I loved his reaction to my admission, but I couldn’t let up on him.
This was too important.
“But right now, your challenge is going to be letting them sort themselves out,” I informed him. “However this is going to go down from here has to be about Tempie and Chassie and Prue. Chassie’s ready to figure it out, and she has to have the space to let that happen. Tempie is going to have to stop hiding from what she feels for Hamish and take that risk or lose him. And Prue is going to be a huge star one day, and you all are going to have to learn to deal with her outshining you. None of that is going to be in your control, baby. You’re just going to have to let them roll the dice and see.”
For a second, I thought he’d retort.
After that second, his arms curved around me, so mine did the same to him, and I put my cheek on his chest.
“I know it’s going to be hard,” I said gently.
“It’ll probably kill me,” he admitted.
Totally wished I had a big brother.
I tipped my head back. “In the end, they’re going to be happy. They’re going to be all they should be. And you’ll have given them the foundation to be that and the freedom to be all of it. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Vivi.” He went in for a lip touch. “All good.”
He moved to let go of me, muttering something about drinks.
But I didn’t let him go until I could see from his face he was dealing.
Only then did I let him go.
Battle went to make us more drinks.
After a spell, the girls came back with the news that the door to the plum parlor was open, no one in it, so they crept up to Tempie’s bedroom, and definitely someone was in there.
“I’ve told Cook we’re ready when she is, and to leave something warming in case they want a tray,” Prue declared.
Chassie still had red eyes, but she was veritably preening.
Oh yeah.
She done good.
We went into the dining room when Scotty came to share dinner was ready.
And when Battle and I went up to bed in his room, there was a tray on the floor outside the door of Tempie’s room with spent plates, and a cork, but no bottle of wine or glasses.
As we kept walking, I shot Battle’s stony-face-shit-my-sister-is-in-that-room-fucking-her-hot-Scottish-guy expression a smug smile and asked, “See?”
He tucked me tight to his side and kissed my head as he kept us walking.
And he took me to his room, so he could fuck his hot American girl.
I was almost asleep, worn out by my hot English guy and draped over his chest, when he said, “So…falling in love with me?”
I stiffened.
He rolled on top of me.
“I’m thinking Sophronia,” he stated.
I forced my lips to say, “What?”
“That’s for a girl. Noble, Archer or Journey if it’s a boy. Maybe Endeavor.”
