I laughed and grabbed a whisk from the drawer. “I’ll make note of that, but I never have anything like that in the house unless it’s requested. I’m just a small-town Midwest girl, Royal. I like to make meat and potatoes.”
“And dessert, right?” she guessed.
I pointed at her. “Now that is where I might get a little fancy, but fancy desserts don’t have caviar or squid in them,” I laughed.
Royal cringed. “I want no part of a dessert that has either of those things. I guess you can put that on the list of things I won’t eat.”
I tapped my temple. “Got it. No squid or caviar desserts.” Though that was going to be an easy one to remember. “Anything like onions, mushrooms, or maybe dairy?”
Royal shook her head. “You can add all of those to the things I love to eat. Honestly, Bristol, anything you make is delicious. I’m not going to be picky or anything.”
Royal had stayed at Wyndemere before the accident, and she hadn’t been picky at all about what I was cooking or baking. Thankfully, Marco had fallen in love with a very laidback woman.
“How was Kane last night? Did he sleep in his new crib?” I asked.
Royal cringed. “I tried, but then he started crying, and I was tired so I brought him into the bed with us. Thankfully, Marco wasn’t too upset. Once I got Kane settled down, I moved him to the bassinet next to the bed, and he slept. He did wake up two times to eat, but he went right back to sleep.”
I laughed and whisked the eggs. “Sleeping is hard work. Sometimes you need to wake up, have a little snack, and then go back to sleep.” Pie and I had a little snack in between the tub and bed last night. We needed a little fuel to keep our energy up.
“Well, you and Kane think alike, then. Maybe you can grab him on the way to the kitchen every night.”
I grabbed the butter from the fridge and plopped some into the pan. I laughed and shook my head. “I don’t think I have the goods that Kane wants.”
Royal clicked her tongue. “You may have a point there.”
“I thought you were going to make me breakfast?” Marco walked into the kitchen scratching his stomach with his hair all disheveled.
“Oh,” Royal gasped. She jumped out of her chair and dashed over to me. “Uh, Bristol was just getting things set up for me,” she lied. “Heating up the eggs.”
“The pan,” I corrected her. “I was just heating up the pan for Royal.”
“Right,” Royal laughed. “If you were heating up the eggs for me, then you would be cooking them,” she cringed.
“Royal,” Marco drawled. “I don’t know how many times I need to tell you that Bristol is here to cook, and if you come in here trying to cook, then Bristol can’t cook, which is her job.”
“But I’m your fiancée, and I’m supposed to cook for you,” Royal whined.
“Who the hell says that?” Marco asked. “There are things I need from you, but cooking is not one of them.”
“I just…” Royal sighed and leaned against the counter. “Those damn society standards got me thinking I need to be Betty Crocker in the kitchen I guess.”
“Next thing I know, you’re going to tell me you need me to be able to cut the grass and trim the bushes because you think that’s what a man is supposed to do. The typical stereotypes don’t apply to us, Royal.” Marco moved to Royal and gathered her in his arms. “I’m a busy man, and that means you’re going to be busy keeping up with me. We have Bristol to help make our lives easier. I have a yard crew to cut the grass. I have my men to keep us safe. Me delegating those things to others is necessary. I’m not missing anything with you not cooking for me. With Bristol here, that means when we sit down to eat, you can sit with me and not have to worry about cleaning up or anything like that.”
“I just don’t know if I’m cracked up for this fancy life, Marco.” Royal rested her forehead against his. “Way different than my life back in Florida.”
“You want to go back to Florida? You can, but you should know I’m coming with you. We’ll live wherever you want, but just know my men come with and so does Bristol.”
My eyes bugged out, and I stared at Marco. “Uh, I’m not too sure about moving to Florida. I’m a Midwest girl who loves her changing seasons.”
Roy
al chuckled. “Don’t worry, Bristol. I don’t have any plans to move to Florida or from here. I guess I’m just feeling a little out of whack today.”
“Did you take your pills the doctor gave you?” Marco asked.
Royal shook her head. “Not this morning. I normally take them after I eat.”
Marco pointed to me. “Get breakfast done, Bristol. Royal needs to take her medicine.”