Page 99 of Chloé

“I don’t doubt it.” But Ethan knew how stressful it could be when everything you knew suddenly changed, and that was exactly what was happening with Chloé. “But talking about it and actually doing it are very different things. She knows how Zayne and I feel, that we’re with her all the way. But still, she hesitates, because this isn’t about us. It’s about you.”

“You think we pushed too hard.”

“No.” Ethan looked at Priest. “I think you gave your daughter the gift of a lifetime. But that gift is four thousand miles away from everyone she loves.”

Robbie brought his hand to his mouth and shook his head. “I didn’t even think about it like that. I just figured she’d be so excited she’d jump on the next plane.”

Zayne scoffed. “I mean, we haven’t heard from her all morning—maybe she has.”

Julien hugged Robbie into his side. “Clearly we misjudged this situation.”

Ethan thought about that, thought about the excitement he’d seen behind the hesitation when she told them, and shook his head.

“I don’t think you did. I just think she needs a little bit of reassurance.”

Priest eyed him closely. “Such as?”

Ethan wasn’t about to beat around the bush. Priest had never asked them for advice—he doubted he ever asked anyone—but he wanted the truth now. So Ethan was going to give it to him.

“Such as—how often will she see you? Will you still be as close as you are now? Will you miss her? Will you still love her, even though she’s not here?”

“That’s crazy,” Robbie said, but Ethan didn’t take his eyes off Priest. “Of course we’re still going to love her. We’ll miss her terribly.”

“But she needs to hear it.” Priest looked to Julien and Robbie. “We were so excited to tell her about Paris because we knew how much she wanted it. But they’re right—somewhere in amongst our excitement, we forgot to tell her how hard it would be to watch her go.”

Julien sighed. “Oui. What must she be thinking?”

“I think she’soverthinking,” Ethan said.

Robbie glanced at Julien. “We need to talk to her.”

Ethan agreed. “I think that’s a great idea. In fact, once we put together what was going on with Chloé, Zayne and I set up a little surprise for her.”

“A surprise? She does love a good surprise.”

Priest chuckled and rubbed his husband’s back. “Like father, like daughter.”

Zayne grinned. “We think it’ll help with the transition. We set it up for tomorrow morning hoping that you could maybe help us out.”

“Definitely,” the three of them said, and Ethan nodded.

“Great. Then let me tell you what we have planned…”

CHAPTERNINETEEN

This is just as hard for them as it is for me.

But the fact they’re willing to let me go

makes me love them even more.

~ Chloé

“CHLOÉ…”

THE SOUND of her name in that deep, seductive voice had Chloé stretching her legs in the morning sun and sipping on her coffee as she looked out at the Eiffel Tower.

She smiled to herself and reached for the croissant on the plate beside her. As she took the first bite, she picked up her book and settled in to read a little more about the rakish pirate who’d just kidnapped the daring damsel, and the brave prince who’d come to save—

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