Hell, if they weren’t going to stand up and put a stop to this, then I was.
“Like hell he does,” I snarled.
Chapter 44
Felix
I reached for Lio’s balled fist while swallowing back a laugh. Seeing him go into protective mode made me feel lighter than air.
“He’s right. I don’t owe you anything, but I’m willing to give the young woman a chance if she wants to come meet me and tell me why UT is the right place for her.”
“I can’t ask her to come to Hobie, Texas, just to have a chat with you about this. Why are you making this difficult, Felix? It’s just a simple recommendation for god’s sake,” my mother scoffed.
I shrugged. “If she doesn’t want it badly enough, that tells me all I need to know. But just be aware that I’m good friends with the head of the fine arts department, the art history department, and every professor that young woman would dream of working with.”
Jackie rolled her eyes as if she was disappointed in me but not at all surprised I was being belligerent. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll let her know. I have to run though. Chris is waiting for me at the hotel.”
She bolted out of there with barely another breath taken. When she was gone, everyone stood around staring at the door.
“Typical,” Doc muttered and turned into Grandpa’s arms. Grandpa hugged him tightly and kissed the side of his head.
“Sweetheart, stop blaming yourself for another adult’s behavior,” Grandpa said quietly into Doc’s hair.
“How do you know I’m blaming myself?” Doc grumbled into Grandpa’s neck.
“I’ve known you for a thousand years, babe,” he murmured. “And you’ve always blamed yourself for Jackie’s selfish behavior.”
“If she hadn’t lost her mother so young. If I hadn’t—”
“Stop,” Grandpa warned. “Or I’m going to get upset, and the next thing I know, you’ll be whipping out the blood pressure cuff.”
“What would you rather me whip out, old man?” Doc teased.
“Oh hell no,” a voice growled from the back door. This time it was Saint shuddering with fake revulsion over accidentally hearing Doc’s sexual innuendo. The rest of the family followed him into the room, chattering at top volume.
While I watched my grandfathers flirt and my cousins gripe about it, Lio put his arm around me and asked if I was all right.
“Yes,” I admitted, turning to him with a smile. “So fucking all right, I can’t stand it. Thank you for being here. And thank you for standing up for me.”
Standing there in the heart of the old farmhouse with all my family there and Lio’s strong arm around me, I felt like my life, my real life, was finally beginning.
And it was going to be amazing.
The following morning, however, the amazing feeling wore off as quickly as it had come. My mother showed back up at the ranch after breakfast and brought company this time.
“Felix, this is my fiancé, Chris Corbin. Chris, this is my son, Felix Wilde,” she said in her perfect Hollywood way.
“Nice to meet you, Felix,” Chris said with a nod. I held out a hand to shake but he ignored it. If I hadn’t felt Lio stiffen beside me, I would have thought it was an oversight rather than a slight.
Jackass piece of shit.
“And this is Felix’s friend, the one I told you about,” Jackie said in an overly cheerful voice. She turned to me with sparkling eyes. “You didn’t tell me you were dating the king of Liorland!”
My heart sank and I felt my cheeks ignite with embarrassment. I knew that look. It was the same look a hungry lion gave a weak gazelle before culling it from the herd.
Chris beamed at Lio and thrust out his hand for a shake. “Chris Corbin. It’s nice to meet you…”
“Your Majesty,” Lio supplied, unable to help himself.
I stifled a laugh before cutting in.
“He goes by Lior, even though he’s right. ‘Your Majesty’ is, in fact, the correct way to greet him in polite company,” I said, enjoying the shocked look on my mother’s face.
Her eyes widened before her smile did, and she did a slow pan from Felix to me and back again. “Chris tried to tell me you’d introduced me to the king, but I thought he must be joking. Surely this is some kind of prank, darling.”
“On the contrary,” Lio corrected with more false manners. “It’s no prank. I’m the real thing. Flesh and blood and whatnot. Royal Scout’s honor,” he said, holding up three fingers, making sure one of them held the ancient ring his grandfather had given him with the royal crest on it.
Then Lio turned to me. “Tell them, sweetheart. You managed to turn the king of Liorland gay. Your mother should be proud.”
This time I really did laugh, startling the two people staring wide-eyed at Lio and me.
Chris must have put two and two together that he was standing in the company of actual practicing gays, because his eyes widened comically and he retracted his hand as if bitten.