Page 13 of Waiting for a Prince

Sam couldn’t stop smiling.

He’d gone to Yaverland beach to think. Except that wasn’t true. He’d gone there to let his mind be at peace, if only for a short while. He’d worked hard the previous day, and as a result, getting his brain to shut down had been a chore. He’dslept badly, and the sight of his laptop that morning had only worsened things.

Where the idea of a trip to the beach had come from, he had no clue. He’d sat on his towel and stared at the waves, hoping for calm to wash over him.

It had apparently packed its bags and gone on a trip of its own.

And then Mark walked toward him.

The first emotion to seize Sam was irritation. He’d wanted to be alone.

Hadn’t he?

Then he saw Mark’s face, and realized he’d seen it before. Saturday. A cup of tea. Rebecca.

Oh God.

And finally, he knew he’d seen that face before. A few years ago, maybe five.

Mark hadn’t changed much. The same creamy complexion, the same dark hair, and those equally dark eyes… He had to be twenty, but he appeared younger.

Sam sat in his car, parked in a side street away from the main road, smiling as he recalled their conversations, the lunch, the laughter…

Why did I ask for his number?

Stupid question.

His phone buzzed, and he glanced at it. Rebecca.

Part of him wanted to switch his phone off, except he knew he couldn’t do that.

With a sigh, he went to Messages.

Rebecca: Where are you? I’ve called you three times.

He took another glance. Sure enough, there were missed calls. One was from Dad.

He typed.I went for a walk. I needed a break.

Rebecca: It’s my grandfather’s birthday next week. There’s going to be a party.

The message might have ended there, but Sam knew what was expected of him.

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of saying he had too much work to do, but he knew that would go down like a lead balloon.

Sam: Which day is it?

Rebecca: Thursday.

He didn’t need to look at his diary.Sure.

Rebecca: You needn’t sound so enthusiastic.

Shit.

Sam: Sorry. I had a bad night, and I have a lot of work on atm. Just let me know what time you want me to pick you up.

Rebecca: I’ll be going there with Dad. I’ll send you the address. Look your best. I want all my cousins to be jealous of me.