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“That’s impressive,” August said as he studied me, then nodded his approval. “Look at you, standing up to my mother.”
“And just so you know, Veronica also said she wasn’t leaving your side until you made a full recovery,” Daphne cheerfully added.
“Well then,” August said, his tone playful as his gaze locked with mine, “I guess I’ll have to make sure this recovery lasts at least fifty years.”
Chapter Nineteen
Prince August
“Here’s to dodging more disasters than an action movie hero!” I said with a laugh in the billiard room, clinking bottles with Caleb, and my brothers Oliver and Theo.
“Cheers,” they said before taking long swigs.
A wave of nostalgia washed over me at that moment. It was like the good old days, brothers and friends hanging out, just being guys, and planning our next moves—both on the pool table and in life.
Meanwhile, Veronica and Daphne joined Grace—Oliver’s fiancée—and my sister Adriana in the tearoom next door. Their laughter, filtering through the walls now and then, infused the palace with a lively energy. Being surrounded by family and friends was exactly the homecoming I needed. It was one of those moments when life felt absolutely perfect, and that realization burst like an explosion of pure joy inside my heart.
“How’s the wedding planning going, Oliver?” I asked.
“Smoothly,” he replied as he chalked his cue stick. “Grace has the most amazing eye for detail and can visualize everything. I’ve got it easy. The only thing I have to do is agree with her or say ‘whatever you want is good for me.’”
“That’s what happens when you marry an ex-wedding planner,” I said with a grin.
“How did you propose?” Caleb interjected, then shot the nine ball into the side pocket. “I never heard the story.”
Oliver paused, a smile spreading across his face as he thought about it. “It was during our trip to Corfu for her birthday, which was actually just a ruse for the proposal. I planned everything down to the double chocolate fudge cake—Grace’s favorite.”
“Unfortunately, there were a few ... distractions,” I chimed in.
Oliver laughed, nodding. “That’s an understatement. Right before I was about to propose, Mother announced her engagement to Sebastian. Then, not thirty seconds later, my cousin Enzo revealed he was getting married to Honey, which is an entertaining story for another time. And as if that wasn’t enough, Theo here dropped the bomb about moving to the States for his degree.”
Theo shrugged. “Timing has never been my strong suit.”
“I thought I’d lost the moment,” Oliver said. “But eventually, after a bit of a panic over the interruptions, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.” He turned to Caleb and squeezed his arm. “Whenever you’re ready to propose, do yourself a favor and keep it intimate. Avoid family gatherings at all costs because they are way too stressful.”
Caleb nodded. “Thanks for the advice, but I’m nowhere near proposing. I haven’t even had an official first date with Daphne yet. By the looks of it, August might be next on the docket for a proposal now that he’s back together with my sister. You should have seen them on the jet coming back from Egypt. I got four cavities just from the way they were looking at each other.”
That made me laugh, but he was right. Being back with Veronica felt like reclaiming a part of myself that I’d lost. Now, there was a familiar warmth that filled me with a profound sense of peace.
Oliver pocketed a striped ball and straightened up. “I’m glad to hear that, August. You two always seemed right for each other.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about the proposal, but I want to do it right. I don’t want it to be cliché or over the top, but I also don’t want it to be boring.”
“I’ve got a bunch of ideas,” Theo said with a grin as he rubbed his hands together.
“This should be interesting since I can’t even remember the last time you had an actual date,” I said, then took a swig of my beer and waited for the circus to begin.
“How about skydiving?” he said. “Just jump out of an airplane with the ring in hand … literally falling for her.”
“What if he drops the ring at ten thousand feet?” Caleb asked. “Plus, August is accident prone and will most likely forget to wear a parachute or will get one that malfunctions.”
I sighed. “I’m not accident prone. Every mishap has a logical explanation. They’re all coincidences.”
“Like when you ran naked on the beach in Zanzibar and buried yourself with sand?” he asked.
“What?” Oliver said, turning to me. “I want to hear about that one.”
I held up my hand. “I need at least three beers in me to talk about it, and we’re not even close. I’d rather talk about proposals, but at least try to come up with something that isn’t completely ridiculous. I can use some help here.”
