Harry called back to him. “Seriously, Ryder, maybe Father knows you better than you believe.”
Interesting. Did Ryder not think his father knew him?
“It was likely Gio. Or, most probably, I just got lucky here with Nicole.”
“Ryder’s always been the lucky one,” Emily added.
Maybe it was fate. In my meditations, I’d hoped for a soul mate and to fall in love with a good man. Ryder seemed to get me a little, and I enjoyed spending time with him. Anything was possible, right?
He hugged me closer and said, “I’m glad we were wrong about each other when we first met.”
A zap rushed through me and I gazed into his mesmerizing eyes. I swallowed and said, “Me, too.”
Emily called over her shoulder to us, “Tell us how you two misunderstood each other, at dinner.”
I had five sisters. Emily was easy to get to know and not stuck up, even though she was a real-life princess. Perhaps it had something to do with the diet of sandwiches in her life, but I didn’t mention it. As we walked into a dining hall with a long table that could easily seat fifty guests, and that held three centerpieces, I held my breath. Only in old movies had I ever seen anything like this, but I tried to breathe normally.
“Right, Nicole, let’s go and get our seats. Before everyone gets here, we need to discuss the wedding, so we have some say before my father takes over.”
He showed me to my seat and held my chair for me to scoot in. Once I did, he took the seat beside me.
“Yes, let’s talk about it. But please don’t forget that one of my sisters arrives on Friday. If we’re having a fast wedding, I’d like her here.”
“Of course,” he said and moved closer to me.
Thankfully, I had him. It was so easy to fall into pretending that Ryder and I had met the old-fashioned way, and this wasn’t all a contract. And I kept wondering, what if we were destined to be together, and we were a real couple? I wanted to believe that more than anything else.
Chapter 10
Ryder
Nicole and I spent most of the dinner together, without much interference from my father. He spoke to his guests and my brother, Harry.
With Nicole, though, it was like I had someone close who might care a little about me, so being ignored as usual was a good thing.
The food tasted better to me as I watched her enjoy it. And in between courses we talked about everything from solar power to pop music. Then dessert was served,multekrem, a mix of cloudberries, whipped cream and sugar.
Nicole’s pretty brown eyes lighted up as she tasted it, so I knew she must like it. As she finished her first bite, I said, “The sooner we get to retire, the better. That’s all I really want.”
My father, King Sven, suddenly folded his hands and his blue eyes bore into me as he said, “Son, you and your fiancée can take your time with planning your wedding.”
“No.” I stiffened. “We both want to move on quickly.”
Nicole took my hand and then said to my father, “I want my sister, Stephanie, here.”
He motioned with his hand. “We can fly your whole family in.”
Her lips curved in a smile and she nodded. “I don’t know what they are doing, but thank you. I will ask them.”
I curved my fingers around hers more tightly and asked, “Does this satisfy you, Father?”
My father, always on the edge of his seat, ready to impose his royal authority, started, “I was hoping we could plan more of a proper royal wedding.”
The tic in my jaw returned. I couldn’t hide it.
My sister jumped into the conversation and said, “Dad, they’re in love. They want to be with each other. You must remember what it was like when you married Mom.”
He turned his attention to Emily and the tension in my body eased a little as he said, “Your mother and I were… different.”
