Fresh from her conversation with Liam Heather’s emotions had been raw but after just a couple of minutes and some reassuring words from her chosen man she is back to her strong and confident self. It was good to see, though I treasured the fact that she allowed herself to be vulnerable with me as well. No woman had ever leaned on me like this or expected so much from me but far from it being a burden it made me feel…empowered.

  “You are right.” She pats my chest. “We will cross this bridge.”

  “Together.”

  “Together.” She smiles. Heather runs her fingers around the neck of my shirt, she smooths the fabric over my shoulders and down my belly, and she teases and arranges my bangs just so before finally leaning in for a kiss. Her touching me and fussing over me soothes her like my words never could, and it does wonders for me as well. “I love my son and Liam has grown into a proud man but…in so many ways he is still just a boy.” By her tone I swear she was about to add ‘not like you’ but she doesn’t actually say it. Her left hand glides down to rub my tummy. “Have you two had lunch yet?”

  “Mm.” I shake my head no.

  “I’m making us grilled cheese.”

  “Mm!”

  It is no surprise to me that Heather’s sandwiches go way above and beyond the white bread around a processed cheese slice that I would have prepared. She caramelizes some onions, uses three kinds of real cheese, and prepares some sort of dijon mustard sauce as a dip. As she does all of that she has me slice some pickles, vegetables and fruit for the side. It is only when she is pting that I notice not only that she’d somehow grilled little hearts into the bread of Mia and I’s sandwich but that she’d mine a double-decker! As always Heather’s prince is fed like a king.

  The sun is still bright, the breeze is still fresh, the food delicious as usual, and the conversation a delight as Heather and I enjoy our lunch. Though it pyed on our thoughts Liam’s nasty interruption is filed away under ‘deal with that ter’. Today was way too nice to let it be spoiled.

  We were just cleaning up and discussing when to get the internet hooked up, something that I wasn’t nearly as in a rush to do as I would have been when I first arrived, when a bright-eyed Mia comes floating out of the spare room. The way she walked it looked like a hundred pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  “There she is!” Heather says cheerfully. “Did you have a good nap, darlin?”

  “Yes, Auntie Heather.” Mia replies with her signature sweetness. “Thanks to Elliot.” Hands down in front of her and her head bowed Mia approaches me, clearly wanting a hug but not wanting to initiate it. There is no hesitation on my part as I take her in my arms. “Mmmm.” She ys her head on my shoulder and whispers. “I can’t remember the st time I slept so good. No dreams just…sleep.” She sighs. “Thank you, Sir.”

  I kiss her cheek. “It was my pleasure, Princess.”

  Heather stands beaming at seeing her niece so happy. “We made you some lunch.”

  Slipping from my arms Mia hurries over to Heather and hugs her as well. “Thank you.” The heartfelt emotion in her voice told us she was thanking her for a lot more than the grilled cheese.

  “Anytime, darlin.” Heather kisses her head. “It’s nice to see that smile again.”

  Heather sits Mia down at the table. As she pulls the pstic wrap from Mia’s pte and serves her I bring her a gss of the lemonade she’d made earlier. Working together we help make Mia feel like the precious princess that she was. Putting the cleaning up on hold we sit with her to keep her company as she eats.

  “I saw you talking with one of your frisbee friends.” Heather says to me.

  “Oh, uh, yeah.” I say. “That was Coop and Cee-Cee. I guess the guys are getting together tomorrow to practice. He was wondering if I wanted to join them.”

  “Oh! That’s nice.” Heather says.

  “They’re really into these disk sports, I guess. They liked what they saw the other day and they’re hoping I might be a substitute for them.”

  “You must be very good.” Mia says between nibbles.

  “He is!” Heather answers.

  “I told him that I wasn’t sure if I’d be free tomorrow.” I say. “If you wanted to do something else…”

  “Pish.” She waves a hand. “Go py with your friends. It’s good for guys to spend time with guys.”

  “They said you’re free to come watch. I guess the other girlfriends do.”

  “I’ll be there.” Heather nods, seemingly without a care that most of them would be half her age.

  “May…I come and watch you, Sir?”

  “Um…”

  “Of course you can.” Heather pats her hand. “We’ll get all the gals over to cheer him on.”

