Page 69 of Charmed By Destiny

“And you’ve just given him carte blanche to do what he wants,” Clark said.

“Look who’s talking, Dad. Who bought him the car?” Richard asked.

“We aren’t going to fight at dinner,” Rosalind stated with her eyes narrowed.

“He likes the car, Richard,” Clark defended. “Did you see his smile when we picked it up?”

“He smiles a lot. Luke likes to smile. He’s a cheerful person.”

“Gentlemen,” Rosalind said. The word was a warning, and Luke couldn’t help the way his body tightened in response. Rosalind meant business. Both Clark and Richard stared at one another as if they wanted to continue their silly argument, but they shut up.

Desperate for a subject change, Luke swung his glance to Eric. “I didn’t get a chance to ask Gabe, did your ghost take the portal this morning?”

Eric nodded with visible relief on his face. “Yes, thankfully. The ones who can’t speak can get frustrating quickly since I can’t tell if they understand me. It’s always a relief to help them.”

“I hope your next one is an easier project.”

“Thanks,” Eric said. “Did you have a good day being bossed around by Richard?”

“Yes, which reminds me, I noticed you had a private conference this afternoon,” Luke responded, returning his attention to his soulmate, who was no longer glaring at his father.

The wicked amusement Luke had noticed on the car ride home returned briefly, then Richard’s brow creased. “Yes, I had quite the chat with Douglas.”

“Were you able to patch things up with him at all?” Clark asked.

Richard shook his head. “I don’t think so. He remains convinced I’m a stubborn fool. Although he doesn’t want to be my friend outside of the office, his offer is still firmly on the table. No matter what objections I may have, I should trust him to know what’s best for us both.”

“Oh dear,” Rosalind said. “As long as he won’t move past the idea, he won’t heal. I’m worried about him.”

“And he’s not liable to meet his soulmate if he’s stuck on you,” Clark added.

“I know,” Richard replied. “I don’t know what else to say to him.”

“You may not be ready to do it yet, Richard, but the truth might help,” David suggested without glancing up.

“David has a point,” Gabe stated. “If he learns that it’s impossible to be your soulmate because you already have one, he’ll have no choice but to move on.”

“That’s definitely something to take into consideration,” Richard said, his brow furrowed. “But that’s also guaranteed to hurt him. Maybe I’m being a coward, but surely there’s another alternative. One where he comes to the right conclusion on his own. Unless you disagree, Lucas? Are you more comfortable making everything public immediately?”

Luke took a moment to gather his thoughts. While he was committed to being in a relationship with Richard, they’d had less than two weeks to adjust to their new reality. It was a lot to handle a new home and the addition of a family. Luke had spent his entire life with one person. Suddenly, he had several people to worry about—getting to know them, trying not to make any mistakes to alienate them, and it was daunting. What would the addition of the entire office and resort staff add to the equation?

Richard laid a palm on Luke’s thigh. “It’s okay to be honest.”

“Just trying to answer as candidly as I can, Dragonfly,” Luke assured him, resting his hand atop Richard’s. “Until I arrived here, I didn’t believe in soulmates. Now I have one. My focus is Richard. On being a good partner to Richard. I-I don’t want to sound…huh, well. I’m sympathetic to Douglas and his feelings. I appreciate that he and Richard have been friends for a long time. But…” Luke shrugged and stopped speaking.

His gaze traveled from one Marwood to another, and he dearly hoped he hadn’t already made an ass of himself by not immediately agreeing to do whatever it took to ensure Douglas wasn’t hurt.

“But you deserve some privacy to build your relationship with the most important person you’ll ever meet,” Rosalind finished for him quietly. “A soulmate is forever. You don’t get another one. Everyone else in your life can and should take a backseat to that. Be fair to yourself and Richard. We won’t judge you for anything else.”

“Plus, no one told Douglas that the recipe for his future happiness was to remain fixated on spending eternity with Richard,” Clark said.

Rosalind smacked her soulmate playfully with her napkin. “Clark, be nice.”

“Someone had to say it,” Gabe muttered.

“You did tell Douglas twice you weren’t interested,” David said.

“Good point, David. The truth is an option, but it’s also Douglas’s fault that he refuses to hear what Richard is telling him,” Rosalind remarked. “To ignore someone when they’ve clearly stated what they want or don’t want is at the peril of your own feelings.”

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