Page 23 of The Wanted Prince

Pedro narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m sensing some judgment.”

“It’s not that,” said Laura, coming to my rescue. “He thought you’d be angry because of your past.”

“My past?” Pedro looked puzzled.

“Our past,” I said. “The Duke of Salcí.”

He chuckled. “Oh, old Fossilface. You think I’m mad about that? Is that what you’re doing here, making amends?”

“You make it sound like I’m in some kind of twelve-step.” I winced. In a sense, I was. I had at least twelve names on my list. “I let you down,” I said. “I do, I feel bad. And I thought, when I saw this place, I didn’t think it screamed ’you.’ But you really are happy?”

Pedro sighed and stood up. “I wasn’t at first. Especially when I heard you were off on some yacht, partying in Monaco while my life fell apart.”

I wanted to disappear. I’d forgotten that part. I had been off yachting, on a week’s pleasure cruise. I’d accepted the invite at some champagne-soaked bash, and gone off that same night without a thought. I’d come back to a whole raft of voicemails from Pedro, hopeful at first, then panicked. Despairing. The worst of it was, I’d been confused through the first few. Trying to remember what they were even about. Then it had hit me, my promise. The duke.

“I dropped the ball hard,” I said.

“Yeah, you did.” Pedro grimaced. “But so did I. I’d bitten off way more than I could chew, and I was starting to realize it wasn’t my passion. I think my investors sensed that as well. Even if you hadn’t screwed up with the duke, I doubt he’d have wanted to get involved.”

I frowned. “He might have.”

“I’m glad he didn’t.” Pedro turned his back on me to look out on his land. “I sold my house at a loss, but it still bought me this. Sixty acres of farmland and forest and trails. I ride every morning. Tend my livestock and bees. I do hot yoga and goat yoga and seniors’ yoga. This is the dream for me. I wouldn’t go back.”

“It’s beautiful,” said Laura. “I went to a yoga retreat once in the Hamptons, but it was nowhere near as peaceful as this. I swear, half the class was on their phones the whole time.”

Pedro laughed. “You couldn’t do that out here. Even if you had a signal, we check phones at the door.”

I couldn’t take it any longer. I had to ask. “So you didn’t steal the royal amulet and try to frame me?”

Pedro’s jaw dropped. Laura’s eyes widened. They both turned to stare at me like I had two heads.

“I’m sorry,” said Pedro. “Did you just say… What?” He shook his head, laughed, then shook it again. “Someone stole the royal amulet?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I don’t even have a phone, besides the landline. And in case you hadn’t noticed, this isn’t Santaviedo. You seriously came here to ask if I, what? Snuck into the palace and stole some old necklace?” He doubled over laughing, slapping his knee. “I’m sorry, but that’s the weirdest thing I’ve heard all year. And I do goat yoga, so yeah. It gets weird.”

I stood there red-faced, feeling like the worst heel. Of course he hadn’t done it. And now I’d gone and tipped my whole selfish hand, how I hadn’t come to check on him but to point the finger. “Sorry” didn’t quite cover it. I couldn’t think what would.

“Come inside,” said Pedro. “We’ll have lemonade. I’m worried you’ve got sunstroke, with how red you’re going.”

I followed him, shamefaced, into the farmhouse. It wasn’t as tumbledown as I’d thought at first glance, and the kitchen had been redone with modern fittings. We sat at a big polished agate table and drank lavender lemonade from hand-blown glasses. All the little picky details did rather scream Pedro, and I had no doubt he’d smack me if I put my feet on the table.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” Pedro said, when the lemonade was finished and it was time to go. I got the sense he didn’t just mean the thief. “You should come back someday and try out a class. Might help you let go of some of that stress.”

I realized my hands were half-clenched into fists, my shoulders bunched up. I shook myself out. “It’s been a long few days. I’m sorry I accused you.”

“You didn’t,” said Pedro. “You asked, and I told you. And, hey, I’m glad you thought it was me. It’s good to see you again, whatever the reason.”

“You too.” I really meant it. I gripped his hand, then let go and hugged him instead. “I’m glad it worked out for you. This place is… It’s you.”

Pedro stepped back, still grinning. He tipped me a wink. “I meant that, about you coming out for a class.”

“We will,” said Laura. “I’ll hold him to it.”

Then we were back on the road, Laura driving. I kept stealing glances at her as the miles flew by, trying to read in her eyes what she was thinking. I couldn’t tell much from her faint, thoughtful smile. What I was thinking was, I’d got lucky this time. Pedro had somehow landed in clover — literal clover, all over his lawn. But I’d wronged a lot of people, and they couldn’t all be so lucky. Soon, maybe very soon, we’d meet someone still angry. Someone I’d really hurt, who hadn’t recovered. And Laura would know me for who I once was, careless, irresponsible. An idiot kid.

“One down,” she said.

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