“Did you get your pajamas?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He glanced over at me.
“I think Katie’s going to come give you a bath. Is that okay?” I leaned against the door frame.
“Ah, I can bathe myself.” He scrunched up his nose. “I don’t want her to see my butt.”
I laughed. “Okay. She can stay in the other room and just make sure you don’t drown. How’s that?”
“Works for me!” He turned back to the television.
I crossed the room and kissed the top of his head. “Good night, monster.”
“ ’Night, Mom.”
It only took a moment to swing by Katie’s room and ask her to handle Marty’s bedtime routine. She was reading a book and folded the page to mark her spot. I couldn’t detect any annoyance at being interrupted. Instead she seemed happy to help.
“Do you need help with anything else?”
“No, I’m going to call it a night.” I tugged at my shirt.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll see to it that Marty gets to bed.” Katie smiled.
“Thank you.” When I got to my room, I closed the door and leaned against it. There was a prince somewhere in my house, doing God knows what. I let someone else handle my son’s bedtime routine. And I was very close to falling apart.
I stripped as I walked to my bathroom and turned the water to scalding. Without thinking, I stepped in and let the water run over my body. It only took a few minutes before the tears started and mixed with the water running over my face.
There was a sense of relief, knowing that no one was waiting on me, there was nothing that I had to do right that moment, and I just let myself cry. I cried until the water turned cold and then cried some more.
By the time I dragged myself out of the bathroom, I could barely hold my eyes open. I wanted nothing more than to fall on my bed, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I checked on Marty one more time.
Grabbing one of the throw blankets from a chair, I wrapped it around my shoulders and tiptoed down the hallway. Holding my breath, I opened the door and hoped that it wouldn’t creak. Sticking my head in, I listened to his steady breathing and sighed.
I could sleep now.
Back in my room, I crawled on top of the blankets and let myself fall into oblivion.
TEN
SOMETHING NUDGED MY foot and I jerked awake.
“Don’t you have a castle of your own somewhere?” Meredith’s father stared down at me.
“Yes, sir, I do.” I sat up and chose to ignore his sarcasm.
“Then why are you sleeping on my sofa?” He sat down in the chair across from me.
“It was rather late last night for me to make the drive home.” The butler had offered me a guest room, but I had declined. I didn’t want Meredith to feel like I was trying to move in and take over. Though I had accepted a room for my bodyguard.
“And what? You just came for a visit?”
The last few times I had seen this man, his eyes had been blurry and his voice had been heavy. Right now, he was alert, if irritable.
“Yes, sir. Marty and I went fishing.” I tugged at the collar of my shirt. The couch hadn’t exactly been the most comfortable place to sleep.
“Fishing.” He grunted. “Boy would spend his life fishing if he could.”
“He certainly seemed at home out there.” I looked around on the floor for my shoes. I had kicked them off at some point during the night.
“Why are you really here?”
“What do you mean?” I tried to keep calm, but I wasn’t known for being overly sociable. Especially in the morning.
“Did the queen send you to make sure we didn’t do anything wrong?” He grunted. “Keep the dirty cousins from making a scene?”
“No, I’m here to help Meredith.” I paused for a moment. “And you.”
“Help us with what exactly?” He ran his hand along the arm of the chair he was sitting in.
“Helping with the ceremony, keeping Marty busy . . .” I was running out of polite explanations. I didn’t care if the old man wanted to make an ass out of himself, but I did care about how it affected Meredith and Marty.
“That’s it?” He drummed his fingers on the chair.
“I also agreed to be a pallbearer.” I shrugged and ran a hand across the back of my neck. Having a conversation with the man who tried to hit Meredith was pushing my patience.
“Where’s your bodyguard?” He leaned back in his chair.
“I don’t require him all the time.” I narrowed my eyes.
“Huh.” He grunted again and his eyes flicked toward the liquor cabinet in the corner of the room.
“A little early to be hitting the drink, isn’t it?” I didn’t regret the words¸ which was probably a bad thing.