Chapter 9
Spencer
T
he next day, I send a text on the group chat brOBEER.
I’m still not sure what I’m doing, but whatever it is, it has to do with their sister and the princes deserve to know what I’m thinking.
Even if it wasn’t about Lyra, I’d still want to talk to them.
Kalle has the obligatory pint waiting as I slide onto one of the stools before the bar. Bo and Gunnar are already there, playfully arguing about some childhood slight. Odin sent his regrets from Saint Pierre. I’ll call him later.
“Are you here to tell us what Lyra is up to?” Kalle asks, planting both hands on the bar as he leans over it.
He took over The King’s Hat after he got out of sports, and before he got into being a prince. He hired his best friend, Edie England, to run the place.
Fast forward, and Kalle and Edie are now engaged, the royal wedding fast approaching. Edie handed over the management to Mabel Crow, sister of Bo’s wife, because learning to be a queen takes up a lot of time.
These days, Kalle and Edie both spend more time with their royal duties but both still like to show their faces at the pub as much as they can.
And thanks to the free beer, we still meet here when there’s a reason to.
Kalle’s question stops the discussion. “I haven’t heard anything,” I tell them. “And I don’t expect to.”
“Odin says she’s in Saint Pierre,” Bo offers.
“That’s where you’re going to get the info from. It’s supposed to be radio silence, kind of like all of them are sequestered. At least that’s what I remember from when Odin did the show.”
“But he wasn’t gone for that long,” Gunnar points out.
“I don’t think he appreciates people bringing that up,” I say, picking up my glass.
Gunnar and Bo follow suit, and Kalle waves at us to wait while he pours himself a beer. And then we drink in unison.
I wonder what it would be like to slowly sip a beer with the princes.
Kalle is the first to admit defeat this time, unusual because even all these years, there’s no way I can keep up with the steel-lined stomachs of the Erickson brothers.
And Lyra. She can almost drink her brothers under the table.
“Too much head,” Kalle grumbles as I set my glass down, a respectful half empty.
Gunnar gives it a good try, but only Bo is able to finish the entire pint with one breath.
“Do you know how many pints we go through when you guys do that?” Edie asks, standing beside Kalle and pulling glasses and bottles down. “They see you do that, and everyone here wants to try.”
“It means we sell more.” Kalle refills Bo’s glass. “Good for business. Speaking of Lyra business—”
“Which we weren’t,” Gunnar interrupts.
“Which we are,” Kalle counters. “Apparently, the show asked some guys from here to join the cast. Some kid Lyra went to school with, and Jonathan.”
I watch Edie mix drinks and process what Kalle just said.
They asked some guys from Battle Harbour.
Not me. No one asked me. Did Lyra give suggestions? Did she have a list of men she wanted to get to know, and I wasn’t on it?
“That would have been hilarious,” Gunnar says, not bothering to hide his laughter. “Lyra can’t stand Jonathan.”
“Lyra can’t stand a lot of people,” Bo points out.
Lyra never would have suggested Jonathan McKibbon. Never.
Ever.
“Odin said they were looking for architecture types?” Gunnar shakes his head. “I don’t get it.”
“Archetypes?” Edie suggests, trying to hide her smile. “Like characters from a book.”
“I thought these were real guys.”
“They are, but they’ve got certain types—athletes, and heroes, and brother’s best friends,” Edie explains. “You need to read more romance novels.”
“And have Duncan looking at me from the cover every time I pick it up?” Gunnar shivers. “No, thank you. Besides, I don’t need to read any romance. It’s not like I need help in that department.”
Edie rolls her eyes and I try to smother my laugh. Kalle doesn’t even try.
Bo, on the other hand, is still on the Lyra topic. “They didn’t ask you?” he demands of me. “If they want these types of guys? You’re our best friend so—”
“No. I’m with Abigail, though.” I swallow painfully. “Was.”
Bo holds my gaze for a long moment.
“Was with Abigail,” I admit. “She, uh, ended things yesterday.”
“Why?” Gunnar demands. “Did you do something?”
I glance at Edie, who is looking at me with as much confused concern as the boys.
It’s never me that needs to get stuff off my chest. I’m always the one listening to Gunnar or Kalle…
even Bo sometimes, although his lack of romantic entanglements over the years makes sense now that I know he was still completely in love with Hettie the whole time.
“Lyra.” My shoulders slump. “Abigail thinks there’s something there.”
“Because there is,” Gunnar says with emphasis.
“I don’t know,” I argue. “Can you actually see Lyra and me? We fight all the time.”
“I don’t want—” Kalle, in full big-brother mode, begins to bluster, but Edie holds up her hand.
“When you and Lyra are together, you lean toward each other,” she says simply. “It’s quite fascinating to watch. It’s like you both have some magnetic pull.”
“We don’t.”
“You kind of do,” Gunnar agrees. “I’ve seen it too, but I just thought she lost her balance.”
“Or drank too much,” Bo adds.
