AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It's making it hard to concentrate.
“I want to be serious for a second.”
“Of course. Be as serious as you want, Texas.”
“Why did you back down with your dad so easily?”
“What do you mean?”
“When he got us disqualified because we weren't married, even though grandpapa said it was fine for us to compete? Your sister rightfully won.”
He lowers his gaze, his body tensing.
“I don't mean to pry or anything, it's just that you're this super strong and confident guy and then when your dad is around, you change,” I say in a rush, questioning whether I should even be saying anything. “You said he was exacting, your word. I get that. He's tough. But you are a grown man. You should be able to stand up for yourself if you want to.”
He pulls his lips into a line. “It's not that straightforward.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t have the same relationship with my father as you do with yours. He’s a very different sort of man.”
“I know. He’s ‘exacting’, not the warm cuddly type. I get it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be who you want to be around him.”
He arches an eyebrow at me. “You’re my therapist now, are you?”
“I just care about you, and I didn’t like the way things went between you two after the wife race.”
“What could I have done? Told him no, that Amelia and her rugby player won fair and square?”
“Well, yes.”
“That would go down like a lead balloon.”
“And then what would happen?”
“He'd be angry with me, just like he was when I won the cheese rolling event last year.”
“Did you survive?”
He pulls his brows together. “What do you mean?”
“Did you survive standing up to him last year?”
“He wasn't happy. I see what you're doing, but you don't know him the way I do. He’s uncompromising and tough. That's just the way he is.”
Although I'm glad I brought it up, it's clearly falling on deaf ears. And perhaps it's really none of my business anyway. After all, king Frederick has been Alex’s dad his whole life. I'm a newbie.
“Okay. Sorry I brought it up.”
He lifts his features into a smile. “I like that you care.”
“I do.” I cup his face in my hand and brush my lips softly against his. “I do care. When do we have to leave?” I ask, not wanting him to go.
“Soon.”
My heart drops. I don’t want this to end. Ever.
“Oh.”
