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Maybe they didn’t have a normal sibling relationship growing up? It would be logical, she supposed. King Benjamin had likely always known he was different, that he would be king someday. The death of their father when he was thirteen would have thrust that upon him, separating him further from his siblings.

Two members of the staff cleared their salad plates and presented their entreè which was delicious. The rest of the family decided to go for a walk before dessert, but Josiah asked her to hang back for a moment.

“Are you up for a walk?” he asked quietly. “We can wait for them to get back.”

Bekah glanced down, remembering that she was in her pajamas. “I think I’d rather stay here and meet them when they get back. I don’t know that I want to go for a walk.”

He texted someone, likely one of the people already working their way down the outer stairs to the garden.

“Let’s go inside,” he encouraged.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bekah saw several members of the staff scurry from out of the way behind them. Maybe going inside was Josiah’s way of letting them do their job.

Despite trying to forget about the thought that had run through her head earlier, it had continued to niggle at the back of her mind.

Could this be the beginning of falling in love with Josiah?

It had to be far more than physical attraction. He was a good-looking guy. She didn’t think he’d ever topped the “Hot Young Royals” lists the tabloids seemed to love, though he’d been on them.

Not that she’d read those lists closely.

And they had chemistry. She could feel that every time her skin came into contact with his for any reason. She felt certain he did too.

But was it more than that?

He’d always been kind and considerate of others. She’d noticed that since they first met. He wasn’t entitled and didn’t expect others to bow and scrape for him just because of who his father had been and his brother was.

It would be easy to fall in love with him.

If she let herself.

But did she dare after her last relationship? One she was starting to realize she’d been checking out of since before the wedding.

She sat in a chair that she found to be far more comfortable than it looked. Pulling her legs up underneath her, she let her head fall back as far as it could. Her eyes closed. Could she be ready for a nap already?

“You all right?” Josiah’s voice cut through the darkness behind her eyes.

“Yeah. Just need some more rest. I’m okay, but glad we didn’t go on the walk.” She opened her eyes but didn’t move her head, looking at him from the side. He was cute.

Cute was an understatement.

“Do you want to go back to the room? To lay down?”

“No. I’m okay. I want to hang out with my parents and your family for a little while if they want to.”

“Then close your eyes and rest until they get back.”

She gave him a half smile. “Thanks.”

For the next half hour, her mind wandered to the baby she carried. Was she going to have a boy or a girl? Did she want to know? Or did she want to be surprised when the baby arrived?

She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Maybe she should ask Josiah what he thought. Unless something changed in the next six months, he’d be the legal father of the baby. Would he be there when she gave birth? Would he be the first one to hold the baby? After her, of course, unless she wasn’t able to for some reason.

Did she want him to be there?

Bekah wasn’t sure, but why did the thought of himnotbeing there suddenly make her so sad?

CHAPTER 13