Secrets of a Prince (The Princes of New Sargasso #3) - Carol Moncado Page 0,33
I’m wrong is to belittle me and my intelligence and my work.”
He gaped at her. “What? That’s what you think I was doing? Really?”
She nodded.
Joss tried to wrap his mind around her thoughts. He knelt next to her chair and took her hands. “Minnie, that wasn’t what I meant at all. I think what you’ve written is amazing. I think you’ve got a fantastic shot at winning this thing.”
He kept his voice gentle. “I just worry that, even though you’re right - it can be read that way - they don’t mean for it to be. That it slipped through. They never expected someone to interpret it differently.”
She sniffled.
“I’d just hate for you to be... not disqualified officially, but discounted completely because you interpreted something differently than everyone has for decades. Because the story is amazing. You are amazing.”
“You really mean that?” She finally looked at him through wet lashes.
“I do. I looked at the contest instructions and the relevant portion of the original book. I think you’re right.” He picked her hands up and kissed the back of the closest one. “And if that’s the direction you go, I’ll support you however I can.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.” He reached out and cupped the side of her face, brushing the tears off her cheek with his thumb then leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss.
Her lips clung to his for a moment before he moved away.
Before either one of them could say anything, the buzzer went off in the kitchen.
“I’ll get that,” he said softly.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
A few minutes later, they were at the table eating, though Minnie still picked at her food.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Just thinking. I’m so used to my ideas being rejected just because they’re mine that I never even considered you might not mean it the same way.”
“I didn’t. I promise. I just don’t want you to be put in the ‘no’ stack, that’s all. I’m all on board with the story you’re working on. Just tell me how I can help.”
She picked an olive off her pizza and ate it. “I haven’t even looked at your notes yet. I did write most of another chapter though.”
Joss grinned at her. “Why don’t we go through my notes together? I can clarify anything you don’t understand. We can argue over anything you don’t agree with, and brainstorm any plot holes we might come across.”
“That sounds good.” She gave him the first smile he’d seen since he arrived. A small one, but real.
“I can’t wait to read the new stuff, too.”
Minnie finally picked up the piece of pizza and bit the tip off. “I’ll work on giving you the benefit of the doubt, Joss. You’re not my father. I need to remember that.”
“Thank you.” He held up his glass of water. “To a better night.”
She gave him a half smile and held her glass up. “To a better night.”
And it was. They spent hours working on her story, punching it up in a few places, clarifying it in others. For over an hour, he laid on the lounge, one foot dangling over the arm as she paced the sitting room.
She said he helped her brainstorm, but really all he did was let her talk and agree occasionally.
It was pretty cool to watch.
By the time he gave her another small kiss and headed for the palace, Joss started to think this relationship might actually work.
13
The knock on the door surprised Minnie. The last several days had gone well with Joss, but he wasn’t supposed to be at the apartment for several hours.
A spear of fright shot through her as she ran through the list of people it could be.
Random salesperson. Religious recruiter. Neighbor needing to borrow sugar. Burglar planning to force his way in.
Her father.
Joss had never been specific about the security details for the apartment but had assured her she had nothing to worry about.
She did have access to the video from the doorbell camera. She’d forgotten about that.
After a few taps on her phone, the video from the hallway appeared.
Minnie gasped and hurried to the door, tucking her phone in her back pocket.
She unlocked and opened the door, stepping out of the way and curtsying as the king walked in. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”
When his security team didn’t follow him in, Minnie closed the door behind him.
He turned with his hands clasped behind his back. “Good afternoon, Lady Waterford.”