Part 99 (2/2)

His head turned to look toward the other end of the hall then he looked back to me.

”Did you talk Loretta into being with Hans?”

I stared at him, surprised at his question.

A question that laid testimony to the fact that Chris didn't only watch his father, sister and me.

It would seem Chris paid attention to everything.

Then I forced myself to speak. ”Um...well, no. Not exactly.”

He looked disappointed.

”She is...” I didn't know what to share and decided on, ”She has some issues.”

”Hans likes her,” he stated.

”Well, yes,” I replied.

”The handsome soldier is supposed to get the maiden he desires at the end of the story,” he declared and I felt my lips twitch as I fought back a smile.

”You're absolutely right,” I told him.

”So what's wrong with Loretta? She's ruining the story,” he told me.

I again beat back my smile, doing it thinking that I wanted to walk to him. To get close. To crouch in front of him and hold his eyes when I spoke my next words.

But this was not small progress.

This was huge progress.

So I didn't push it.

”Some stories have twists and turns, Chris. It could be that those twists and turns will lead to Hans winning Loretta. It could be he thinks she's the maiden he desires but yet another is on the horizon and it will be her he seeks to win, and does. As with any good story, we just have to watch it play out and see.”

”She's the maiden he desires,” Chris informed me authoritatively. ”I heard him tell Remi he thinks she's very pretty.”

”I'm glad to know that,” I replied softly.

”So she needs to stop being so stubborn,” he a.s.serted.

”Well, hopefully I gave her a few things to think about in regards to Hans,” I shared.

”Hopefully you did,” he agreed.

At that, I let myself smile and said quietly, ”But we'll just watch it play out, shall we?”

He was looking at my smile. His eyes s.h.i.+fted up and he nodded.

”Now, do you want me to find your father and ask him to come and tuck you in, or are you good?” I queried.

His head (the only thing I could see around the jamb) lifted up two inches before he stated, ”I can tuck myself in.”

”Of course,” I murmured. Then louder, I said, ”Now you sleep tight, sweetheart.”

Something moved over his face at the endearment. Something I couldn't quite catch before he called, ”You sleep tight too.”

And without further ado, his head disappeared and he closed the door.

I turned swiftly, catching myself from twirling with glee.

I waved to Lund and Gaston as I rushed down the hall, catching myself from skipping.

I threw open the door and saw Apollo sitting in a chair in my room, tugging off his boot. His head came up, his face got soft when he saw me, I liked that a whole lot, and I closed the door behind me.

”Lock that, poppy,” he ordered.

I didn't lock it.

I let myself skip across the room to him, watching him watch me as he dropped his boot and straightened in the chair.

When I arrived at him, I let myself twirl and I ended my twirl falling into his lap.

His arms instantly closed around me.

I instantly lifted my hands and slapped them against his chest.

”Guess what?” I asked.

He was grinning down at me as he asked back, ”What?”

I pushed closer and when we were nearly nose-to-nose, I shared, ”Chris just caught me in the hall and instigated a conversation with me.”

His eyes flared, his arms convulsed and his lips curled deeper.

”Good,” he murmured and I shot backward, away from him.

”Good?” I asked before I slapped my hands on his chest and leaned in again. ”Great!”

”Yes, dove, it is great,” he agreed, his arms closing tighter around me, bringing me closer, his jade eyes dancing with amus.e.m.e.nt. The dancing stopped and warmth settled in before he whispered, ”Happy?”

He wanted very badly for that answer to be yes.

He'd worked hard at making that answer yes.

So it was with deep gratification that I slid my hand up his chest to curl it around his neck and whispered back, ”Very.”

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