Reluctantly Royal(35)

“Dinner is ready!” Katie walked toward the pier and stopped on the edge. “You two better come on in! The bugs are big enough to carry you away.”

“Whoops.” I looked down at Marty. “I didn’t think about bug spray.”

“I’m okay.” He smashed a mosquito on his cheek, leaving a bloody trail, and I cringed.

“I hope your mom’s not back yet. She’ll kill me.” I wiped at his cheek with my thumb but he wiggled out of my grasp.

“Nah.” He started picking up the mess we had made on the dock. “She likes you.”

“Oh yeah?” I looked away from him so he wouldn’t see my smile.

“Yeah. She never likes guys, so it’s weird.” He looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Do you like her?”

“Sure. You’re mom’s cool.” I shrugged.

“But do you like-like her? Like the older kids at school?” He handed me his rod and I juggled it into my other hand, because his little fingers closed around mine.

I looked down at his little hand and back into his big eyes. “Um.”

He just looked at me, not offering me an out, and I felt like pulling at my shirt collar.

“Your food is getting cold!” Katie called from closer to the house.

“We better hurry.” I pulled him with me as I started up the dock.

“Yeah, Ms. Katie is serious about dinner. She doesn’t like it when I’m late.” His little legs picked up the pace.

We dropped off his fishing gear in the old shed and headed back into the house. Marty pushed the door open for me, laughing as I fought with the two poles in my hand.

“What are you doing here?” Meredith stood in front of the door with her arms crossed.

We both froze like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Well, one kid and one adult.

“Just came to do a little fishing.” I leaned the poles against the wall next to the door.

Marty threw himself at his mom and hugged her around her hips. “We had so much fun!”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She looked down at her son and smiled. “Go get washed up.”

“Can Max stay?” He looked up at his mom with big eyes. “Please?”

“Sure.” She smiled again. “Now get. I want to smell soap when you come back.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled at me over his shoulder as he ran toward a bathroom.

When I looked back at Meredith she was not smiling. In fact, she looked irate.

I cleared my throat and looked down at my watch. “It’s technically been a full day.”

“You know what I meant.” She tapped her foot and I had to keep from smiling. I didn’t think she realized that she was still in mom mode. The amusing part was that I found it just as attractive as when she was being alluring in a dark hallway.

“It was either this, or I had to go with the family to your township.” I let my hands hang at my sides. My fingers itched to pull her against me, to see if last night’s kiss had been a fluke.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that you sent your family to check up on me.” She glared at me.

“Whoa. That had nothing to do with me.” I lifted my hands like I was going to ward off an angry bear. “They wanted to show their solidarity with you.”

“Your mother has already sent someone to help out. I don’t need to be babysat.”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Meredith.” I took a step forward. “We really do only want to help.”

“Then why are you here?” She threw her hands in the air. “You said you’d give me a day but here you are! I can’t think when you’re here.” Her eyes widened a little at that last sentence. She hadn’t meant to tell me that.

“I thought I’d be gone by the time you got back.” I took another step closer. “I promised Marty I’d go fishing with him and since I knew you’d be gone, I thought I’d help by keeping him distracted. I was just trying to help.”

“I—I have too much going on for this.” She waved her hands between us. “Whatever this is. If there is something. I don’t know. And coming back to see you with Marty . . . he’s so vulnerable right now. It’s just . . .”

It wasn’t just Marty that was vulnerable. Meredith felt exposed and it scared her. Fuck, it scared me.

“I should have asked if it was okay to hang out with Marty.” I took another step closer to her, but she didn’t move. “I’m sorry.”

“I just—”

“It’s okay.” I reached out and touched her hair. I just needed to touch some part of her. “I should have known better.”