14. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Finley
“Chew, Lorelei,” I instruct as I prepare another sugar tablet in my hand. We’ve already given her two cups of apple juice, and this will be her second sugar tablet in the span of thirty minutes as we sit on the floor in her living room.
Turns out Lorelei is hypoglycemic, and I’m not the cause of her weak knees and racing heart and sweaty palms.
“I’m chewing as fast as I can,” she mumbles between jaw movements. Then she sips on her third glass of juice. She’s no longer sweating or shivering. Instead, she’s barely making eye contact with me and is careful not to touch me when she accepts the sugar tablet from my hand.
“Why did you let your sugar drop like that, Lor? That’s not like you. What happened?” Lucy asks as the cats who have been glued to Lorelei’s side continue to lick their paws.
Lorelei flicks her eyes to me before looking back towards her sister who sits beside me with her legs tucked underneath her holding the rag we were using to dab Lorelei’s sweaty forehead.
“I got sucked into that book you recommended.”
“Still. You are always on top of your game. You take care of yourself.”
Lorelei sips the rest of the juice down and whispers, “I’m not perfect. I have bad days, too.”
Lucy immediately takes her hand. “What happened?”
Lorelei fidgets with her pant legs, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. She looks at me then back to her sister. “Can we talk later?”
I receive the memo and stand. “Well, ladies. It’s getting late and it appears like everything is under control here. Lucy, thank you for a great evening. Lorelei, I hope we can talk soon. Kryaa paa diig. Feel better.” She nods, and Lucy smiles softly, mouthing “thank you” as she continues to rub the back of Lorelei’s hand.
I spot the flower crown on the floor where I tossed it as Lorelei fell, so I pick it up and give it to her before leaving. Her cats nuzzle against my hand as Lorelei takes the crown from me, and she gawks at them like it’s odd behavior. It grants me a tinge of joy as it seems her felines approve of me.
As I’m walking down the steps, I verbally pray, “Lord, please work this out. I don’t understand why this happened, why the girls switched, but I know You arrange all things for a purpose, and if You laid it on their hearts to switch places, it must have been for Your purpose. All I know is that I don’t think any other woman would satisfy me the way Lorelei does. I don’t even know why she does, but I can’t deny the feelings I have coupled with what I do know about her. She’s got to be it. Please, God. Work this out for Your—and my—good.”
Gabriel and Anders are standing outside the black SUV when I get to the bottom of the stairs.
Anders smirks. “You have it bad, Your Highness.”
I shrug, unable and unwilling to deny it. Gabriel chuckles and shakes his head.
“Let’s go home,” I say, already opening the door to my beloved sports car. The men follow suit and tail me all the way back to the cabin.
Once we are back, I close myself in my room to contemplate everything I’ve discovered today:
I was falling for Lorelei, not Lucy.
Lucy and Lorelei are truly very different women.
According to Lucy, Lorelei has never dated nor kissed a man.
Also according to Lucy, Lorelei is not great with emotions.
It was probably a really stupid move to put her on the spot tonight.
I will do anything to make Lorelei my queen. Not because she’s a good candidate but because I have never felt this way about another woman before.
My father is adamantly looking for a lead on the stalker while Mamma is freaking out that I may choose an American girl over Her Royal Highness Karin of Vespen.
Lucy gave me the rundown on all things Lorelei, and while some of it was intimidating, I also found Lorelei more and more intriguing. I’m excited to discover her for myself, to pry open the emotions of Lorelei Raine Spence… What a beautiful name she has.
Lorelei Raine Andersson…
Even more beautiful.
Her Highness the Queen of Korsa Lorelei Raine Anderson.
Perfection.
In the middle of my night time daydreams about the woman I pray and hope to woo, my phone buzzes with a video chat request from Astrid.
“Haalaa.” She waves, her bright blue eyes and shiny blonde hair reflecting the daylight. From the roses and peonies behind her, I gather she’s in the Royal Gardens. “You’re up late.”
I grin an admittedly tired but hopeful smile as I talk in my native tongue. “You won’t believe what happened…” I spill everything to Astrid. About how the twins switched, how I fell for Lorelei, how I have plans to win the heart of the woman who’s never been in love.
“So, she threw up when you told her who you were, and then she almost fainted when you presented her with a handmade gift and knelt down to propose dating with marriage intentions in mind.”
I brush off her words. “First off, she vomited because I was presenting the information to her as if I wanted Lucy. Secondly, her blood sugar was low tonight. And she has no idea about our customs and how we kneel and present a handmade gift to propose a serious relationship. I never got the chance to explain due to the almost fainting thing.”
