“Everything all right?” he asked.Win this one, Gemma. Fight on.
“Absolutely.” She masked whatever emotions she battled as she walked toward him. “Hey, you’re a pretty hot model, Prince. If the royal thing doesn’t work out—”
He laughed, which made her laugh, and suddenly everything seemed right. With her. With him. With their mutual shadows. But he knew it wasn’t.
If he could, he’d take on this Matt fellow for her, but since she’d said nothing about him really, John decided to leave it alone. Besides, he’d return home in a few weeks, back to his life, the investiture ceremony—if Mum changed the writ—placing the final memorial wreath on Holland’s grave, finding a way to carve out the rest of his life.
However, for his remaining time in Hearts Bend, he’d do everything in his power to shine some light in Gemma’s life, and in doing so, seek some for himself. He was sure Holland wouldn’t mind. She’d always been generous of spirit. So befriending Gemma was in fact honoring his dead wife’s legacy. A worthy, worthy endeavor.
“The Chamber Office announced more cancellations from the queen’s diary. Her Majesty will not attend the opening of the Royal Symphony. Princess Arabella will represent the Family. This is the third event the queen has missed in a week, and the Office confirms the queen is ‘under the weather.’”
— Sydney Fritz, News at Six, LTV-1
“Hamish Fickle is so hot. Anyone have a fan account on him yet? Saw him onAfternoonswith Aritalking about the investiture and how Prince John has to be married. Such an antiquated rule. Anyone else with me on that? Still, I love HamFick!”
— @StefwithanF on Instagram
“A lower court of the Justice Ministry heard arguments today in the case of Eloise Ltd. versus the Reingard Industries. Reingard snapped up the Midlands property just after the land was cleared for development leaving Eloise out of pocket for the environmental study fees but no land.”
— Perry Copperfield, Cable News PF
Chapter Twelve
Gemma
As the sun moved west over Hearts Bend, she finished the shop’s inventory and started to clean her desk, which was lined with coffee-stained cups.
“Are you coming tonight?” JoJo offered Gemma a cheese snack. “It’ll be fun. Buck’s tricked out his truck with everything but the kitchen sink.”
“I don’t know.” She peeled the wrapper from a turkey stick and took a bite. Lunch. “Imani’s manning the puppies this afternoon but she has a shift at Ella’s tonight. Thursday night is one of their busiest. We’ve trained Justin and Penny to help out if needed but they also have jobs and responsibilities with their families.”
In the past week and a half she’d become a mother hen over those sweet puppies. Feeding them, weighing them, sleeping beside them. Tweedy and Blue also took ownership, sleeping by them and washing them, observing very closely as they were fed and weighed.
“You have to come. A late showing ofCasablancaat the drive-in. Nine forty-five. Seriously, you should see Buck’s truck. It’s ridiculous. He had custom seats made for the bed. It’s a rolling living room, I tell you. He purchased a professional-grade popcorn machine. I can’t believe the theater owner is letting him bring it in, but apparently the drive-in machine is on the fritz. We’ll be serving popcorn to moviegoers all night.”
“How’s he going to pop popcorn at a drive-in?”
“With a mini generator. Word to the wise, when you see his setup, do not ask how any of it works. You’ll miss the movie.”
“I guess I could make it by nine forty-five. Let me see if Justin and Penny can puppy sit. Or my parents. But they play cards Thursday nights. The diner closes at eleven so Imani might be home before the midnight feeding.” Sweet JoJo feigned interest as Gemma worked out her schedule verbally.
However, feeding the puppies had become the highlight of her days. Their little personalities were starting to show. Joey liked to eat on his back, resting in her palm. Rachel preferred to be flat on her wee belly. Gemma loved the sweet, eager slurping sounds of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and every meal in between.
She bonded with them over their helplessness. She would be their champion.
“Buck said Prince John was coming.” JoJo acted all casual, moving about the office, but there was a hint of something, a feeling, like a bomb going off.
“The prince? Oh, well, good for him.” He never said. And he’d been with her last night, helping with the puppies.
The first week he stayed in the barn every night. Then they worked out a schedule for him to split his nights with Imani. Now that basketball camp was over, Gemma didn’t mind Imani sleeping on a bed of hay. John and Gunner took day shifts when Gemma worked. Most of the time John stayed to help with the evening feedings as well.
How easily they’d fallen into a comfortable routine. When feeding and weighing the puppies, or tending the rest of the herd, they worked in a synchronized tandem, choosing opposite chores without discussion. They chatted about movies and television, music, sports, education, his time in the military, her family, his family. She even braved a few Hollywood stories. Like being in a Super Bowl commercial and her small part in the movieBound By Love.
But they did not talk about Holland. And definitely not about Matt Biglow.
“‘Good for him’?” JoJo said. “Come on, dish. What’s going on between you two?” She shoved aside the mugs and perched on the edge of the desk. “That gorgeous hunk of a prince spends so much time with you I think Buck is jealous.”
“He’s simply helping with the puppies. Nothing more. Well, he helps with the herd too. It’s rather sweet and to be honest, I don’t know what I’d have done without him.”
