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“On the contrary, my friend,” Chad said. “As you know, I’ve dated half the women in Europe simply to ascertain I found the best one. The perfect one for me.” His gaze was sincere, but how could she let herself trust a player? He said it himself; he’d dated half the women in Europe.
“That’s … wonderful,” Jennifer said, giving Prince Tristan a look and an elbow in the side. She was clearly trying to be discreet, but it hadn’t worked. “We look forward to getting to know you both better. Welcome to Augustine.”
“Yes, welcome,” Tristan said. “We’re headed out on a romantic hike to the waterfall where Jenn fell head over heels for me and dared me to have pity on her fragile heart and pledge my love and devotion to her forever.” His accent was lyrical and appealing, but not as appealing as Chad’s.
“Oh boy.” Jennifer rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Truthfully, he dared me to jump in the freezing cold waterfall pool and when I bravely accomplished the task, he begged me to love him because he was so impressed.”
“That actually sounds closer to the truth, but not quite how I recall it.” He winked at them and grinned at his fiancée.
“I’ll give you closer recall.” She elbowed him in the side again, this time more obviously.
The prince only chuckled. “We’re off to escape the pre-wedding craziness. Sadly, it’s not our wedding yet.”
“Sadly,” Jennifer agreed drily. “You’ll survive two more months, my Big Bad Wolf.”
“Two months and fifteen days,” he grumbled. “Who cares about a romantic Christmas wedding? I only long to be married to you.”
Jennifer gave a tinkling laugh, then turned to them again. “We’ll see you at the wedding in a couple hours.”
“See you then,” Hope managed.
Faith hadn’t said a word the entire time.
They walked past arm in arm. Faith could hear Prince Tristan let out a sexy growl. “I’ll show you the Big Bad Wolf.”
“I’m planning on it,” Jennifer responded.
They exited through a side door of the garage.
“My apologies. They’re deeply in love and overly flirtatious with each other,” Chad said. “You’d think a crown prince could read his crowd,” he added in a mutter that sounded disappointed and not like him at all.
Prince Tristan and Jennifer’s flirtations were what he was sorry about? Not his best friend saying Chad settling down would be ‘miraculous’? She didn’t know about Chad, but she hadn’t seen many miracles in her life. None, actually. She’d prayed for one of her parents to stay with them and had rarely heard from either of them since she was fourteen. She’d prayed for a miracle when Grace had been abducted by Zeus and all that had turned up after weeks of miserable anxiety was her sister’s dead body. She would continue to believe and pray, but miracles weren’t meant for her.
“That was … that was …” Faith’s eyes were wide as she pointed shakily at the exterior door Prince Tristan and Jennifer had exited through. “The crown prince! He’s so dreamy.” She put a hand to her heart. “Excuse me. I’m having a heart attack.”
Hope smiled. She appreciated Faith’s wonder and dramatics, and the break in tension. Why meeting the crown prince and his future bride and seeing how cute they were together had given her tension, she wasn’t sure. Oh yeah. Neither of them had appeared to know who she was, despite Prince Tristan being Chad’s ‘closest friend,’ and Chad kept throwing out lines like ‘love of my life.’
Why did he have to torture her? She supposed part of the responsibility and blame was on her. She should never have accepted his invite and jumped off the cliff. How was heaven supposed to catch her when she didn’t think logically and let Chad charm her into imagining he could care as deeply for her as she did for him?
Thoughtless and shortsighted. Hope worked every day to be neither. After this trip, she needed to demand that Faith not tell Chad when they came to their Switzerland house. It was too hard to be around Chad and not fall for all his lines and admit she was already in love with him.
“T and Jenn are great, but no reason for a heart attack, sweet Faith,” Chad said. “Ready to tour the magical castle?”
“Am I ever!” Faith clapped her hands together and jumped in the air.
Chad smiled and took the suitcase handles in one hand and Hope’s hand in the other as naturally as if they were a couple. Was it natural for her hand to tingle and her heart to race from simply holding hands?
He escorted them inside the ‘lower floors’ where he explained the kitchens, laundry, utility rooms, bedrooms for any staff or guards who needed to stay, and even a former dungeon were located. Even the working section of the castle was lovely, bright, and exciting.
They hadn’t gone fifty feet down the wide hallway when a gorgeous young lady in a white button-down shirt and black pants walked out of a doorway.
“Oh! Hello there, Major Chad,” she said in a sultry voice with a flirtatious pump of her eyebrows. She looked down at their clasped hands and then up at Hope, an obvious edge of competition crossing her brow.
“Good afternoon, Lexi. Are you prepared for the big event?” Chad’s voice was friendly as ever.
“Now that I know you’re here, I’m certain it will be the most incredible event of the century.” She winked. “May I take those suitcases up to the ladies’ suites?”
“Thank you, Lexi. That would be much appreciated. Allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Hope Radisson, and her sister Faith. They’re visiting me from America.” He handed over the suitcases.
