this elaborate undercover story.”
“Your story was much more interesting,” I assure her. “Exciting, right?”
She laughs. “It was! I had great fun right up until the arrest.”
We both laugh. Gabriel smiles and shakes his head.
“You should get an MBA,” I tell her. “You’re here anyway. I think you can get one online even.”
“Maybe I will,” she says brightly. “It can only help with the tourism industry back home.”
I give her a fist bump.
“I’ll miss you, Anna,” she says. “I’m coming to visit you in Villroy just as soon as my probation is up.”
“Absolutely! And you have Mike here to visit with.” She’s visited my foster dad regularly, checking in on him. She said he was a great comfort to her during the stressful time while I was gone.
“Actually, Mike offered to let me stay with him if I was granted probation,” she says. “I’m not sure if I should take him up on the offer. I mean, I want to, he’s been so kind, but I know he’s not feeling well, and I don’t want to impose.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “That’s wonderful. You should definitely take him up on that offer. He’s used to having a houseful of people. He fostered a lot of kids for so many years. And I would feel so much better knowing he has you for company now that I’m moving to Villroy.”
Gabriel and I spent the past two weeks here in Tampa, wrapping up loose ends at work and at my apartment, but mostly visiting Mike. He’s in stable condition and is really happy about my engagement. He approves of Gabriel, which means the world to me because I know Mike always has my best interests at heart. Gabriel offered to let him live at the palace with us, but he prefers to stay in his familiar home. So Gabriel did the next best thing and made arrangements for Mike’s nurse to move in for full-time care. Between that and Polly living with him, I can rest easy. I’ll still visit, of course, and call and text and email. He’s my dad.
“Okay, then it’s settled.” Polly elbows me. “Mike says I remind him of an overly polite version of you.”
“Ha! You’ve got a ways to go to get to my level of…” I turn to Gabriel. “What is it you call me?”
“Brash.”
“Yes, brash. That’s his overly polite way of saying rude.”
Gabriel gives my hand a squeeze. “Not rude. Bold and impertinent, but never rude. You treat people with respect.”
“She does,” Polly says. “I’m so glad we found each other, even if for just a few months. And I’m so glad you two found each other! Anna, can you imagine if I were the one who went to Villroy to compete for Gabriel’s hand?”
“Thank God you weren’t allowed to leave the state!” I exclaim. “You might’ve stolen my future husband!”
Gabriel shakes his head. “You’re not that similar. There’s just a family resemblance.”
Polly takes out her hair clip and shakes out her curly hair. We go cheek to cheek, smiling at Gabriel. “See?” she says.
“Twins,” I say.
“I’m seeing double,” he says, leaning in toward Polly. “Give me a kiss, darling, so I know it’s you.”
“Gabriel!”
He grins and swerves at the last moment to kiss the right woman. Me.
~ ~ ~
Two weeks later at the royal ball…
Gabriel
