Wedding Vows: Say I Do: Matrimony with His Majesty / Invitation to the Prince's Palace / The Prince's Outback Bride

This close to the wedding you’d have thought just the opposite would be true.

Maybe this was Alex’s own sort of private bachelor party—a kind of midnight-hour urge to let go before he became a married man.

That explanation made the most sense to Darrell.

It was kind of like his princely lapse with Melissa years ago. Only her sister hadn’t had the sense to run from the fire.

Apparently the Collier women were pushovers, but Darrell was putting an end to it right now.

CHAPTER SEVEN (#ulink_0a26add3-4c32-530c-b562-bd872cc59f22)

“DO YOU know going down those steps made me a little dizzy?” Darrell said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I need to rest for a while. Will you please tell Evelyn how sorry I am? We’ll meet another time.”

“It made me kind of dizzy, too,” Jules piped up. Bless his heart.

Alex herded them along the hallway. “Go ahead with the boys, Phillip. I’ll see your mom to the apartment, then I’ll come.”

No!

“Actually, Alex, I’d like Phillip to come with me.”

Maybe it was the tone in her voice. Whatever the explanation, for once Alex didn’t insist and her son didn’t fight her.

“Sure, Mom. You don’t look very good.”

“If I feel better later, we’ll walk over.”

The boys acted disappointed. She didn’t dare glance at Alex.

Shifting around she headed toward the center staircase.

It seemed to take forever until she could hurry up the steps and down the hall to their apartment. Phillip followed her inside and shut the door.

She went on through to her bedroom. After slipping off her sandals, she lay down on the bed, curling up on her side.

Phillip sat next to her. “You don’t like Dad, huh.”

She threw her arm over her eyes. What he’d just said was better than hearing “You’re in love with him, huh.” But neither version was satisfactory.

“What makes you say that, sweetheart?”

“You never want to be around him. I know it’s because he hurt my real mother. But he didn’t try to hurt her.”

Darrell was his real mother, but she knew what he meant.

“I don’t dislike him, Phillip. I’ve come to realize he’s a wonderful man.”

“Then how come you’re mean to him?”

She raised her head to look at him. “Mean?”

“Yeah. He does all these neat things and you always want to stay in here.”

Good heavens.

“That’s so the two of you can have time together alone.”

“But he wants you to do everything with us.”

“He said that?”

“No. But I can tell. Remember at the house when he said he didn’t blame me for hating him?”

“Yes?”

“Well I think he thinks you still hate him.”

Phillip had it all wrong, but she couldn’t tell him the truth.

Another troubled sigh came out of him. “Even if you don’t like him, can’t you try to be nicer?”

If only Phillip knew the truth. Thank goodness he didn’t!

“Of course, sweetheart.”

“Thanks.” After a minute he asked, “Mom?”

“Yes?”

“I wish he wasn’t getting married. I wish—”

“I know what you wish,” she interrupted him. “You wish your real mother were still alive so the three of you could be a family.”

But even if Melissa were alive, nothing would be different. Alex would still be marrying Isabella. Phillip’s fantasy wasn’t written in the stars.

She sat up. “Do you know what I think?”

“What?”

“We need to go home tomorrow and let him get married.” I need to get as far away from him as possible. “After his honeymoon I’m sure he’ll want you to come and stay with him until school starts.”

“But you won’t be here.”

“No. My home is in Denver, but you have two homes now.”

“I don’t want two homes. Steve hates it.”

“You never told me that before,” she said and slid to the edge of the bed. “No matter what, you’ve finally been united with your father. Just remember that last week you didn’t even know him or know where he lived.”