Page 71 of Charlie

"Of the castle?" Every new tidbit of information is a goddamn revelation.

He nods. "It would just be sitting there empty otherwise. I tried to get Lach and Isla to move in, too, but they prefer having their own space."

He opens the door for me, and I climb in, protesting as he pulls the belt across me and buckles me in. "I can do that myself, you know."

"I know." He smiles, planting a warm kiss on my cheek before carefully closing the door.

"So, don't people with castles usually have titles?" I ask once he's behind the wheel, my curiosity piqued.

"It depends. The title will always pass down through the generations regardless of whether they keep their ancestral lands."

"Oh." I think about it for a second. "The castle is your ancestral home, right?"

He nods.

"Do you have a title?"

"Duke of Dunmore," he says nonchalantly, like he's telling me the grass is green or the sky is blue.

"You're joking."

He laughs, his eyes sparkling, "I wish you could see your face right now."

"It's like you live in a fucking fairytale. So that makes Isla...?"

"Lady Isla MacLeod."

"Not Duchess?"

"No, that's reserved for you."

Fucking hell.

38

We're sitting in the driveway waiting on Lach, and I cannot stop fidgeting. Jack is pacing outside the truck, trying to get a phone number to reach Cam, leaving me all alone in here with my thoughts.

Duchess.

I’m sure most girls would be ecstatic. Me? Not so much. It just feels like one more worry piled on top of all the others.

What If I'm not enough?

Fuck that. Those are Rob's words coming back to haunt me. I scrub my hands over my face as I try to push the feelings away. I can do this. I deserve this. I chant the words over and over, desperate to believe them.

"Good news," Jack says as he climbs back in the truck, "They gave me a number to call."

"Carebear!" Lach grins as he slides in next to me; his sandy hair is messy and completely adorable.

"I missed you," I murmur, cupping his face and bringing his lips to mine. I sink into his warmth, basking in the safety and peace I feel being sandwiched between them.

"I missed you, too. Now, will one of you tell me what the heck is going on?"

"I'll tell you on the way," I murmur, heat already creeping up my cheeks.

"On the way to what?" Lach asks, closing his door.

"To the boat?" I say, looking to Jack for confirmation.

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