Astrid rolls her eyes. “I support you, broor, but I don’t think this woman is going to go for you. She sounds like she doesn’t match who you are. You’re an outgoing, sociable man. You two might be too different for each other.”
“That’s why I like her, systeer. She balances me. You know, you and I—or even Father and I—get into trouble when we are together, but when I’m with Johan or Mamma, I’m balanced.” I think about how grounded I feel when I’m with Lorelei. How she makes me feel like I can rest, relax, and breathe. “She’s my mysaa.”
Astrid stares at me through the screen, her eyes growing round before a smile creeps up her face, causing little wrinkles in the outside corners of her eyes. “I absolutely cannot wait to meet this woman. When are you bringing her to Korsa?”
“Whenever she actually agrees to date me. Did you forget the little fact that she hasn’t yet?”
“Call me a hopeless romantic.” She flips her luscious blonde hair. If Astrid were a male, she’d look like me. And if I were a female, well, you get the point. “I never thought there would be a woman who was able to captivate you and intrigue you long enough for you to actually consider marriage. Which means…” She frowns as she trails off, then she looks off in the distance. The sun shines brightly, and I find myself wishing it was morning already here. “Which means I need to ask… Are you pursuing this woman because you have to have a wife to take the throne, or do you truly love her? Or at least, think you can love her? Because if you’re trying to protect the crown from passing to me…”
I cut her off. “I know you are perfectly capable of marrying any man. You have a long list of suitors who would love to tie you down and rule side by side with you. But I know you don’t want that, Astrid. And you have so much life ahead of you. I’ve lived enough, and I’m ready to accept this responsibility.”
She stares into my soul, her mouth twisting. “You didn’t answer my original question.”
I breathe, admitting to myself—and now to my sister. “I love her, Astrid. Don’t ask me to explain it. I’ve rarely said those words to any woman I’ve dated, and usually when I did, it was because they said it first and I felt obligated. But with Lorelei,” I can’t help the smile that captures my expression, “I mean it. She’s it for me. I feel it in my soul, in my bones. And she is the woman Korsa needs. More importantly, the woman I need.”
My sister slowly smiles, hearts practically pounding out of her eyes. Then sternly, she says, “If you don’t bring her here within a month, I’m coming to you. At that point, your usual charms haven’t worked, and I need to step in.”
We both laugh, but I fear she might have to. I have a habit of coming on too strong, and most ladies eat it up, but Lorelei? That is going to push her far, far away from me.
And that’s not the kingdom I’m hoping she’ll rule.
I continue to tell Astrid about how the stalker struck again. “It’s frustrating because this feels personal. They aren’t leaking photos to the press. They aren’t giving the press my location. They are only sending photos to Mamma, apparently. We must know this person.”
Astrid hums in agreement. “I’ve thought about it, and I have suspicions that Karin may have hired someone to interrupt your dates…”
I grimace and run a hand through my hair. “Yeah, that’s what I was beginning to suspect, too. Father spoke with Anders, Gabriel, and me tonight. We told him that we thought Karin might be involved. He will speak with her father.”
“I hope they don’t get deadly like that one time Johan was stalked as a teenager,” Astrid whispers, and I nod.
“Regardless, we are safe. Anders and Gabriel are great at what they do. We will get the guy.”
My finger hovers over the send button.
I read the text over one more time, looking for any spelling errors, grammatical errors, or utter nonsense. While Lucy wouldn’t have minded, Lorelei will. I have to present my best, smartest, most composed self moving forward.
Good morning, Lorelei. I pray you received plenty of rest last night and are feeling better. I would like to speak with you about my dating proposal last night. I meant every word of it, and I’m sure your sister has filled you in on everything by this point. When you’re ready, please reach out and let’s set up a time to talk in person. No rush.
It sounds good to me, but then again, am I being too formal for a man who is wishing to pursue a woman? I begin to delete the message.
“Are you requesting her presence at a state dinner or whatever it is you royals attend frequently?” Mason’s deep timber startles me, and I do the unthinkable…
My finger hits the send button.
I had deleted all the way up to the “I meant every word of it, and” and apparently prior to the accidental send, autotext had typed the words “I want kids.”
I stare at the screen with a dropped jaw and seething thoughts towards Mason Kane.
Good morning, Lorelei. I pray you got plenty of rest last night and are feeling better. I would like to speak with you about my dating proposal last night. I meant every word of it, and I want kids
How did this even happen? Is this from texting my brother the other day about how he wanted kids but couldn’t have them because of his condition?
