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“Right. Bodyguard, I hear?”
“Yep.” Although I haven’t been much of one today. Chloe requested that I only watch over her from afar, insisted that she needed my help with the manual labor more than she needed me hovering around her in bodyguard mode.
Said she trusted the people here, and that should be good enough for me.
“Well”—Oliver shrugs—“if you ever change your mind and want a job that allows you to work outside, with your hands, give me a call. It’s not for the faint of heart, but the intense hours during harvest season mean you get a lot of time off other times of year. You could travel or just hang out and enjoy time with your family and friends.” He drains the rest of his water, crushes the plastic bottle, and tosses it into the rubbish bin. “Think about it.” Then he strides away.
What he’s proposing sounds … amazing.
But I could never leave Kentonia, could I? Abandon Topher? Certainly not my parents. I just got a text from Mum this morning after I sent a message checking in. She said,Dad’s not doing so well. A new bout of depression rearing its ugly head. But no fear—got him on new meds. Will keep you posted. Just keep making us proud. That keeps Dad going more than anything.
Of course, Mum couldn’t know that that was the last possible thing I needed to hear. After all, bodyguards can’t marry. So at this point, I’m not even sure that I could continue in that line of work and be with Chloe too.
But after hearing her speech this afternoon, I’m not sure that returning to Kentonia is even what she’s meant to do.
I hear a laugh, one I know well, and turn my head toward the deck attached to the Loveland family home. Lights are strung overhead, and there stands Chloe beside an easel and whiteboard, leading a discussion about something to a group of women. She’s using a marker to point to markings on the board.
Our country doesn’t know what it has in this princess. No one appreciates her, or her talents, like they should. But the people of Hallmark Beach … they seem to.
Which makes my gut twist again with the same thought that I’ve been trying to ignore since yesterday: what if Chloe is supposed to stay here?
“Oh, wow, that cake looks amaze-balls, doesn’t it?” Jordan approaches in his sleeveless gym shirt. He shucks off his own gloves and shoves them into the elastic waistband of his athletic shorts before cutting a huge slice of chocolate cake. He forks a bite and eats it with a single swallow, then groans. “Dude, you have to try this.”
“Nah, gotta keep my girlish figure.” I pat my stomach and laugh. “Just joking.” Joining him at the table, I cut myself a more modest piece and take a bite and sakes, it’s like a candy bar exploded on my tongue. “That’s delicious, mate. Did Marilee make this?”
“Yeah.” Jordan takes another bite. His eyes wander to the deck, finding the woman in question.
Ah, yeah, he’s got it bad. “So, what’s the story between you two anyhow?”
“What?” he coughs out, choking on his cake.
I lift the creaking lid from the cool box and snag him a water, which I toss, and he catches.
“Thanks,” he says, twisting off the lid with one hand and downing half the bottle in a single swig. “And there’s no story. We’re just friends.”
“How well I remember saying the same thing before Chloe and I got together.” I waggle my eyebrows and laugh at the expression on his face. Poor chump. “But if you say so.”
Jordan frowns around his fork. We both finish our cake in silence, then dump our plates and utensils into the rubbish bin and walk back toward the field together. The long grass tickles my calves and I take in the sight of the sun hovering just over the hills that surround the vineyard. We only have a half hour, maybe a bit longer, before we need to bust out the floodlights.
“I overheard Oliver offering you a job.” Jordan’s presence beside me isn’t like Topher’s. He’s more light-hearted, more jovial too. But he’s still been a good mate to me in the last week since we first met. “You thinking about taking it?”
“Much as I wish I could, I can’t.” Retracing my steps to the wheelbarrow, I lean down to grab a rock to place inside.
Jordan joins me. “Why not? From what I can tell, you’re an outdoors kind of guy like me. Can’t really picture you cooped up standing against a wall, just … invisible.” He shudders under the weight of a boulder.
“It’s not my first choice of employment.” I place my hands under the other side of the rock, and we carry it to the wheelbarrow together. “But I owe my friend—the prince—a lot.”
“Seems to me if he’s really your friend, he’d want you to do something you love. Imagine if the roles were reversed.”
The man’s got a point. But there’s more to the story. There are my parents to consider too. I don’t want to take away the only point of pride my father has left—me serving the crown when he can’t. Which is why I need to speak with Topher. If I’m going to remain a bodyguard, if Chloe and I are really going to try this thing, he’s going to have get rid of that rubbish law about bodyguards not being allowed to marry.
Chloe reminded me of my promise again last night as we snuggled before bed. I assured her of my affection in the only way I knew how—a rule-breaking kiss that left us both aching for more. But even after she fell asleep in my arms, I stayed awake long after, wondering if she was slipping away from me little by little. If she would honestly be happy going back to Kentonia after experiencing true freedom here.
Wondering if I’d have to do the hardest thing in the world and let go of her so she could find her forever happiness. Because I know one thing, and that’s that my place is in Kentonia.
I say as much to Jordan.
“That’s too bad,” he replies. He points at Chloe, who is positively glowing under the string of lights that burn brighter as the world around them falls dim. Just like her. “Because it sure seems like she belongs here.”
