The Billionaire Prince’s Stubborn Assistant by Leslie North Page 0,33

of the farmhouse.

“I agree.” She beamed at his father then flashed her eyes coquettishly at Edward, which he pretended not to notice.

“The expanse of woods back here provide the perfect sense of privacy,” she said. “The pastoral setting will be a nice contrast to the contemporary feel you have in mind for your development. Peace of the country amidst modern design. Quite the allure.”

“What do you think, Edward?” his father asked.

Edward took a moment to survey the land surrounding them. The yellow fields of wildflowers swaying in the breeze, bunches of tall sunflowers dotting the landscape here and there. The woods directly in front of them, so thick with looming oak and pine trees, he felt he could possibly disappear within their expanse. At the moment, he wouldn’t mind doing just that. He could easily fold himself into the serenity of this place.

“I think this property is just about perfect,” he said.

“My thoughts exactly,” his father replied.

Jolene let out a squeal of excitement and clapped her hands together before she and King Hansen headed back to the house to sign the necessary documents.

Edward was in a fog as he watched them walk up the steps of the front porch. He found himself imagining Clem sitting up there, her legs kicked out in front of her on the porch swing, a book in her lap. Her hair pulled back in a messy braid, as usual, and golden fly-away strands dancing around her luminous face. She was smiling.

In that moment, he knew what he had to do. It was too easy to see why Clem loved this farmhouse and impossible to not imagine her here with all of her treasures from her secret storage locker—the ones she’d been saving up for years so that they could find a home in this very house.

Pulling out his phone, he opened his group chat with his brothers, needing to check in with them and get their thoughts. It was time to open up to his family about his feelings for Clementine and his thoughts on the farmhouse property. He knew Aldon would sympathize with him. His middle brother was a romantic who believed in true love and saw meaning in everything. He was a sucker for collecting memories and storing them to remind him of special times. Marcus, the youngest, was a playboy, who entertained a different lady friend every night. He saw everything through a lens of pleasure and conquest and how much fun he could pack into each moment of life, but he was deeply loyal to family and was always there for Edward and Marcus. Despite their personal opinions, he knew he could trust his brothers with his plan. They were a close-knit trio, and Marcus and Aldon would support him in this.

I’ve let Dad push me into this. I’ve always wanted to please him, but this time I feel strongly that developing this land is the wrong move.

Aldon was the first to reply.

Marcus and I have been watching you do this for years, Edward. If you’re going to lead the kingdom, you’re going to have to lead your way, not follow whatever Dad’s plans are all the time.

Marcus replied with some words of caution.

You know Dad is not going to back down on this one. I don’t know how you’ll sway him to change his mind. But you’ve got my support—always.

Edward, if you truly love this woman, Aldon sent next, you have to try.

Edward knew what to do.

He thought about Lance’s words from earlier in the car.

Right now was his chance to restore things with Clem. He could use this one choice to make their love as beautiful as it had been on the day he’d made love to her on the banks of a gurgling stream.

The time to act was now.

Jolene and his father exited the farmhouse, still chatting. As they approached, Edward said nothing of his plans but simply smiled at his father, whom he truly loved and respected. It wouldn’t be easy to pull this off without hurting him, but he had to follow his heart for once, instead of his father’s. He hoped he could get his father to see his side of things in the end.

Edward handed the realtor a card. “Jolene, please give me a call at your earliest convenience. I’d like to discuss a separate issue with you when you have time later today.”

Jolene looked like she’d won the lottery. “I’ll call you later, Prince Edward.” Her voice was sultry.

Means to an end, he