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One of his expressive brows quirked. “The family resemblance is strong. As you said earlier, the water has spilled over the dam. There’s no putting it back.”
She moaned. “You put on a brave front, but I know deep down you have to be apprehensive about everyone’s reaction.”
“You’re wrong, Darrell. My biggest concern is that when the novelty wears off, Phillip won’t like it here, and he’ll want to go home.”
She couldn’t believe he’d just said that.
“Alex—he has already bonded with you. It’s uncanny how well you get along and understand him.”
“It’s because I see certain traits of my cousin Chaz in him. He’ll never be a conformist.”
“You’re right, but that won’t prevent him from wanting to spend as much time with you as possible.”
Lines marred his features. “You just hit on the problem.”
“I—I don’t understand,” her voice caught.
“I may be his father, but I’m also the king. The two don’t necessarily mesh.”
Her anxious gaze swerved to his. “Weren’t you and your father close?”
“If you mean did we love and respect each other, then yes. But it was never the kind of relationship you’re envisioning. Father was the king. He belonged to every man. I was a typical selfish child who wanted him to myself.
“Phillip’s been deprived of his father all these years. Now that we’ve found each other I’m afraid he’s going to feel cheated in a brand-new way. I would understand if he didn’t want to hang around waiting to spend time with me. That’s what is haunting me.”
Put like that Darrell was haunted too. Not just for Phillip who had been hanging around all day waiting, but for Alex.
He’d just revealed something of his inner struggle as a child. He’d said it with a hunger that bespoke needs as strong in their own right as his son’s. She would never have guessed…
“But he knows you came to get him the second you found out you had a son. You didn’t let your kingly duties stand in the way. You’re one man in a million to have claimed him in front of everyone. He feels loved.”
“I pray to God that’s true,” he murmured.
“It is, and it’s all he ever wanted. Just try to get rid of him now and see what happens,” she teased to cover her emotions.
His expression grew solemn. “Where did you come from, Darrell Collier?”
The pounding of her heart almost suffocated her. “That’s the question I’ve been asking about you since we met aboard your jet. The chance of your world and Melissa’s colliding is so remote as to be almost impossible, yet it happened.”
If she kept the vision of him and her sister wrapped up in his sleeping bag, she might just make it through this painful experience without revealing her inner turmoil.
His chest rose and fell visibly. “I have to be honest and tell you the memory of that night is so vague that without the photos proving the existence of the ring, I wouldn’t have recalled it.”
“So what you told Phillip wasn’t completely true.”
He rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb. “If you mean that I spent as much time as possible with your sister, then no. Nor did I try to get in touch with her again. There was only the one night, but Phillip didn’t need to know that.”
Darrell hugged that piece of information to her heart. “I agree.”
“Chaz and a girl who worked at the ranch fixed me up with your sister. We went to a local bar and began drinking. One thing led to another.
“I’m not proud of my behavior, Darrell. Obviously I’d decided to do a little rebelling against my gilded cage. But the next day as I nursed a hangover all the way back to Switzerland, I vowed never to put myself or another woman in that position again. You have every right to hate me for what I did.”
“Of course I don’t hate you. That rebellion produced a wonderful boy. He’s my life!” her voice shook.
In fact knowing Melissa was simply a girl who happened to be there at the right time and place verified Darrell’s opinion that all the feeling had been on her sister’s part. Otherwise Alex would have come back to Colorado to take up where he’d left off.
The knowledge that Melissa wasn’t the great love of his life gave Darrell a lot to think about. To be betrothed to a princess who was only thirteen at the time meant Isabella hadn’t started out as his great love, either. But that obviously changed when she grew into the woman he adored.
Alex made an odd noise in his throat, jerking her torturous thoughts back to the present. “Phillip has become my life.”
Darrell felt the truth of his declaration to the marrow of her bones. “He already feels the same about you, Alex.”
“Mom?”
Phillip’s voice broke the odd tension between them.
“I’m in your bedroom, sweetheart!”
“I heard Dad was back.” He came running into the room.
“Dad—”
Alex moved to meet him halfway and they hugged.
“Are you free now so we can do something?”
“Not exactly. I brought Isabella with me.” Phillip’s face fell. “She’s waiting to be introduced.”
“Is she upset?”
“I think it’s more a case of her fearing you won’t like her.”
“Sure I do. She’s going to be your wife.”
Phillip had never sounded more mature. He couldn’t have said anything guaranteed to please his father more. The fact that Phillip meant it made all the difference.
“Are you hungry, son?” Alex asked in a thick-toned voice.
“Kind of.”
“That’s good because we’re going to meet Isabella in the small dining room downstairs for dinner in a few minutes.”
“I’ve laid out your clothes on the bed,” Darrell informed him.
“Okay. I’ll hurry.”