Stupid predictive text technology.
I didn’t mean that last part. It was an accident.
I do want kids. One day. But not anytime soon.
I’m fumbling this. Big time.
Let’s talk soon. In person. Not about kids.
Mason is roaring with laughter while I slowly die inside. I stare at the evidence of my overactive brain and then click the side button of my phone, watching the screen darken… just like my mood.
I shift my glare at Mason, who doesn’t bother to do me the decency of ceasing his laughter. Instead, my glower elicits another round of howling laughter from Mason.
“She’s going to find that absolutely charming or absolutely insane. There’s no in between, my friend.” Mason slaps me on the back before going to rummage through the refrigerator.
“I’m not one to typically play the blame game, but dude. You may have just ruined my life.”
Mason chugs an energy drink, something he’s been doing a lot lately as he bounces between here and Nashville. “You sent the message.”
“You loomed over my shoulder and frightened me.”
“And we are at an impasse. Should I call Braxton to settle this?” Mason plops down in his chair, and I take my usual position on the couch, placing my phone next to me. At that moment, it vibrates. I eye my phone as if it might bite me.
Finally, I pick it up.
Lorelei.
“I don’t know if I can read this,” I say.
Mason snickers. “I swear you can be such a woman sometimes.”
I roll my eyes and toss my phone at him. “Emotional men exist, Mason. Maybe if you were one, you wouldn’t have left Karoline alone for three years.” After the words leave my mouth, I immediately regret them. “I’m so sorry, man.” I can’t say I don’t mean them because I do.
He swipes my phone and grins. “You’re not wrong. But God worked it all out in His timing. I was plenty emotional. Just didn’t know what to do with them other than bleed into songs like a tortured country poet.”
I nod as Mason reads whatever text is on my phone, his smile widening, which in turn causes my heart to beat a little faster. It must be a good message, right?
Mason clears his throat, then says, “Thank you for checking on me. I want kids in the future, too. Let’s meet up at Books and Beans tomorrow for lunch.”
“She really said that?” I rocket to my feet and am standing in front of Mason after two long strides. I hold out my hand, and he slaps his hand into mine. “Phone, Mason,” I rumble in a commanding tone.
He laughs but obliges me.
I read the text, and sure enough, it’s exactly what he told me she said.
But then I wonder if Lucy actually wrote it because I’m having a hard time believing that Lorelei would have responded that quickly and with that much ease. “Do you think she wrote it or her sister?”
Mason shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t know the two of them well enough.”
“Pft. Some help you are. Speaking of, did you know about the twin switch situation?”
Mason sheepishly grins, crossing his hands behind his head full of thick, dark brown hair. “Yes, I knew about it. But I was sworn to secrecy by Karoline. Braxton must have sworn secrecy to Hadley because I tried to get him to confess that he knew, but the man would give me nothing.”
I click my tongue. “You both better sleep with one eye open. There will be revenge.” But then I laugh because there is literally no point in getting worked up and angry. I understand why the girls did it, and Lucy has apologized. Lorelei made herself physically ill over the lie. I’m in love with her, and love excuses a lot of things apparently. I’m just ready to move on. With Lorelei, preferably.
“Do you think Lucy wrote this?” I question again.
“Just ask her.” Anders shuffles into the room, already dressed in a suit while I still sport my sweaty workout clothes from my morning run.
“Want me to do it for you?” Gabriel follows Anders out. “You said Lucy was into me, right? I will happily talk to the pretty, bubbly redhead.”
“This house is getting too crowded,” I mumble loudly enough for everyone to hear me.
Mason pops to his feet and stretches. “Well, I’ll be out of here in two and a half months and living it up with my wife in Nashville. Thank goodness Hadley decided to open a store there. I don’t think I could have handled going between here and Nashville for much longer.”
“Try going between here and Korsa.”
Anders and Gabriel nod in agreement.
Mason claps me on the back again. Why are American men like this? “Go get Lorelei to fall in love with you and then whisk her away.” His face grows solemn. “But promise me we will stay in touch.”
The sincerity in his voice tugs at my heart. “Of course, Mason. In fact, I’ll have you play at my coronation.”
Anders audibly gasps.
“Country twang at your coronation?” Gabriel asks with a bewildered expression.
I grin at my PPOs. “Yep. I have to show the country just where half my heart now resides.”
As the words leave my mouth, I know they’re true. I’ve traveled the world, but no place has captured my soul like this little town.
Or the woman who calls it home.