37. 37

37

Edie

I don't see Kalle for the next two days.

And I might worry that Saturday night had been too much for him. Or that he was having second thoughts about us, maybe that the emotions of the night had caused him to…

We kissed. And more. And now I haven't seen him. He hadn't even been awake when I left the castle.

I might worry—if it weren't for the texts. The constant, never-ending text string that tells me more about what Kalle is thinking than words coming out of his mouth ever could.

It's as if we're back in the nineteen hundreds and he's courting me long distance by letters.

So many texts. I reread them before I left for the day, and his observations of what his father does all day made me smile. And laugh. And it fills my heart that Kalle seems content.

He says it's because of me. I may not believe it but it's nice to hear.

I have Wednesday off; Kalle is still doing castle stuff, but I leave Leah in charge during the day and Tyler tonight, with Bethie helping out .

It's like I'm playing hooky and left the kids at home alone. I feel guilty and a little worried, but I've been working non-stop, and there have been some late hours in the last week.

I need a break, and Kalle agreed. It was him—via text—who organized Leah and Tyler to step up for me.

As much as we've texted in the last two days, Kalle hasn't said anything about the future. No talk about whether he's still game to become the next king of Laandia—or about us.

He's made absolutely no mention of the fact he asked me to marry him.

Kind of asked.

And I have no desire to bring it up because my head is swimming at the thought.

I sleep late on Wednesday, curled up with Ernie in bed. It's not often I get a lazy morning, and I take full advantage. But when I finally get up, I head to my parents', avoiding the bar like the plague, because if I go in, I'll be stuck there for the day.

I find my father in his garden. He has several—his vegetable garden is half the size of a farmer's field, with neat rows of corn and peas, beans and broccoli as well as cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins which take up the most room. Tall sunflowers separate the garden from the lawn.

As well as the vegetables, Dad has an herb garden, one for roses, and a patch in the shade with different hostas spreading out in circles. But my favourite is his flower garden. Clumps of tall echinacea mixed with black-eyed Susans and daisies, foxgloves in the early summer blend into lilies and colourful phlox rounds out the season .

When I'm at the bar and dealing with drunks more obnoxious than usual, I think of the flower garden and it makes me happy.

It's good that they have enough property. The farmhouse sits on fifty acres outside Battle Harbour, but Dad has always rented out the fields since he never had time to farm it. And now, being retired and on oxygen, my mother won't let him.

He has enough to do with his gardens.

I find him among the vegetables attacking weeds with the hoe. The scar tissue eroding his lungs makes it difficult for him to bend over, so he piles the crabgrass and dandelions into a heap to pick up later.

It's like I've forgotten how nice the sun can be in the summer. After days of rain, it feels amazing to be outside, even with the cool breeze coming in from the ocean.

Dad sees me approaching and leans on his hoe as I walk up. "Any word on the king?" he calls.

I shake my head and give him a hug. "But it's good. He went home yesterday and he'll make a full recovery."

"That's what the news says but what is the family saying?" I've never been sure what my father misses the most about no longer working at the castle—spending all the time in the gardens or having a direct line to the goings-on of the family.

He's always been more of a royal family watcher than even my mother.

"They're saying the same thing," I reassure him. "He's going to be okay. Apparently, he's not fond of the appendix though."

"Good to hear. And I'm sure Kalle thinks so too. "

"They all do."

Dad attacks a dandelion with the corner of his hoe. "He knows the people would rally around him when the time comes, doesn't he?"

Does he? I have no idea because, like everything else important, he won't talk about it.

He likes to talk about me; what he'd like to do if we had time, how exactly he'd like to kiss me—

He talks about that quite a lot.

"I think he's figuring that out," I manage. "I hope."

"How are you and Mathias making out?" Dad asks, surprising me. Not only because he's never asked anything about any of the men I've dated, but because I've forgotten to tell my parents that nothing will be happening with Mathias. Not that I make a point to discuss my dating life with my family, but Mathias being part of the royal family made it a little different.

I also can't believe my sisters didn't say anything. The family grapevine works faster than 5G internet.

"We're not," I tell him.

Dad looks up with a relieved smile. "Glad to hear it. I remember him as a little kid. Poisonous, him and his brother both. His father was worse than both of them."

"I figured that out, but it might have been nice to have the inside scoop."

"You're a smart girl," he says. "Besides, I doubt you would have listened to me."

"I would have listened."

"No, you wouldn't have. And I don't blame you, since I'm only your father."

"I would have listened," I repeat with a laugh .

"I seem to recall trying to convince you that you deserve a good man."

"A man like Mathias?"

"No, I said a good man. You deserve any man you want." He looks at me steadily. "Even if he's a member of Magnus's family."

"I know I do," I say automatically, unsure what he's getting at. And feeling strange talking about what ifs when there's a really good chance the what if is reality.

"I don't know that you do." He gazes at the sky for a moment like he's collecting his thoughts. "We've got a fine spot here, me and your mother. It's no castle, but it's ours and it's home. And I think I might have tried to convince you that it wasn't enough if you were planning on moving on into the castle."

"You never did. And I never planned on moving into the castle."

"See, that's the problem. You should have been planning on that from the get-go. Because you, Edie, you are castle material. You were made to live there and rule there, and if you ask me, it's time Prince Kalle pulls his head out of his—"

"I'm really glad you feel that way," I say quickly, because I see the truck in the distance, coming up the road with plumes of dust in its wake.

There are a lot of black pickup trucks in Battle Harbour but only one who would drive like that up the road to my family's home.

Dad gives me a quizzical look. "Care to share anything with your old man?"

"Not… right… yet," I tell him slowly. As much as I want to see Kalle, it's the why he's here that is causing me concern .

Dad and I watch the truck pull up at the house and Kalle hops out. I see Dillon's bald head in the front seat, and after a quick conversation, he stays in the car.

My stomach flips and flops as Kalle strides up, as confident as he used to saunter up to the plate with a baseball bat on his shoulder, ready to hit a base-clearing double. I bite my lip to stop the smile from taking over my face.

I can't believe how much I've missed him.

I see him every day, all day. And when I don't see him, we talk or text.

Which is what we've been doing the last two days, but now that he's here in front of me, I realize how much I've missed the little things. The teasing. The pulling of my ponytail. Standing close enough to me so that I can breathe in his Kalle scent.

I like the Kalle scent.

I like just about everything about Kalle.

I even like that I'm in love with him.

And then Kalle walks right up to me standing among the peas and the pumpkin vines; he strokes long fingers and a big palm onto my cheek and leans down and kisses me right in front of my father.

And not just a little peck. His mouth on mine, the warm sun beating down, and the sound of birds… his lips moving in a way that makes me almost forget my father is standing there.

Almost.

Dad clears his throat just to make sure we're still aware. "Did I miss something?" he asks.