Secrets of a Prince (The Princes of New Sargasso #3) - Carol Moncado Page 0,28

I think we have a lot of things to talk about. But the most important thing for you to know is that I’m not going anywhere.”

11

The words were the right ones, but did Joss really mean them? Minnie didn’t know him well enough to be sure.

Or did she?

She’d known he was RealJ1955 for days and had turned the whole thing over in her head countless times.

She knew RealJ1955, even though she hadn’t known who he was, just like she would have said he knew her better than anyone, though he only knew her by her online nickname.

The human contact was something she’d never take for granted again. Minnie snuggled deeper next to him. She’d never really considered herself someone who needed hugs or physical touch from others, but being alone so long may have changed that.

“I know we’ve done this all wrong and backward, but maybe we should reconsider our end game.” Joss’s hand rubbed her arm in a comforting motion.

“What do you mean?”

“I know you may not believe me, but this is something I was going to say before I knew you were NotCharlotte. We are already married. Maybe we should see if a real relationship could work.”

The thought had occurred to her in the light of day. The daytime rampant thoughts were very different than the nighttime ones.

“How do you suggest we do that? I can’t leave. You’re super busy with two of your brothers being newlyweds, three if you count David, who everyone says will likely never live in New Sargasso full time again.”

“I’ll make time. Unless I have an event at the palace that runs super late, I’ll be here at least for a little while every evening. It may only be half an hour, but I’ll be here as long as I can. And I’ll stop by more often during the day.”

“How? Your schedule is insane.” She shifted so the tingling in her arm would go away.

“I guess that depends on what you want or need, then. There were plenty of times I could have stopped by but only for ten or fifteen minutes, half hour at the most. If that will help you, I’m happy to do it. If it would make things worse for me to pop in and back out, then I won’t.”

She thought for a moment. “Maybe we can play it by ear? There may be times I’m in the middle of something, and you showing up would be a distraction, and it would take a while to get back in the groove.” Like when she was working on her submission to the Trilunium contest.

“That seems reasonable. I’ll try to be here at least once during the day several days a week and every evening I can. Will that help?” He kissed the top of her forehead.

He’d never done that before, and Minnie wasn’t sure what to think about it. “I think it will. I went to some dark places this last week, and I didn’t like it. I’ve never really thought about how much I need actual human contact, but I guess I do.”

“We all do. Some people more than others, but I think even the most introverted person would be craving human interaction after that many days. I’m sorry I didn’t think about it before.”

“And I’m sorry I didn’t say something to you. I think even a phone call would have helped some.”

They sat for several minutes before he spoke. “Are you going to enter the contest?”

“Am I allowed? Technically, Kari is my brother-in-law’s wife. Is family eligible?”

“I haven’t seen anything that says we’re not. Kari asked if any of us were going to enter, but none of us were. She seemed bummed.”

“Then maybe, but I’d really prefer if you didn’t tell anyone. If I end up entering, I want it to be completely anonymous. I don’t even want them to know that I entered.”

“I’ve already told her I can’t judge because I’m too involved in the community.”

“Makes sense.”

After a bit longer, Joss shifted away from her. “Are you hungry?”

“Kind of. There’s frozen pizza in the kitchen. How does that sound? I don’t have anything fancy here.”

“That could work.” He seemed to be thinking it over. “Or we can send someone for take away. What sounds good?”

That definitely sounded better than frozen pizza, but the thought of just sending someone to get take away still surprised her. Her father never would have put up with her using “his staff” to get her dinner. She suspected most of “Joss’s staff”