Page 29 of Matched with the Grumpy Secret Prince

Home. There she goes again, reminding me how Bardstown gave me something I didn’t know I needed.

I look at Mia and Dotty, their faces full of hope, and I realize I can’t say no.

“Fine,” I say, the word heavy on my tongue. “I’ll do it.”

Mia’s face lights up, and she claps her hands together in delight. “Thank you, Graham. You have no idea how much this means.”

Dotty nods, a relieved smile spreading across her face. “You’re a good man, Graham. Sophie! Over here!” she calls, and I look at Sophie walking toward us with a bright smile. She’s dressedsimply today in casual gray pants and a black shirt, her hair tied in a bun.

“You and Graham would be partners for the boat-rowing game,” Dotty says when Sophie finally reaches us.

“When did I agree to play a game of boat rowing?” Sophie asks, and Mia lets out a loud, strained laugh.

“Don’t be silly, little sis. Where’s your team spirit? Go sign up over there at that table with Graham. The games should start any second now.” Mia pushes Sophie toward the tables in front of us, and I follow suit.

“How did she get you to agree to this?” Sophie asks as we walk.

The way she talks makes me feel like she’s forgotten all about our last encounter and how I left things. I expected her to be mad at me, but here she is, smiling as we walk.

“Your sister has a way of always getting what she wants.” We finally reach the table and register.

Sophie chuckles. “She does have a way, but you know you can always tell her no, right?”

I’m about to respond to her when the announcer starts speaking.

“The game starts in five minutes, but you two need to join the other teams over there so the rules can be better explained to you,” the teenage attendant says. Sophie and I nod, grab our tags, and move along.

“I’m sorry about yesterday—the way I just took off. I want you to know you did nothing wrong,” I say as she chuckles.

“I know. I will admit, I kind of felt like I said something wrong initially, but as soon as I got home, it just felt like maybe you weren’t in the mood,” she says with a smile.

“Have you always been so understanding?” I ask her as she laughs. The wind pushes a bit of her hair outside the bun on her face, and I resist the urge to reach for the strands, tucking them gently behind her ears.

“Patience is one thing I’ve learned in my line of work. Come on, let’s go play, and we arenotlosing,” she says, and I smile at her.

“Definitely not,” I respond.

“You did great out there. Coming in second isn’t so bad,” Sophie says as she walks beside me, handing me a cup of juice.

“I think we make a pretty decent team. Thank you,” I say, grabbing the cup from her. “I doubt anyone’s going to remember my name tomorrow. You’re the one who kept things running.”

She shrugs, taking a sip of her drink. “It’s not about being remembered. It’s about showing up. Even though Mia and Dotty sprung this up on you from nowhere, you still chose to show up. That’s commendable.”

“I also had fun, so I’m glad I did it.”

My words hang between us, and I find myself glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s still smiling, but a hint of something deeper in her expression makes me wonder what’s happening beneath the surface.

“So,” I say after a moment, “why’d you really come back to Bardstown?”

She blinks, caught off guard by the question.

I shrug, keeping my tone casual. “You’ve got a life in Manhattan—a big one, from what I hear. Why leave that behind to come back here?”

She tilts her head, considering the question. “I wouldn’t say I left it behind. I just… needed a change. Something different.”

“Something different?” I echo, raising an eyebrow.

She laughs softly, the sound light but tinged with something bittersweet. “Manhattan is great. I’ve built a career there that I’m proud of. But it’s… relentless. Loud. Fast. After a while, it starts to feel like you’re running to keep from falling behind. And no matter how much you accomplish, this voice in your head always tells you it’s not enough.”

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