  “Umm…all of them?” I say.

  “We need to break the big news to everyone sooner rather than ter. We’ll have a nice family get-together, like we used to do.” Heather says, switching from patting Mia’s hand to rubbing my arm. “Lily was coming over tomorrow anyway and I’m sure Julie would be free.”

  “Julie’s always free.” Giggles Mia before turning her big green eyes back to me to ask again. “May I come and watch, Sir?”

  “Mia.” Heather tilts her head. “I already said you c…” Her voice fades as she notices how Mia’s attention not only remained locked on me but her demeanor had become soft and submissive. “Oh.”

  “Please, Sir?”

  “Uh….” At first I didn’t know what to say. Coop said I could invite Heather but now it appeared that I was going to have an entire cheer section! It was going to look weird as hell to say the least. But…Heather wanted the family there to show support and I was loathe to deny her. Besides, how could I say no to those big, emerald peepers of Mia’s. “Of course, Mia.”

  “Thank you.” She smiles. “I bet you’ll be the best one there.”

  “Erm, I’m still a rookie at this stuff.” I say. “And it’s just practice.”

  Unfazed she says softly. “I’m sure you’ll be the best.”

  “Of course he will.” Heather agrees wholeheartedly.

  The gals start talking about something else leaving me to wonder how I was going to expin this tomorrow. Those thoughts however shift quickly to thinking about the meeting with the family. It was going to be interesting to say the least. There would be the tension of Rebecca’s disapproval, which might turn outright hostile once she learned that Mia and I had been together, and there would be awkwardness of sussing out who among them had passed on the news of my presence to Liam but there would also be the excitement of letting the family know that Heather and I would be bonded along with seeing the reaction of the women to the family suddenly having a Prince in their midst.

  From there my thoughts turn strategic. Liam had waged a war against me and though he’d emerged victorious every other time that he and I had cshed this was a battle I needed to win. Not simply win, but win in the right way. For Heather’s sake, for the family’s sake, I had to aim for at least a truce. As with any war allies would be key. When he arrived on Friday having as much of a united front as possible would only be a good thing. I knew that I had Heather and Mia on my side. Lily was cool but she and Liam had always been close and she was definitely weirded out by my presence in the family so, for the time being, I had to consider her to be in Liam’s camp. Rebecca and her husband was going to be a problem, a problem that I might never solve. By my calcution that made it three to two with Julie as the x-factor. Based on a few things she’d said I think she could be easily swayed to team Elliot, and there was no time like the present to begin my charm offensive.

  “Heather?” I ask as soon as the opportunity presented it self.

  “Yes, handsome?”

  Fuck that felt nice. Every damn time. “Would you mind if I, uh, broke the news to Julie myself?”

  “Oh?”

  “I was hoping to tease her a bit.” I grin. “Have a bit of fun with her before the news.”

  “What are you up to you, scamp?”

  Mia titters as she picks up on my pyful energy.

  I shrug. “She’s brash and bold and she’s got a sense of humor. She seems like the type of gal to enjoy a bratty ‘honey hole’.”

  “She is!” Mia confirms.

  “I thought I’d mess with her a bit tonight before dropping the big news. Get off on the right foot, ya know?”

  “Get off, huh?”

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  “Our angel’s gotten his wings, I see.” Heather raises a brow to Mia. “I suppose I should bme you for this?”

  Mia hides her face and bursts into a case of the full blown giggles. “He he he! It wasn’t me!” Her ughter is bright and merry and a joy to the ear as the ghosts of her past are momentarily forgotten.

  “Mia might have shown me the way but you opened the door, my love.” I quip. “How about it?”

  “I think you should let him!” Mia peeps, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

  “And I think Little Miss Gigglebutt should finish her lunch and quit taking sides.” She pinches her niece’s cheek.

  “He he he he!”

  Heather rolls her eyes even as she chuckles. “I can see that you’re going to be nothing but trouble, Elliot. Julie is enough of a handful by herself without you encouraging her ya know.”

  With a ugh I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Is that a yes? Mm?”

  “Fine. Go have your fun then.” She says with a swat to my arm. “Scamp!”

  “Ha ha!” I kiss her again then turn my attention to the smiling Mia. “But first, I have a princess to escort back to her tower.”