at.”
Peter looked at him as if trying to find the barb beneath the words. “True.” He stretched his legs out as well, quads and calves rippling with the results of hours of elite-level training.
Victor hadn’t been prouder of anything in his life than the day his brother had made the Great Britain squad for the second time. Maybe he should tell him that one day. Maybe he should tell him that now. “I … um …” His words lodged in his throat. Peter didn’t need his approval or endorsement. “When do you have to be back at training?”
Peter reached forward and poured himself his own glass of iced tea. “Tuesday. We’ll have a proper honeymoon later in the year. Allie has Emelia sold on New Zealand.”
“And you’re not?”
Peter watched his bride as she spun Charlotte around in the grass. “I’ll go wherever she wants. After putting up with me and my training schedule, it’s the least I can do.”
“By the way, do you know if Mum managed to see her specialist? About that drug trial?”
“Emelia went with her last week. She said she’d look into it. Hopefully, Mum will hear something in the next few days.”
He’d have to remember to pray for a positive response … if only for his own selfish reasons of finally being associated by his family with something good.
His brother leaned forward, elbows on his knees, glass clasped. Victor knew the position. It was the one he usually took when he had something he needed to say and was preparing himself to say it.
“Just spit it out, little brother.”
Peter looked over his shoulder. “You know Lacey means everything to Emelia, right?”
“I know. But if you’re here to warn me off, you don’t need to. Your wife has already done that. Not to mention that in case you haven’t noticed, Lacey is about as fierce as they come.” Victor tried to keep his voice level.
“I…” Peter ran his hand through his hair. “It’s just you have this thing … this way with women. Whether you’re trying or not, you just do. They can’t seem to help themselves.” The downward turn of Peter’s mouth showed he was enjoying this conversation about as much as Victor was.
“Don’t you think you should give Lacey more credit?” He could hardly blame his brother for his cynicism given he’d had a front-row view of the car wrecks that had been Victor’s relationships … if you could even call them that. But Lacey was not most women. And she was certainly a whole league above the women in his old crowd.
“If something was to happen between the two of you. If Lacey was to get hurt…”
Victor knew what his brother was saying without him having to say it. Battle lines would be drawn. And he knew exactly what side the rest of his family would be on.
Victor leaked out a breath. Emelia obviously didn’t know that something had already happened. That Lacey had already been hurt. If they ever found out, all his hard-fought gains would be for naught. It wouldn’t matter that it had been years ago. That he had no memory of it.
“Lacey is focused on getting through this merger. Her promotion is what matters to her. Certainly not me.” He wasn’t under any illusions. Lacey’s eye remained firmly on the prize. She wasn’t going to do anything that might jeopardize her chances. Victor would put money on the fact that even if Meredith wasn’t enforcing the no-fraternization rule, Lacey would have her own one. And given their newly revealed previous history, well, he’d have better odds of convincing Harry to return to royal duties than anything happening with Lacey.
“You both disappeared for a while last night.” Peter’s tone rained disapproval. Victor almost wished he’d done something to deserve it.
“To decorate your car. I haven’t dated anyone since rehab, Peter. You know that.”
“I know what I see here. But let’s be honest. I don’t know what you get up to in London.”
Even though his brother’s voice sounded more resigned than accusatory, the unfairness of the barb coiled within Victor. “Is that what you think? That I’ve been working my butt off for the last four years to try and prove myself to you and Mum and Dad while leading some kind of double life in London? I just can’t catch a break.”
He jerked to his feet before he could say anything else he might regret. The knowledge was steeping his veins that whatever he did, it was never going to be