Page 130 of Loyally, Luke
Achingly hard.
High-risk hard.
But also worth-it hard. He stood a little taller. Fighting hard.
He caught his reflection in a mirror across the room and stared back at himself. His body straightened, his own eyes challenging him. His jaw stiffened.
He may not have to fight a dragon, but he could fight against his own fears enough to show up for her.
To be there for her.
Tonight.
He shrugged off his flannel shirt and stared down at the tux again,and then, like any good warrior worth his salt, he accepted the mission head-on.
When he finally emerged from the room, feeling as uncomfortable as a man could feel in a tux he hadn’t planned to wear to a ball he’d never even contemplated attending, Nessa rushed forward.
“Aw, don’t you look class.” She patted his shoulders and grinned. “A bit tight in the shoulders, isn’t it?” Her eyes gleamed. “Not that anyone who matters will mind at all.”
Heat exploded in his face, behind his eyes, inside his ear canals. He hated being on display.
“Aye.” Nessa studied him to the point he wanted to squirm. “Rather fetching if you ask me.”
He raised the bow tie to her to redirect her praise. “I can’t get this to work. It’s... too tight.”
“Well, let me see what I can do.” She took the item from him and began working with some piece of the cloth on the strap, and then Gordon emerged with Faye and Jamie on his heels.
“Come on now, woman, if we’re goin’ ta get anywhere before the night is done, we need to leave now.”
“Then stop your bletherin’ and let’s get in the car.” She frowned over at her husband but donned another smile for Luke.
This was crazy.
Gordon opened the door and gestured with his head for the children to climb in. Nessa grabbed her purse and followed.
Luke started to move, but Gordon stopped him. “Mind this, lad. You look as decent as any of the lot who’ll be there.” He narrowed his eyes. “And you’re worth more than most of them because you’ll do right by Ellie. I think she’ll need you before the night’s out, mate.” He tapped his head. “Mind what matters and you’ll be fine.”
Gordon waved his hand to Nessa, who was in the passenger side of the car. “Give Luke the front. He’ll have more room.”
“But what about his tie?” Jamie interjected from the back seat, a little hesitantly.
“Och,” Gordon growled, studying the situation. “Jamie, my boy, up front. Nessa and Luke in the back with Faye. Now let’s be off.”
All the cars in Skymar looked small.
And piling five people into one only proved it. Besides the fact that Luke was a tall, fairly average-sized man wearing a monkey suit, he also sat between Nessa, who attempted to strangle him with a bow tie, and Faye, who kept singing princess songs while Gordon drove like a maniac down roads too small to be two-lane.
He was, possibly, living one of his worst nightmares.
“Do you think you’ll marry Princess Ellie?” This from Faye, who’d stopped singing long enough to become curious.
“Take Reddling Way, luv. It’ll be shorter,” Nessa called from the back.
“I don’t think we can get married, Faye.” Luke tried to keep his voice low. “I’m not a royal or even from Skymar.”
“But that doesna matter, does it? Amara is from Nigeria and I’m from Skymar and we’re still friends forever.”
“Reddling Way will be too congested this time of day,” Gordon shot back. “Route 45 is faster.”
