Creativity is Lucy’s thing, not mine.
Just like I grew to love the shark, I can grow to love my new life in Korsa.
Lucy automatically guides us to a circular table in the backroom away from other people. We sit down, and I distribute the menus stationed in the middle of the table. My parents haven’t arrivedyet, and I keep having to suppress my laughter at Finley. He is constantly looking back behind him towards the doors.
“Calm down,” I whisper as I nudge his arm. “I’ll let you know when they arrive.” Lucy and I both sat in the seats that could easily see the entrance because we both don’t like having our backs to people.
The waitress takes our drink orders and as she leaves, Dad walks through the door, holding it open for Mom. I grin broadly and tap Finley to let him know they’ve arrived. His demeanor instantly stiffens; he very much looks like a crown prince at this moment. He quickly asks, “Is my hair okay? Is there anything on my face?”
I can’t stop the laughter that bubbles from me, but I shake my head no. His brows pinch together, but my parents arrive at the table. He stands and reaches out a hand towards my father. “Finley Andersson,” he says with an easy smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Spence.”
Dad takes his hand immediately and gives a firm shake. “The pleasure is mine. Please, call me Richard.”
Finley dips his head in a bow before turning to my mom. “And you must be the beloved mother of these beautiful women, Mrs. Spence.”
Lucy snorts, and I cover my laugh with my hand. Finley has definitely been in the South long enough to pick up on southern charm. But using the wordbelovedis a dead giveaway that he’s blending his princely manners with the charm.
“Do you welcome hugs?” Mom asks with a hopeful smile and stars in her eyes. Finley grins and initiates an embrace. Momsqueezes him and tells him to call her Janet. Her voice is oozing with and admiration.
Everyone sits down, and while they begin to browse the menu, I lean over and whisper to Finley, “Prince of Hearts, I do believe my mom is enamored with you.”
“You think?” he asks, his blue eyes widening.
I don’t respond verbally but instead lean over and kiss him on the cheek. Though I initiated the action, my cheeks heat, but when I pull back, I notice his have, too. I once read in a book that initiating physical acts of affection in front of others helps the one whose love language it is to feel loved. By the way he smiles broadly at me, it has worked. He mouths that he loves me before I watch his shoulders relax and demeanor shift to something less anxious and on-edge.
The dinner runs smoothly, and I only have to step outside once, which was after they set our food down in front of us. Finley engages perfectly with my parents, whom I know absolutely adore him based on their expressions, questions that they ask, and conversations that happen. Finley talks with my dad about fishing and topics of law (which I jump into) and my mom talks with him about being a travel writer and discusses Finley’s own travels around the globe (which Lucy jumps into). We all discuss a camping trip for mine and Lucy’s birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. (Finley is excited for an opportunity to redeem the ending of our last one). When the topic of relocating to Korsa and the responsibilities of running a kingdom come up in conversation, I shut down just a bit because though I’m confident in my decision, I’m still processing what everything will entail. In fact, I realize I’vebeen trying to avoid thinking about the responsibilities I will gain. Maybe it’s better to save that part for after I’m in Korsa. Focusing on relocating is enough for now.
By the end of the night, Finley has effectively won my parents over, and they are already talking about inviting him out to their camper stationed on Juniper Creek for fishing, barbequing, and swimming. We plan to go out there next weekend since this weekend he has a guy’s night with Mason and Braxton, which we both assume will be the time Mason asks them about being groomsman in his wedding.
Lucy rides home with my parents even though we told her we would bring her back, but since she doesn’t tag along, Finley takes me out to the park for a walk under the warm, clear, starry Mississippi night. I have a finite number of these nights left, so I go despite being tired and knowing I have to get up to work tomorrow morning.
We are walking the paved trail, hand-in-hand, when Finley stops me and asks, “I never imagined this would become my life. Can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
He blows out air and rubs the back of his neck. “I never imagined I’d actually have to become king one day. I’ve been trying to process it since I received the news, but everything has happened so fast. I’m frightened, Lorelei. What if I can’t measure up to the greatness of my father?”
I turn his question over while I guide him to an old metal bench on the side of the walking path. We sit, huddling close to each other in the center of the bench, the dim glow of the path lightsilluminating a small field of vision. The stars are bright overhead, and the moon is a thin crescent line.
“I can’t speak to how you will manage kingship. I’m just a small-town girl from Mississippi who likes plants, cats, and law. But the simple fact that you are concerned you won’t measure up means that you probably will. You will work hard to be a great king because your heart is in it.”
The crickets sing around us, filling the silence. A slight breeze tickles my neck and I snuggle closer to Finley, looping my arm through his. “I’ll be by your side through it all, even if I break down and need a moment. I trust you will get me through, and you can trust that I will stay by your side even when your anxiety gets the best of you.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Leilei, but man, I am so thankful to God.” He kisses my forehead, then I lean my head on his shoulder. We continue to sit there, listening to the bugs around hum and sing and chirp.
After he drops me off and kisses me (very well) goodnight, I spend the rest of the night accompanying my prince in dreamland.
I know he thinks he is the majorly blessed one, but I would have to say I am more blessed. I guess that’s what love is—admiring the mess out of each other to where you both perceive yourself to be more blessed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Finley
“Get it together, people.” The wedding planner with a sharp tongue claps her hands three times. Braxton, Mason, Mason’s friend, Grant, from Nashville—who took off his tour for the wedding—and I snap to attention, forgoing our spontaneous game of charades with Hadley, Karoline, Lucy, Lorelei, and Karoline’s cousin, Chantel.
Apparently the makeshift altar in the Barn, a wedding venue in Dallas, Texas, is not the place for humor and fun.
Maybe fun for Mason and Karoline, but the rest of us are ready to get this show on the road and go eat dinner. As if right on cue, my stomach grumbles. Mason stifles a laugh as Lorelei mouths, “Was that you?”
