Page 86 of Awaiting

“Well, that’s awful. I was hoping it was that you didn’t want to be a stepparent or hated that I’d gotten divorced. It appears, though, that you just don’t like my personality.”

“No, it’s not–”

“I’m joking,” Teresa said. “We’re not meant to be, and that’s all right. I’ll get on.”

“I know you will. If you’re interested, my mother has a list of eligible women who are interested in women. I have no plans on using it. You’re welcome to it.”

“Your cast-offs?” Teresa laughed.

“I haven’t even met some of them.”

“Your motherdoeshave good taste. She setusup after all.”

“I’m sure you’d find respectable, upstanding ladies who would be interested in relationships and some that might just be interested in a night of good fun.”

“Oh, I could do with a night of good fun.” Teresa looked skyward. “The last woman I tried to have fun with turned me down.” She glanced at Alex playfully.

“Her loss,” Alex said.

“Well, of course,” Teresa replied, taking a drink of her wine. Then, she asked, “Who’s the woman that’s stolen your heart, Your Royal Highness?”

“Sorry?”

“The hand you were pulling along so protectively belonged to a woman. I’m sure she’s beautiful, but the photo was so blurry, there was no making her out.”

“She really is just a friend.”

“But you’d like it to be more?”

Alex nodded and gave her a shrug.

“Doesshe?”

“I think so.”

“Then, what are you doing here? Get back to Kleinland or the States or wherever she is and tell her.”

Alex thought about telling Teresa that she’d already told Bexley how she felt, but it wasn’t worth having that conversation with a woman who was only trying to be polite.

“Alex,” Teresa added softly. “You do deserve to be happy with whomever you end up with. If you believe it’s her, I say go get her and screw that mother of yours if she tries to stand in your way.”

Alex laughed.

“But please, don’t tell her I said that. I’d love to get my hands on that list of hers.”

Alex continued laughing.

???

Alex hadn’t told Alice she was returning so quickly. She hadn’t told Bexley, either, but the day following the title ceremony and the party, Alexhadtold her parents that she’d be leaving again and hadn’t set a return date. Larry would handle what he could, and everything else would either have to wait or be canceled. She needed to see Bexley.

It had only been a few days, but Alex missed her. She worried on the plane about what would happen when Bexley went back to Kansas after completing her work in Kleinland. Alex missed her already as is. She couldn’t imagine what that kind of pain would be like. They’d gotten so close, but they weren’t a couple. They’d simply be long-distance friends, and she’d see Bexley whenever she made the trip to Kleinland.

When Alex got to the palace, she headed up the stairs to her usual room and put her stuff away. She smiled when she heard one of the babies laughing that adorable baby laugh. She went in search of Alice and Nora to tell them she was back and, instead, found Bexley sitting on the floor of the nursery, holding Julia up in the air and making faces at her. Julia laughed. Bexley put her back down in her lap and tickled Tor’s stomach as he lay on the rug beside her. He laughed.

“Never get any bigger, okay?” Bexley said. “Stay this way forever.”

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and just stared. Bexley’s hair was in a braid, hanging over one shoulder, and Julia managed to get hold of it.

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