Alex followed her out of the bedroom into her room. “I’ve arranged for your dinner to be sent up here.”
She turned to face him. “Thank you.”
“Darrell—I hope you understand why I didn’t include you this evening.”
She bit her lip, hoping she hadn’t let her disappointment show.
“You don’t have to explain. I’m glad I don’t have to be there. Phillip will be much more at ease if he’s not constantly wondering what I’m thinking. He’s his own person and will make his own judgments. I’m sure Isabella will be more comfortable, too. This wouldn’t be easy for any woman.”
He studied her for a minute. “Thank you for being so unselfish.”
Oh, Alex. If you only knew the truth.
“You don’t need to thank me. I—I know how important this first meeting is,” she stammered. “I’ll look forward to getting to know her another time. In fact speaking of time, I’m going to have to get back to my job in Denver pretty soon. So why don’t you and Isabella decide what would be best where Phillip is concerned and let me know tomorrow.
“This summer he’s enrolled in swimming, tennis and baseball. He’ll tell you none of that matters, but I wanted you to know that he has plenty to do if he flies back home with me right away.”
Her tongue was starting to run away with her, but she couldn’t help it. “The important thing here is that you and Isabella work things out so your wedding goes smoothly. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“I’m ready,” Phillip announced, preventing her from hearing Alex’s response.
His gaze seemed reluctant to leave hers before he leveled his attention on his son. “I like that blazer.”
“Thanks. Will you help me with my tie? I hate them.”
“So do I,” Alex muttered.
Normally that job was Darrell’s domain, but he had a father now, one who performed the task with obvious pleasure.
Darrell winked at Phillip. “You’re a sight fit for a king,”
Phillip screwed up his face. “That was corny, Mom.”
“I know, but I couldn’t help it.”
Alex’s broad shoulders shook in silent laughter. Their eyes met in shared amusement before he guided Phillip toward the door.
“I hope everything goes well,” she called to them.
Phillip hung back. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Not this time. I’ve got a phone call to make so I’ll still have a job when I get back to Denver.”
“You’re not going to lose your job, Mom. Jack told me the other day he’s hoping you’ll change your mind and marry him. You’ve got it made.”
“Who’s Jack?” Alex asked. By this time they’d crossed over the threshold.
“Mom’s boss,” came the answer before the door closed.
The click set off a symbolic echo in her heart.
Up to now she’d been focused on Isabella and how hard it was going to be for the princess to have to share Alex with his son.
But watching them walk out of the room just now made Darrell realize she, too, was going to go through a serious adjustment letting Phillip go with his dad.
Darrell had to admit it pained her to be left behind this evening. She was so used to being the center of Phillip’s universe, she was actually jealous of Alex’s power over him.
Her son’s eagerness to go off with his father whether she went with them or not came shouldn’t have come as a shock. It was clear they were both anxious to make up for lost time.
That’s what she wanted for them! But this was only the beginning. Soon Alex was going to be Isabella’s husband…Just imagining it produced excruciating pain of a different kind.
Before Darrell broke down in tears, she showered and changed into a nightgown and robe to have dinner. Once she’d eaten, she realized that too many flying hours had made her desperately tired. Bed called to her.
After brushing her teeth, she doused the lights and turned in, hoping she wouldn’t have more disturbing dreams.
Sometime later she thought she heard a noise.
“Phillip?” she called softly in the darkness, too groggy to turn on a light.
“No,” came that deep, vibrant male voice.
CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_c51b79d0-6410-5aa8-be5e-289f79f6f8f4)
“ALEX—” Suddenly Darrell was wide-awake and sat up. “W-what time is it?”
“Midnight. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. Phillip and I needed to talk. He’s asleep now.”
She smoothed the hair away from her face. He stood a few feet away from the bed. Anyone looking in right now would be scandalized to see the king in her bedroom. But everything about their situation was unique. Her heart was beating far too fast to be good for her.
“Tell me what happened—”
She heard him exhale. “Our son was such a perfect gentleman, I hardly recognized him.”
Since Darrell understood exactly what he meant by that, she didn’t misconstrue his words. “He loves you so much, he obviously didn’t dare do anything you could fault.”
“Isabella wasn’t exactly herself, either, though she tried.”
“So all in all the evening turned into a disaster,” Darrell finished for him.
“That’s one way of putting it.” But he said it with a chuckle, which in turn caused her to do the same.
“I know it isn’t a laughing matter,” she said when she’d sobered. “Do you think they liked each other?”
“I think they will once the shock wears off. It’s one thing to have intellectual knowledge of each other, and quite another to sit across a table from each other face-to-face for the first time. Everything became real tonight.”
Darrell could second that!
She sat up a little straighter. “I’m sure you’re thankful this initial meeting is over. Tomorrow it will be easier.”
“She’s leaving first thing in the morning.”
