Page 12 of His Royal Request

“Huh.”

“What do you do in your free time?”

I almost laughed. How long were the questions going to last? Every time I thought he’d run out he snuck another one in.

“I haven’t had a ton of free time while in school, but generally I like to read.”

He made a face.

“What? You’re not a reader?”

He shook his head. “Not even when it was required in school.”

George laughed. “That boy did everything in his power to get out of reading assignments. He even tried to pay me to read the books and summarize them for him.”

I gaped. “Really? Did you do it?”

“Oh no. I only read the paper. Anything else is too much for me.”

“You two are missing out!”

Aiden grimaced. “Reading is so boring. I’d rather be out fishing or riding my horse or even watching a movie.”

I cringed and scrunched my nose. “I think it’s best you drop me off here.”

He laughed. “No, I’m willing to accept your flaws if you can accept mine.”

I faked like I had to consider it. “That’s fine. We don’t have to agree on everything.”

He looked surprised. “That’s right. We don’t.” He paused, studying me. “In fact, I like that we don’t.”

“Yeah, it’s okay that you’re wrong sometimes,” I said it with a straight face so it took him a second to realize I was insulting him. His face morphed from placid to mock anger.

“I can’t believe…” He shook his head and looked to George. “Did you hear that?”

George’s shoulders were shaking and I leaned forward. “You can’t say you don’t agree with me.”

He met my eyes in the mirror and winked, but didn’t say anything.

“Unbelievable ” Aiden said it with a playful gleam in his eyes. “I’m not sure what to make of you Miss Charlie.”

I smiled and looked out the window. I liked this lighthearted side of him.

* * *

I saw the sign welcoming us to Galway and sat up straighter. This was it. I was going to see where my mother’s family was from. Dad told me she’d come to visit this very city when she was about my age before they got married. I’d be walking in her footsteps.

Dad told me Mom was Irish before I took the DNA test, but I had no idea that her whole family was from here, Lochland, and Scotland. I doubted he knew either. These were the things I’d wished I’d asked her. Well, that plus so much more. Like how to handle my first crush, first breakup, what kind of prom dress I should wear, what I should do with my life. I sighed. There was so much I’d never get answers to.

Dad and my step-mom, Liza, had given me more than I could ask for, and I was beyond thrilled for my dad that he found another woman to love. But it didn’t help with the burning questions I had about my mother.

I didn’t think this trip would answer them either. But I hoped I’d feel a bit closer to her.

“Welcome to Galway, Miss Charlie.” George smiled at me through the mirror and I glanced over at Aiden. He was busy looking down at his phone.

“When’s your meeting?” I asked.

I wasn’t eager to separate from him, but I didn’t want to be responsible for him missing something important either.