Page 22 of The Princess, the Prick & the Priest (Confessions 4)

As they shut their doors and buckled up, Priest found Robbie’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’m within touching distance of Julien.”

“Yeah,” Robbie said. “But I’m not within touching distance of anyone. So that road game is definitely out.”

Julien programmed the phone and then looked at Robbie to verify his parents’ address. “Is that right?”

“Yes, ugh. Don’t remind me.” As Julien put the phone in the mount, Robbie settled back in his seat. “Now, the way I see it, there’s three of us and about three hours to get there. So that means we each get an hour with the music selection.”

“Fantastic,” Priest said drolly. But when he looked at Julien and they smiled at one another, Robbie realized there was nowhere else he’d rather be than in that SUV, with these two men, heading to Oshkosh.

JULIEN LOOKED OUT the window as Priest wove them out of the city and onto the interstate. Sinatra was serenading them as they merged with traffic and headed off for the weekend, and surprisingly, Julien felt a sense of peace sweep around him at the idea of being surrounded by people who loved and adored the wonderful young man sitting behind them.

Julien looked at Priest concentrating on the road, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel, and thought, not for the first time, how lucky he was to have both of these men in his life.

It was an interesting dynamic, Julien thought as he then glanced over his shoulder at Robbie, who was happily crooning along with Priest’s idol. Most wouldn’t understand the three of them at all. But from the second they’d all met—Julien with Priest, and now here, years later, with Robbie—there’d been an immediate sense of acknowledgment and understanding, an instant recognition of someone you knew was meant to be in your life, and never had Julien been more grateful that they were all alive to enjoy this moment and one another.

He was also greedy enough to want to make it permanent. Something he knew was weighing heavily on Priest’s mind.

“Princesse? Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your family, since we’re going to be meeting them soon.”

Robbie scrunched his nose up and then let out a long-suffering sigh. “Well, you already met my ma, even though it was brief and you were super busy. And the rest, well, they’re just as crazy. There’s so many of them, mostly females, and everyone talks over everyone else.”

“Which explains your motor-mouth,” Priest said.

“It does, actually.” Robbie poked his tongue out. “If you didn’t speak up, you weren’t heard. So if you’re expecting a quiet weekend, you are in for a shock.”

“We certainly are not expecting that,” Julien said. “But what about your sisters? We’ve met Felicity, and she seems very similar in personality to you.”

Robbie cocked his head to the side. “Meaning what, exactly?”

“Nothing bad. Just that you’re both rather…” Julien looked at Priest, and he shook his head.

“Don’t look at me. You’re on your own with this.”

Julien shoved Priest in the arm, but then turned in his seat to smile at Robbie. “I just mean that you both seem close and rather…mischievous, is the word I think I’m looking for.”

Robbie narrowed his eyes for a second, but then grinned. “I suppose you’re right. I have three sisters. Penny, Valerie, and Felicity. Felicity and I are the youngest and the—”

“Troublemakers?” Priest suggested.

“The closest, is what I was going to say,” Robbie said. But then he gave an impish wink. “And the most fun.”

“A.k.a. the troublemakers.”

“That’s a lot of women,” Julien said.

“Huh, tell me about it,” Robbie said. “Growing up with them was a lot of fun, though. Never a dull moment in the Bianchi household. Only colorful ones.”

Priest raised his eyes to Robbie’s in the mirror. “And are they protective of their baby brother?”

“Why?” Robbie said. “Scared?”

“Do I seem scared to you?”

Robbie huffed out a breath. “They’re protective, yes. Like lionesses. So you better watch yourselves. They wanted to track Nathan down and cut his dick off after what he pulled.”

Priest grunted. “Seems we’ll have that in common, at least.”

“Um, if it’s all the same to you,” Robbie said, “I’d rather you don’t go anywhere near his dick.”

Priest snorted. “Noted.”

Robbie leaned forward so he could kiss Julien quick on the lips. “You, I’m going to have to fight them off of. Felicity and I weren’t kidding when we told you the Bianchi women were fans. They’re going to be all over you and your accent. And Priest, you might want to keep an eye on Val.”

“Why?” Priest said.

“Oh…nothing bad,” Robbie said, but Julien didn’t buy that for a second. Not with the twinkle in Robbie’s eyes.

“Why do I feel like there’s more to that comment than what you’re letting on?” Priest said.

Robbie shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Uh huh,” Priest said. “If you aren’t going to tell the truth about that, then why don’t we go back to the topic of Nathan for a minute?”

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