Page 55 of Truth or Spare

It was touching, knowing that Theo cared for Cassie like that, but it was also exciting to witness the Theo that Matteo had described. This time, Theo wouldn’t be out of his depth and hewould move mountains, if the animal shelter was any indication. The old building was already gone and all the animals had been comfortably relocated to heated, portable modular buildings. Dave was so excited, he wastellingeveryone who’d listen all about the construction happening at the new shelter. And from what Dewey had gleaned, it was all being run like a military operation and would be done in just a few weeks.

Apparently, Theo “went to university” at Oxford and had gone to school at Eton when he was a child. Dewey had only heard of those places in movies and books, buthis manhad attended the most prestigious schools in Europe with some of the most powerful people in the world. Why in the worldwouldTheo know or care about what a direct deposit was? He had an accountant to handle pesky, plebeian details like that, who managed his shares and options and helped him buy things like castles and animal shelters.

All of that was as bewildering and unfathomable as Theo working in a bowling alley, and Dewey would do his best to tune all of that out.Exceptfor Cassie. He wanted Theo to work every bit of his princely magic for Cassie and to make her dreams come true. It was the sort of thing Dewey had always wished he could do for her if he had the extra money and could still run a saw and hang drywall.

“Cassie’s getting her own place!” Dewey reached over the tray, grabbing Theo by the robe’s lapel for a tearful, laughing kiss. “After Bryce and then you, this is the best thing that couldeverhappen around here.”

Dewey couldn’t think of anything else they’d need, except maybe a decent man for Cassie. He thought about asking if Theo knew of any other single princes who might be interested, but suspected that none of them would be worthy. Instead, Dewey would usehisprince to make her dreams come true.

“I can’t wait to tell Bryce,” he said, then remembered that it was Sunday. Bryce and Cassie had adopted Chase until he returned to Syracuse and the boys were heading into Watertown for beer, pizza, and football at the Fairground Inn. “Tomorrow. Today, I’m fooling around with a prince and taking him and Walter on a scenic tour of Oslo.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Their scenic tour of Oslo had only lasted an hour, even with Dewey taking a winding detour through the woods. Unlike many of the towns in Austria and the rest of Europe, Oslo didn’t have a central square or a market. There was merely a Main Street with a city hall and a few small businesses. There werefivechurches, though, and two gas stations and two restaurants that specialized in American breakfasts, burgers, and the local version of pizza.

Theo wasn’t impressed by the town’s mid-century architecture. The churches weren’t very pretty and didn’t have fantastic clocks like the towns he’d grown up in. The mountains weren’t as large and there weren’t many castles, but all the trees and the brisk, overcast weather reminded Theo so much of home.Heseemed to make more sense there and felt more at ease in Oslo than he ever had in Manhattan.

He had returned to the Winnie to change and had once again side-stepped Matteo’s questions when Theo called to check in.

“Halt die Klappe, Theo! Das ist doch Unfug.” Matteo had declared. “What do you mean, you might not be returning? Bist du deppert?”

“I’ve made commitments and I have to think about what’s best for Walter.”

“That’s it. I’m calling Leo.”

Matteo hung up and Theo paced in the alley, waiting for Leo’s call and for Walter to conduct his affairs.

“Na! I. Am. Fine,” Theo stated slowly and clearly when he answered Leo’s call.

“I’m starting to worry too,” Leo said. “It’s not like you to be evasive and you should be itching to sneak into Cambridge to spy on Eli, right about now.”

Theo pushed out a hard sigh. “Das weiß ich… But he doesn’t want me there and he’d much rather check in with a text.”

“Are you sulking because they’re too busy for you? They’re not little boys anymore, Theolein.”

“Das weiß ich,” Theo shrugged. “Iwassulking about that,” he admitted. “That’s why I left Manhattan, but I’m over it now and I think I’ve figured out what to do with myself.”

Leo humphed thoughtfully. “In Oslo, New York?” he asked, informing Theo that he had been located and that Leo was keeping his secret. For the moment. He would inform Matteo and order him to investigate if he had even an inkling that Theo was in trouble. “I could have found something for you here.”

“Ja,das weiß ich,” Theo repeated and wrinkled his nose at Walter, waiting patiently by his droppings. “But you don’t need me either. I’m needed here and I like what I am becoming.”

There was a long pause before Leo sighed. “Very well. I’ll do my best to calm Matteo but he cannot believe you’d abandon him in Manhattan unless you were being held captive.”

“A month ago, he would have been right.”

“He doesn’t like it and he misses you.”

“Passt schon. He will be fine and I know you will be pleased. When I’m ready to explain.”

“And when will that be?” Leo asked, sounding slightly impatient.

Theo shushed as he pulled a used shopping bag from his pocket and went to tidy up after Walter. “Very soon. We are in the who’s-going-to-say-it-first phase but I am confident that we’ll be living together soon.”

“Oh! I see…” Theo heard Leo shift as if he had sat up suddenly. “After just a month? Are you certain?”

Theo’s brows pinched together. “You knew after a month at Schönbühel with Jonathon. Do not underestimate the magic of Oslo, New York,” he said, biting down on a giggle. The sandwiches were pretty fantastic and he had just guaranteed himself a lifetime supply of those fantastic sandwiches.

“You’re absolutely right,” Leo said and Theo caught a slight waver in his voice. “I wish you luck and I’m looking forward to meeting this Walter.”

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