Page 56 of Forgettable in Every Way

“Have you remembered the prince yet?” Jack whispered conspiratorially.

“Not yet,” Jules said gravely.

“You have to hurry,” Jack pleaded.

“I’ll try harder,” she promised before standing and whispering to Simon. “You have to tell me who this Daft Prince is.”

Simon spoke low in her ear, knowing he needed a little more time. “I could never curse you, love.”

“Please,” she begged.

Simon peered into her worried eyes, loving how she wished to make his son happy. While getting lost in her gaze, he realized Jules was happiness. He lifted her chin with a touch of his finger and spoke against her lips, “All in good time. I promise.” He brushed her lips with his own, barely taking a taste of the sweetness of her kiss.

It was Jules who stood on her tiptoes and pressed harder, her tongue barely and imperceptibly skimming his lips.

It took everything he had in him not to deepen the kiss and run his hand down her body. Instead, he gripped her arms. “You are tempting, Jules. Very tempting.”

She smiled, then blushed, and quickly picked Jack up, even though he was getting too big to hold. It was her way of restraining herself in public. “Are you ready for ice cream?” she asked Jack.

Simon found her flustered state absolutely charming.

“Yes!” Jack was as enthusiastic as ever. He tilted his head. “Do you like kissing my dad?”

Jules giggled. “Very much. Is that all right with you?”

Jack nodded with a cheesy grin.

“Do you think the Daft Prince will get jealous?” Jules asked.

Jack gave Simon a sneaky look and shook his head.

Jules noted the sneaky look, a question forming in her eyes. “Hmm. Perhaps the prince doesn’t care if I remember him.”

“He does,” Jack assured her. “It’s the most important thing ever to him.”

“I believe you,” Jules played along.

Simon was grateful it was their turn to order. He wasn’t sure he could keep hiding his identity for much longer, and they needed the distraction. He was hoping to add to the story before he told Jules about the photo album.

“Do you want to share?” Jules asked before she ordered.

“I want my own, please,” Jack let his thoughts be known on the subject.

“Two, then?” Jules smiled.

Simon nodded, thinking of how he was finding he wanted to share everything with Jules.

Jules set Jack down and turned to one of the harried workers, a blonde with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, wearing a white polo with a strawberry logo on it. She looked close to Jules’s age. The woman took a moment to study Jules. “I think we were on the golf team together.”

Jules looked closer at her. “I think so too. Maisy, right?”

The woman smiled and nodded. “And you’re, uh ...”

Simon watched the light go out of Jules’s eyes for just a moment before she stood tall, and it was like something in her clicked before she claimed herself. “I’m Jules,” she said proudly.

Simon felt a great rush of relief that the woman not remembering Jules’s name didn’t crush her. However, he felt even more guilty for the pain he’d caused her when he hadn’t remembered her name.

“She’s a princess. Princess Jewel,” Jack informed Maisy.

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