“But she doesn’t…” I trail off as Gunnar raises his eyebrows. “Does she?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Bo asks. “And it seems that’s what Abigail is telling you to find out.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” I scoff. “Lyra is on Saint Pierre, surrounded by cameras and men. All these men who want to fall in love with her. How am I supposed to figure out anything?”“You need to get on the show,” Gunnar suggests.
Me as part of The Suitorette? That’s the last thing I want. Constantly being on camera and media attention and lack of privacy aren’t things I strive for. But it kind of makes sense in a strange, there-may-be-aliens-out-there type of way. Like it’s completely crazy.
Why would I want to do that to myself?
Edie gives me a knowing smile as she takes the drink to a table across the room.
“What show?” Bo asks with confusion.
Gunnar punches his shoulder. “What show do you think? I thought it already started.”
“You’re going on The Suitorette?” Kalle all but shouts. “Lyra’s show?”
“What?” Bo blusters. “How? Why? Abigail.”
I take a gulp of beer for courage and hold up my hand. “One at a time. The Suitorette show. It makes sense. I think… I think I’ll offer myself up as the brother’s best friend, if that’s what they’re looking for.”
“Are you serious?” Bo asks.
I nod slowly, still not certain, but leaning that way. “And it’s over with Abigail,” I tell him quietly. “Her choice.”
“Were looking for,” Kalle points out. “They were looking for a brother’s best friend.”
“They won’t say no to him. So you’re going after our sister?” Gunnar folds his arms over his chest. “Rebound much?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Can we not call her ‘your sister’ in this conversation?” Bo begs. “Just Lyra is good. I don’t want it to get weird.”
“Is this going to be weird?” I ask. “Because that’s why I’m here, to give you a heads up. And to deal with any fallout.”
“How can we deal with fallout when you haven’t done anything?” Kalle points out. “Or have you?”
“You broke up with Abigail?” Bo demands. “There’ll be fallout from that from Hettie.”
“It was Abigail’s decision,” I say in a heavy voice. “She told me to go figure things out with Lyra. And now I need to know what you guys think.”
Kalle looks at Bo, who turns to Gunnar. “Are you asking for our approval?” Kalle asks.
“I don’t know how I feel about this.” Gunnar scrubs at his forehead. “You’ve always been paired up with Lyra in my mind, and then you weren’t.”
“Because he was with Abigail,” Bo growls.
“And now I’m not. Still friends, still care about her, but we’re over.” It’s easier every time I say it.
“Hettie’s going to kill you,” Bo warns.
“No, she won’t, because it wouldn’t have been fair if Spence had stuck around when he had feelings for Lyra.”
I turn to Kalle, the biggest, the broadest, and the smartest. According to him, anyway. “You can see it?”
“A blind man could see it,” Gunnar drawls.
Kalle frowns. “This is our little sister we’re talking about.”
“She’s a handful,” Gunnar adds. “And like Bo said, let’s use her name rather than focus on the sister aspect.”
“She deserves to be with a man who will make her happy,” Bo corrects. “You think that’s you?”
I run a hand through my hair. “I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe?”
“Are you asking for our blessing?” Kalle wants to know. “Because I did that with Edie’s dad and it didn’t go down like this.”
“I’m so sick of everyone getting married,” Gunnar bursts out, dropping his head onto the bar. “There’s so much pressure and me and Stella are not there yet.”
The outburst temporarily silences us. “Dude,” Bo says finally. “This isn’t about you.”
Gunnar lifts his head. “I know, but I had to get it out there. So. Much. Pressure. Please don’t marry her,” he begs me. “At least not right away.”
“I think that might be getting a little ahead of ourselves,” Kalle cautions, which mirrors my thoughts exactly.
“When you know, you know,” Bo says sagely, pushing his glass back to Kalle for a refill.
Also my thought.
“I don’t know what will happen, but I want to see her.
” I take a deep breath, wishing we were talking about just a girl, rather than their sister.
But Lyra has never been just a girl, and that’s the whole problem.
“I want to spend some time with her. I need to see if I have to fight for her, if this is my last chance.”
“Leaving it a bit late, aren’t you?” Bo asks drily.
“Maybe. Hopefully not. I just don’t know, you know?”
“I’ve never known you not to know something,” Gunnar points out.
Bo huffs a laugh.
“Are you all right with it?” I ask, turning to each of them.
Regardless of how he feels about Abigail and me, Bo is the first to clap a meaty hand on my shoulder. “Yes.” His voice is gruff. “You’re our brother.”
“And if you and Lyra got together, that would make it really real,” Gunnar adds. “Not that it’s not real.”
“All of us would be honoured to call you brother-in-law.” Kalle offers me his hand.
“But don’t get married,” Gunnar groans. “Don’t do that to me. Not yet, please.”
“I’m not promising anything,” I tell Gunnar. “But okay. I’m going to do this.” I finish the rest of my beer too quickly and it almost comes up my nose. “I’m going to Saint Pierre to fight for your sister.”
“Best of luck.” Kalle raises his glass and the others follow. “You’re going to need it.”