Page 90 of Royally Benevolent

She couldn’t help but give me a playful jab. In truth, alone time interested me to no end. Whatever this morning was, I wanted even more this evening. It was soeasyspending time with Odette. And while she wasn’t afasthiker, she didn’t complain. Becca talked her ear off the entire time, but true to form, all Odette could say after that conversation was, “Your sister is very passionate.”

“I’m going to go relieve her. Poor thing is going to be hoarse, brother.”

“It was nice knowing you,” I joked and turned back to bowls of olive oil I’d prepped to go with dinner.

Odette walked up. “Can I help with anything?”

I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “No. Get a beer and relax. I feel bad letting him crowd you.”

“It’s okay. Christophe thinks I’m part of his body most of the time. Linny and Kari constantly want me to break up a fight. I cannot imagine what it will be like with four of them. I worry this one will be a girl, and we will all be so worn down.”

I snickered. “Oh, a little girl couldn’t be so bad.”

“I love them. I think they are adorable. They are also so trying, and they always argue. They are unconvinced you are ever right. I find Christophe clingy but otherwise easy.”

“Theo can be very challenging. He’s stubborn,” I said. “Like me. He doesn’t like to be told no.”

“I have heard it can be harder to raise only children.”

It hit me in the feels hard—harder than I expected. Odette meant nothing by her words, but it killed me. I pulled back, then reminded myself that if I closed myself off, I’d regret it. I had spooked her once. I couldn’t do it a second time like this.

“What is it?”

“You didn’t mean anything by it. It’s a me thing. It’s just that it wasn’t my intent to have an only child. It’s stupid, but that choice… it’s not a choice and?—”

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry, Wyatt,” Odette said. “I didn’t think about that.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I know you didn’t. It’s anirrational thing.”

“Parenting is an irrational exercise,” Odette giggled. “Madness. If they were not cute, us grownups would not put up with it.”

“You’re right. And I’m pretty sure having four kids is harder than one. Anyone who believes that is lying to themselves, Odie. It can be challenging in some ways since he can’t entertain himself by bothering his younger sibling, but other than that, it’s pretty nice. It’s not what I imagined, though.”

“How many did you want?”

“Isla wanted two. I wanted three,” I said. “We compromised on… two. She wasn’t sure she wanted any kids when we first met, but when we had Theo, she couldn’t have loved him more. It took a while for him to come. We had some challenges but ultimately had a beautiful, healthy baby. We wanted to wait until he was two to try again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You want kids, right?”

“I do.”

“I am amazed by people who, at twenty-three, arecertainthey want kids.”

“Yeah, I love them,” Odette laughed. “Alex says I am an old person at heart—an auntie for the ages. I’m doomed to be the bluestocking and doting aunt because I want kids.”

“You? God, that would be a waste.” I checked on the pasta. It was almost there.

“Wyatt, you already got complete access to me earlier. You don’t have to flatter me.”

“In those jeans, it would be a fucking crimenotto flatter you.”

Odette’s round ass did it for me—especially in jeans, as I’d discovered.

She gave my arm a playful slap. “Oh, stop it.”

“You’re not going to end up alone. Promise. At least not for now.”

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