“I appreciate you letting me know.” He looked over and saw his friend staring off into space, as if something was on his mind. “What’s going on, Cal?” Chappy asked. “You’ve been quiet tonight. Are you all right?”
His friend sighed. “Not really. I have to go to DC for a while.”
“What? Why?”
“Family.”
Chappy frowned in sympathy. Cal’s family dynamic was . . . complicated. The relationship between him and his parents seemed pretty solid, but as much as they’d willingly shielded Cal from the politics of their home country—allowing him to have little to do with the bureaucracy—he was still expected to be loyal to the crown. He was rarely asked to make an appearance in Liechtenstein, but every now and then, he felt obligated to do his duty . . . and comply with a request he might prefer to avoid.
And his lineage meant Cal being a POW was still huge news, even three years later. There had been enough stories about his scars and injuries to sour Cal on any kind of media attention for life.
No matter how much Chappy, Bob, and JJ told him that his scars wouldn’t matter to someone who loved him, they all knew the man was still extremely sensitive about his appearance. He wore mostly long-sleeved shirts and pants, even in the summer, and when he caught someone staring for too long, he’d completely shut down.
“What do they want you to do?” Chappy asked.
“Babysit.”
“What?” he asked with a frown.
Cal sighed. “There’s this woman. She’s befriended one of my cousins, and he talked the family into getting involved in her so-called problems. They like her. A lot. I think his parents have visions of her marrying into the family. But apparently, she’s in some kind of trouble. No one will give me any details until I get to DC. Because of my military service and discretion, they want me to deal with the situation.”
“Can you say no?”
“It’s complicated,” Cal said.
“Can you say no?” he repeated more firmly. “They do know you aren’t a bodyguard, right? That you’ve been out of the military for years? That you chop trees for a living?”
“They know all that, but they still think I’m their best option. My cousin is . . . unpredictable. And they don’t want any more media attention on the royal family than we’ve already had in the last few years . . . which is mostly my fault. I could say no, but it would make my life and dealing with my extended family awkward. Trust me, it’s easier to just do what they want. The sooner I go, the sooner I can come back.”
Chappy scowled. He hated that he felt unable to help his friend. “You need one of us to go with you? Have your back?” To protect him from his family . . . which he didn’t say out loud.
“No. My plan is to take care of this as fast as possible and get back to Maine.”
“Okay, but you know if you need anything, all you have to do is call.”
“I know, and I appreciate it.”
“I do expect you to be here for my wedding. And word of warning, I’m not waiting long.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m pretty sure I can take a weekend trip back here without an issue, if it comes to that.”
“Good.”
“I’m happy for you,” Cal said. “Carlise is one of the good ones. Don’t let her go.”
“Not planning on it,” Chappy said firmly.
Cal nodded. “All right. Let me know how she gets on. I’m headed out in the morning.”
“Cal?”
“Yeah, mate?”
Chappy wasn’t usually one to butt into his friends’ personal business, and he never would’ve even considered saying what he was about to say before he’d met Carlise . . . but meeting the woman who he knew down to his bones was meant for him had changed things. Changed him. He wanted to see all of his friends just as happy and content. “Keep an open mind.”
“About what?” Cal asked, frowning.
“Women.”
Cal rolled his eyes. “Here we go,” he muttered.
“I’m serious. I’d written off getting married and having a family. I mean, we live out here in the middle of nowhere. There aren’t exactly a lot of choices when it comes to dating. But then Carlise appeared as if she was destined to be here. All I’m saying is, don’t ignore what’s right in front of you. I feel as if we have a split second in life to recognize our other halves, and if we ignore that pull, discard the feeling, it’ll never come back.”