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“Boring?”He laughs nervously.
I hoist myself onto my toes and touch my lips to his.“It sounds absolutely incredible.”
With a smile, he kisses me, briefly swiping his tongue against mine before pulling back, returning his attention to the oysters.
Over the course of the evening, Creed keeps his word.He gives me a taste of something normal.We shuck oysters together.We get our hands dirty as we devour a pot of peel-and-eat shrimp I’ve always wanted to try.And we enjoy a bottle of wine as we share our hopes and dreams for our future.
A future we’re now happy to talk about.
“Have you given any more thought to starting a community restaurant?”Creed asks as he sips on his wine after we’ve finished off the Chilean sea bass I prepared for our main course.
It was a veritable seafood feast, but considering where we are, I needed to take advantage of all the fresh seafood available.It would have been a shame not to.
“Community restaurant?”I dab at my mouth with my napkin.
“You’d mentioned something about that at the soup kitchen.”
“Oh.”I blink repeatedly.“Right.”
I’d completely forgotten about our discussion that day.Considering I’d nearly been killed minutes later, a conversation I had with my temporary chief protection officer seemed rather inconsequential.
But Creed hasn’t forgotten about it, despite everything that transpired.
“You remember that?”
The corners of his mouth lift up, peace washing over his expression.I don’t think I’ve ever seen Creed look like this.Like he’s not carrying the world on his shoulders.Like he’s finally free to be happy.
“I remember everything you’ve ever said to me, Esme.”He holds my gaze, allowing his statement to sink in.“Have you thought about actually opening something like that?You seemed quite passionate about it when you told me.”
“I guess with everything going on with Anderson and the referendum, I haven’t really thought about it again.Truthfully, even when I did tell you about it, it wasn’t because I had plans to do something about it.”
“Why not?”
I give him a knowing look.“I don’t get to make decisions like this.Everything I do has to be carefully examined for potential consequences to the monarchy.”I avert my gaze.“I learned a long time ago that sometimes it’s better not to hope or dream when someone will always stand in the way of those dreams.”
He grabs my hand in his.“But you didn’t give up hope on me.On us.”
“I almost did,” I admit with a slight laugh, the tension lightening.“If you didn’t barge into my apartment that night—”
“Then I’m bloody glad I did.”
I lean toward him, touching my lips to his.“So am I.”
“But still…” He brushes his thumb across my knuckles.“I want you to have it all, Esme.Believe me.I know how difficult this world can be.I’m still struggling with it myself.I’ve been putting off telling my father I’m retiring because I know it won’t go over well, especially since my retirement will mean that, for the first time in centuries, there won’t be a Lawson in the royal guard, not with him having to retire next year when he turns sixty-five.But I want you to have everything.I hate seeing your talents go to waste because of who you are.Plus, just because they turned you down years ago doesn’t mean they’ll turn you down now.Your father’s not the same man.”
“I know.”I pull my lips between my teeth.
The truth is, I have no doubt that my father would support this venture if I brought it up to him again.
“Then why haven’t you—”
“What if it fails?What if I put all this time and effort into it and it completely flops?I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with the smug look on my grandmother’s face when that happens.”
“Ifthat happens,” Creed corrects.“There’s no guarantee it’ll flop.”
“But there’s also no guarantee it’ll be successful.”
“Listen, Esme.I know what it’s like growing up with huge expectations placed on your shoulders.Maybe not to the same extent as you and Anders, but for as long as I can remember, my path in life has been dictated for me.Straying from that path was not an option so I never dared to dream of anything different.Hell, I never dared to dream at all.Until now.It’s terrifying, yet freeing at the same time.The best dreams often are, I suppose.”
