do know you don’t have to address those concerns yet, though, don’t you?’
Very slowly, he turned back to her. Her face wasn’t full of sympathy, but rather no-nonsense practicality.
‘You can find out who this sibling is and then make the decision about whether to approach them or not.’
She had a point. In fact she made a very good point. He straightened. If all was well and good in his sibling’s life, he could walk away without a pang.
Liar.
If all weren’t well, maybe he’d find a way to help them anonymously.
Or maybe he’d introduce himself. Maybe he’d give family another shot and—
He clenched his eyes and closed his mind to that possibility. It was too soon to think about it, too soon to get caught up in the fairy tale Nell harboured—that this would end well for everyone. This was the real world and, more often than not, in the real world things didn’t work out.
That didn’t change the fact that on this point she was right—he didn’t need to make every decision at this current moment in time. He went to reach for the envelope when she said, ‘It’s also occurred to me...’
She bit her lip. It made her look incredibly young. He pulled his hand back. ‘What?’
She grimaced. ‘What if John left a letter for your sibling with sleazy solicitor Garside—to be opened at some future date?’
He stiffened.
‘What if at some time in the future this sibling turns up on your doorstep? Wouldn’t it be better to...’ She trailed off as if she didn’t know how to finish that sentence despite all of her surface polish.
His hand clenched to a fist. ‘You’re saying forewarned is forearmed?’
They stared at each other for a moment. Eventually she shook her head. ‘I don’t know what I’m saying.’
Her chin lifted. ‘Yes, I do. I’m saying read the darn letter, Rick, and then maybe you’ll enjoy your cupcake.’
It surprised a laugh out of him. The Princess had changed from the shy little kid and the awkward teenager. He wanted to ask her about the transformation, only he suspected she’d chide him for changing the subject and avoiding the obvious.
And she’d probably be right.
He tore open the letter. He tried not to think too hard about what he was doing. It didn’t stop the skin of his scalp tightening over until it became one big prickling itch.
The envelope contained a single sheet of folded paper. His hand trembled—just for a fraction of a second—and that sign of weakness make him want to smash something. He glanced at Nell to see if she’d noticed, but she was intent on reducing her cupcake to a pile of crumbs. He let out a breath and unfolded the sheet of paper.
He stared and stared.
And then he let loose with the rudest word he knew.
Nell jumped. Her chin shot up. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Sorry,’ he growled. Not that he felt the least bit remorseful.
She moistened her bottom lip and he was suddenly and ravenously hungry. For a moment it seemed that if he could lose himself in her for an hour he’d find the answer to ease the burn in his soul.
As if she’d read that thought in his eyes, she drew back, but pink stained her cheeks and her breathing had grown shallower. If he wanted, he could seduce her. Right here, right now.
If he wanted...
A harsh laugh broke from him. Oh, he wanted all right, but there was always a price to pay for seducing a woman. The price for this woman would be too high.
He leapt out of his chair and wheeled away, his hands clenched to fists.
‘Please don’t punch a wall. I already have enough holes to mend.’
Her words couldn’t drag even a ghost of a smile from him.
‘I take it, then, that you recognise the name John has given you?’
Name? Ha! He wheeled back and thrust the letter at her. With a wary glance up at him she took it. She stared at him for two beats more, looked as if she wanted to say something, and then with the tiniest of shrugs turned her gaze to the letter.
She frowned. She turned it over and then back. She held it up to the light. The frown deepened to a scowl. She slammed it down to the table. ‘But this doesn’t make sense!’
‘It’s obviously some kind of code.’
‘A code?’
She swore then too and it surprised him so much his head rocked back.
‘Of all the mean-spirited pieces of spite!’ She leapt up, hands clenched and eyes narrowed, as she paced up and down beside the table. ‘Not only does he spend your entire childhood ignoring you—’ she flung an arm out ‘—but now he plagues you with nonsense and taunts you with a carrot he keeps whisking out of reach.’
She ended on an incoherent growl of frustration. Rick eased back to lean against the wall. The Princess wasn’t just cross—she was hopping mad. In fact, she was a great big ball of boiling rage.
She stabbed a finger in his direction. ‘If I could get hold of him now I’d make his ears burn, let me tell you.’ She slammed a hand to the table. ‘Well, we’ll just crack that code! And to hell with him!’
She glanced at Rick, stilled and then rolled her shoulders. ‘What?’
‘Who are you really angry with, Princess?’
The colour leached from her face. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ She took her seat and crossed her legs, polished and smooth once more.
He sat too. Even though he knew he should leave.
She pushed the sheet of paper back across to him. ‘All of these letters and numbers—they have to mean something.’
Did he really want to bother with any of this? He raked both hands through his hair and fought the exhaustion that washed over him. If he walked away now, what would be the worst-case scenario?
The answer came to him too swiftly. He reached for a cupcake, needing the sweetness to counter the bitterness that rose up through him. The worst-case scenario would be at some point in the future to come face to face with a younger version of himself—a kid he could’ve helped. A kid he’d chosen to reject in the same way John had rejected him. How could he justify walking away to that kid when he’d had the chance to discover the truth?
Could he live with that?
Maybe, but in his bones he knew he didn’t want to.
Damn it all to hell!
He came back to himself to find Nell
