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Then she reaches into her bag and withdraws a box with a big bow around it. I have no idea where that came from or what it is.
She leans over and sets it on the king’s desk.
He frowned. “What is this?”
“Open it,” she encourages.
He leans forward and pulls at one of the ends of the bow. He opens the package and separates the tissue paper. Then he removes three chocolate bars. “Chocolate?”
She nods. “I made that. I know that you love chocolate, and I wanted you to know that because of the farms we’re building, Cara can have cacao trees right here on the island. I can make you that chocolate anytime you want.”
He looks at her, astonished. Then he lifts the bar in his hand to his nose and sniffs. “It smells like lavender.”
She smiles. “That’s one of my specialty bars. I think you’ll really like it.” Then she turns and starts for the door. She looks over her shoulder. “Are you coming?” she asks me.
I push out of my chair immediately. I’m absolutely following this woman anywhere.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, sir.”
But my grandfather is watching Abigail, with a look of surprise still on his face. “Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
We step out into the hallway and Abigail laces her fingers with mine. She starts for the staircase, clearly heading back to our room.
“Hang on.” I pull her to stop. “You brought my grandfather chocolate.”
She nods. “Did you know I make chocolate?”
I’d read about it in her bio from IAS. “Yes, but…” Then I decide to just admit it. “I didn’t know my grandfather likes chocolate.”
Her eyes go wide. “Torin O’Grady, have you never Googled your grandfather?”
I laugh. “I guess not.”
“Well, it’s one of the best-known facts about him. He’s a chocoholic. When I read that, I knew he and I were going to get along just fine. My chocolate is the best."
I pull her in and press my lips to hers. She immediately melts into me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I feel calm just like that.
"Did you really tell my grandfather that you think it's fair that he’s doubting me?" I ask when I lift my head.
She nods. "It is. You did leave. For a long time. You still leave a lot. Almost any chance you get it seems.”
“Because he won’t let me do anything,” I say with a frown.
“You talk to him a lot, but he doesn't listen, right? You can't win him over. But, he doesn’t know what you're capable of, Torin. You’ve just been trying to convince him by arguing with him, trying to get him to hear you. You haven't shown him anything."
For a second, I have a hard time taking a deep breath.
She might have a point.
"And he didn’t just want you to marry Linnea because she would be a good advisor to you or a great leader for Cara. I mean, maybe that's what he said, maybe that's what he even believes, but I think it was more than that.” Abigail puts her hand on my chest. “You are a reluctant royal, Torin. You’ve made no secret of that. You abdicated. Then when you came home, you built yourself a ranch where you could spend time away from the palace. And you named it The Rogue.”
I swallow, but don’t say anything.
She goes on. “I think he believed that Linnea would keep you here. That she would've made you stay even if you got frustrated. She's from here, and loves the country dearly, feels like she’s part of the family, so you wouldn't have just taken off again, and potentially abdicated, if she was your wife."
I frown. My heart is squeezing tightly in my chest. "You think my grandfather's worried about me abdicating again?"
"Maybe. It occurred to me when he mentioned that you married an American. Maybe he’s worried I’ll want to go home, and you’ll go with me. It makes sense that you’d go with your wife.”
