“Your romantic life—your marriage—will never be your own.”
Her tone sounded more like a warning than her trying to control him.
“That may be true, but it’s more mine than yours.”
“I’m only looking out for you.” His mother’s voice softened. A closed-mouth smile formed. “You’re such a good son, Guillaume. You always follow the rules and do what’s required of you, even when you’d rather not. I’m sure doing that gets old, and you get the urge to do something wild or inappropriate. And you want what you can’t have.”
An image of Kat appeared in his mind. Longing flooded him. He did want the American. For now, for always.
His throat clogged. He couldn’t speak if he wanted to.
“You may find this hard to believe, but I’ve been in your shoes,” his mother continued. “I know what it’s like to have so many others’ expectations piled on your shoulders and want to break free, if only for a day or a few hours, but your infatuation with that American is only going to lead to disappointment.”
His mother didn’t raise her voice. If anything, her tone was compassionate, even if he didn’t appreciate her words.
“That woman will break your heart the same way Clarissa did. You deserve so much better, my son.”
“Kat and I are friends.” Being friends would never be enough for him. He wanted more with Kat, and he knew she wanted the same.
The question was what.
And how. There was so much at stake. He couldn’t picture a future together because of being the crown prince. Yet, that was where his rebellious mind wanted to go.
His mother raised her eyebrows. “Be careful then. The way she looks at you might bring additional benefits soon.”
The insulting tone and insinuation made the urge to lash out strong, but Gill pressed his lips together. He flexed his fingers again. Time to retreat before he did or said something he’d regret. “I’m going to the stable now.”
The walk there would give him time to cool off, except a quarter of the way down the snow-cleared walkway, he didn’t want to take his time getting there. He quickened his pace and reached the stable in less than five minutes.
Inside, lights and cameras greeted him. The film crew had set up around a stall. Voices were quiet, but he counted several people—the four crew members, their pretty pregnant assistant, her husband the security guy, Isaac, Sophie, Bertrand, Jamie, and, of course, Kat.
Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her peaches-and-cream complexion flushed. The concentration on her face was arresting.
No one noticed Gill. All eyes and camera lenses were focused on the stall. He moved until he could see what everyone was looking at.
There was a large box with sides about two feet high and an opening in the front. A yellow dog rolled around inside the box.
Kat kneeled by a basket not too far away from the yellow dog. A blanket or two appeared to be inside wrapped around something. A puppy? The smile on her face sent his heart careening into his rib cage.
Gorgeous.
“Mama dog is having more contractions. This little girl, however, is doing fine.” Kat pointed inside the basket. “She has similar coloring to Max.”
Jamie laughed. He held Max’s leash and patted the dog. “You done good, boy, but I have a feeling you’ll be going to the vet soon for a little snip-snip.”
Everyone laughed.
Gill cringed. He’d thought about breeding his dog at some point. Guess Max had taken the initiative.
Sophie stood in front of Bertrand; he had his arms around her. She stared down at the basket with a big smile. “When will the next puppy arrive?”
“Hard to say, but depending on the size of the liter, we could be here all night.” Kat sounded happy, not worried at all. “This mama dog knows what she’s doing. Our job is to assist her. Keep the puppies safe and warm until she stops moving around and can nurse safely. Nursing can help labor.”
Gill watched Kat with a sense of awe. Respect and affection for her overflowed. She was a special woman, one he wanted to take into his arms and kiss.
There had to be a way…
Bertrand rested his chin on Sophie’s shoulder. “A good thing the wedding isn’t tomorrow.”
