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I rolled my eyes at Kenley. Of course, Kurtis had no idea what was going on. The last thing I needed was Sophia seeing a picture of the jet before I could knock on her door. I didn’t know what she’d do. Would she try to run? Would she hide out? Would I scare her? I didn’t want any of that to play out.
Our residence during our stay in Charleston was a coastal home. Kenley had been able to lease it for as long as we liked. I preferred staying somewhere other than a hotel. And for this trip, it seemed more fitting. Leave it to the woman I loved to think of everything.
Kenley was on her tablet, clicking through emails and messages. Every few seconds she looked out the window.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “The GPS says we’re only ten minutes away.”
“Are you asking if I want to slow down?”
She nodded. “Do you? We can take a pause, Nic.” Her fingers curled around mine. “Just say the word and I can tell Kurtis we need a break. It’s perfectly understandable if you want to process this some more. We can take it slower.”
“Not at all.” I wasn’t backing down. I had flown across the Atlantic Ocean to see my daughter. And if things went the way I wanted, she would be flying home with us.
I was going to make the most of my new lease on life. I had wasted two years being wasted. The memories were blurry and hazy. The few times I stayed sober were only the in between times. I missed my brother’s wedding because of it.
And the demons hounded me that maybe Sophia had reconsidered when she was pregnant. Maybe she had wanted my help. Wanted to tell me, but when she heard I was a drunk, she stayed farther away. Maybe it was the bourbon that sent her to South Carolina. I was never going to let a drink be the reason someone made a decision about me.
I inhaled, filling my lungs until they burned. My knuckles whitened in a fist.
This was the moment.
This was exactly why I spent fifty days getting sober. Fifty days making sure I’d never go backward. I was never going to be a perfect man. I had sins yet to commit, but they weren’t going to be while I was drunk. My children would never know that side of me.
It was in me to be the kind of father my father was. There were five of us, and he managed to be our dad while ruling the country. It had never seemed as significant as it did to me now. I knew Damon was sorting through the same emotions. Only he didn’t have to face the betrayal I did. What Sophia did was unforgiveable. She had stolen the most precious thing from me.
The car drove over uneven cobbled streets. I looked outside. It was quaint and charming. Part of me was relieved Sophia hadn’t had to resort to a penniless existence. Tall oaks lined the streets and there was a park on one side of us. Not the worst place my daughter could live. We pulled in front of a row of townhomes.
“This is it,” Kenley whispered. She leaned over and brushed her warm lips on my cheek. Ten minutes had passed like ten seconds. “I love you, Nic.”
“You aren’t going in?” I already knew the answer.
She shook her head. “You should meet your daughter first. This is going to shake Sophia. Having me there will only threaten her more. I want this to be special for you.”
Kurtis walked around to the door. “Your Majesty.” He held it open for me.
I kissed Kenley. “I love you, baby.”
She smiled. “Good luck.”
Luck wasn’t what I needed, but I smiled and walked up the stone staircase. The royal guards flanked me, scanning the bushes and
sidewalk.
I rang the doorbell and waited.
I heard footsteps in the hall. The door opened.
“Hello, Sophia.”
28
Kenley
I had waited in a car for Nic to carry out royal business so often, there were too many times to count. As his manager, there would be times when he had to meet with officials off the record. I’d spend my time in the car working on press releases or re-organizing his schedule. Now, with my title gone, I felt useless and powerless. The rest of the trip was planned. Until he had information from Sophia about his daughter, I didn’t have another move.
The front steps of the townhouse rose out of my view from the car. I crouched on the seat, looking for Nic, but the porch was empty. My skin prickled. He was already inside the house.
I was desperate to know what was going on. I may have been able to convince him I wanted to sit here patiently, but I was dying to hear the conversation. To see the look on his face when he saw his child. To know Sophia had to say about what she had done.
