“Promise me you’ll be nice to whoever he is.”
“I’ll be as nice as I was to Henry.”
“No,” I argued. “Don’t do that. You were horrible to Henry.”
He grinned. “I don’t remember it that way.”
Hershey nudged me and I grabbed a carrot from my back pocket, feeding it to him.
“We should get back up to the house,” Dad continued. “Your mum’s going to need help.”
“Is that why you came down?”
He smiled, wrapping his arms around me. “I wanted to make sure my lass was okay. I could feel your stress.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” I whispered, hugging him back.
“Love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you, too.”
We closed Hershey into his stall, then Dad drove me back up to the house, pulling up to chaos. Mum came rushing out looking drop-dead gorgeous as she always did but glaring at my father as we approached her.
“You said ten minutes, Con.”
He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. “I was twelve.”
“You were thirty.”
“Sorry, Mummy,” I said. “We were checking Hershey’s foot.”
She continued to give Dad a mock glare, even though she addressed me. “You’re not the one who should apologize.”
“I’ll apologize properly later,” Dad said.
“Okay, gross,” I hissed. “You two keep that talk to your own heads.”
Dad chuckled, kissing my mum again.
“I’m going to change,” I said. “I’ll be quick.”
“Take your time, honey,” Mom said. “I’m giving your chores to your dad.”
I grinned. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”
I made a run for the stairs before they stopped me.
Isla
THE MORNING OF the Games arrived, and I was filled with nervous energy. This year my feelings of excitement were amplified as this was the first time Uncle Kade had given me the responsibility of planning the event schedule. It was a huge responsibility and had consumed most of my spare time over the past four months. Now that the games were almost underway, I could finally relax a little, as my work was all but completed. At least until myár mökunarcelebration.
I’d interned for the charitable side of my uncle’s company from the time I was in secondary school throughout university. Gunnach Pharmaceuticals was a multi-billion-dollar company, and Kade ran the human medicine division, while my father ran the animal medicine division. Uncle Brodie had come home from his stint in the Royal Air Force and focused on his real estate endeavors and heading up the charity with Payton. I’d recently graduated with a degree in finance and had a job lined up working within the fundraising side of the family business. The next three years of my life were well planned out. Which was precisely how I liked things.
I drove over to Kade’s home and parked in front of the door. His home was an ancient, historical castle, and newcomers to the area were often gob smacked by the size and beauty, but to me, it was a home away from home.
Kade might be king, but he was uncle to me.
The door opened before I could raise my hand to knock and their butler, Winston, smiled wide. “Miss Gunnach. Welcome.”
