Page 105 of Royal Rising

“I would have listened,” I repeat with a laugh.

“I seem to recall trying to convince you that you deserve a good man.”

“A man like Mathias?”

“No, I said a good man. You deserve any man you want.” He looks at me steadily. “Even if he’s a member of Magnus’s family.”

“I know I do,” I say automatically, unsure what he’s getting at. And feeling strange talking aboutwhat ifswhen there’s a really good chance thewhat ifis reality.

“I don’t know that you do.” He gazes at the sky for a moment like he’s collecting his thoughts. “We’ve got a fine spot here, me and your mother. It’s no castle, but it’s ours and it’s home. And I think I might have tried to convince you that it wasn’t enough if you were planning on moving on into the castle.”

“You never did. And I never planned on moving into the castle.”

“See, that’s the problem. You should have been planning on that from the get-go. Because you, Edie, you are castle material. You were made to live there and rule there, and if you ask me, it’s time Prince Kalle pulls his head out of his—”

“I’m really glad you feel that way,” I say quickly, because I see the truck in the distance, coming up the road with plumes of dust in its wake.

There are a lot of black pickup trucks in Battle Harbour but only one who would drive like that up the road to my family’s home.

Dad gives me a quizzical look. “Care to share anything with your old man?”

“Not… right… yet,” I tell him slowly. As much as I want to see Kalle, it’s thewhyhe’s here that is causing me concern.

Dad and I watch the truck pull up at the house and Kalle hops out. I see Dillon’s bald head in the front seat, and after a quick conversation, he stays in the car.

My stomach flips and flops as Kalle strides up, as confident as he used to saunter up to the plate with a baseball bat on his shoulder, ready to hit a base-clearing double. I bite my lip to stop the smile from taking over my face.

I can’t believe how much I’ve missed him.

I see him every day, all day. And when I don’t see him, we talk or text.

Which is what we’ve been doing the last two days, but now that he’s here in front of me, I realize how much I’ve missed the little things. The teasing. The pulling of my ponytail. Standing close enough to me so that I can breathe in his Kalle scent.

I like the Kalle scent.

I like just about everything about Kalle.

I even like that I’m in love with him.

And then Kalle walks right up to me standing among the peas and the pumpkin vines; he strokes long fingers and a big palm onto my cheek and leans down and kisses me right in front of my father.

And not just a little peck. His mouth on mine, the warm sun beating down, and the sound of birds… his lips moving in a way that makes me almost forget my father is standing there.

Almost.

Dad clears his throat just to make sure we’re still aware. “Did I miss something?” he asks.

38

Kalle

I’ve always liked BobEngland. But having him standing there after I laid one on his daughter turns me into that twelve-year-old kid who rode his bike across a wet lawn, making skids and ruts in the grass that took the rest of the spring to fix.

“Sorry about that,” I stammer after I pull back from Edie. It’s only the second time I’ve kissed her—I consider the other night one big kiss—and I end the impromptu make-out session by giving myself a thorough kick for not getting to it sooner.

“For kissing my girl?” Bob asks. “It’s not something I usually enjoy seeing, but if you explain this new development for me, I might make an exception.”

I realize I’m holding Edie’s hand when she gives it a squeeze. Her brown eyes are shiny, like stirring butter into melted milk chocolate.

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