Page 28 of Single Dad Christmas

“Fine about both,” she said. “They were always quick to make sure that dating Ares was what I wanted. I know a lot of parents might aspire to that kind of thing for their kids, but mine didn’t. We’re—,” her cheeks flushed pink.

“Go on,” he said, loving that she was embarrassed, but also hating it at the same time, because he didn’t want her to censor herself at all.

“Well, we’re from this old, aristocratic family. Very well known in Moricosia. So, while Ares is the King, it’s not like…”

“It’s not like you’re a nobody.”

“Right. It wasn’t some Cinderella story,” she said. “They have money, connections, a small palace on the water,” she added for good measure.

He laughed. “Right, I get the picture.”

“So, with Ares, they really just wanted to know I was happy. And I think they probably realized, sooner than I did, that I wasn’t.”

He reached out and cupped her hand. “I hate the thought of that.”

“It wasn’t Ares,” she added, and her quickness to defend the other man stoked something inside of Noah. Even though she’d told him it hadn’t been a wild love story, even though King Ares was now engaged to someone else. She’d been with him for years, and clearly still thought very highly of him.

Noah was jealous.

It hit him like a blade, right in the middle of his chest. For perhaps the first time in his life, he actually envied someone. Another man. For Ares had held a special place in Louisa’s life and continued to do so.

Noah swallowed, trying to erase the useless emotion.

“He really is a great guy. But there was so much formality in everything we did and the constant sense of being groomed for a future role I wasn’t even sure I wanted. It started as a relationship and turned into a burden that just got heavier and heavier by the day.”

He leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers.

“The running away part was their idea. They knew the media wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace if I stayed, and Stuart Conroy is one of Dad’s oldest friends. He pulled some strings, and the next minute, I was on a flight over here.”

“All’s well that ends well?”

“We’ll see. I expect the press release to be made anytime.”

“He’ll give you a heads up, right?”

“Oh, absolutely. I’ll have to make a statement,” she said, frowning. “Though I imagine someone from the royal protocol team will draft it for me.”

“Why not draft it yourself?”

“Because they’ll know exactly what to say.”

It was some small insight into how life had been for Louisa in the palace, and why she’d run from it. The Louisa he’d come to know would never let someone else speak for her.

“It’s hard to explain,” she said, as if reading his mind. “The royal family is kind of a whole separate beast. Everything they do is an exercise in PR.”

“But Ares is about to announce his engagement to a woman he just met, a woman who’s not from Moricosia, who’s not aristocratic, and only a few months after you left the country. How is that good PR?”

“Because there’s a whole big love story behind it,” she said, with a wave of her hand, as though it made sense. “And there’s nothing people love more than a happy ending, especially for Ares, after what he went through.”

Noah shrugged. “I think people would want that for you too.”

“Yep, but first they’ll want to see me cry, believe me.”

“I do believe you,” he said, having his own experience with tabloids. “I just wish you were wrong.”

“You’re sure this is okay?”

“Taylor’s at a friend’s house,” he said, driving his car into a below ground parking garage. “Today was the last day of the term, so they’re celebrating.”

---