I dragged a shaky hand through my hair and yanked the tie from my neck with a sigh. I’d been married less than a day, and already I doubted we’d last much longer. Maybe we’d make it past the twenty-four-hour mark, but things were bound to unravel fast after that. I slid the tie around my neck and adjusted it before attempting to tie it again. My fingers slipped, and I cursed under my breath.
“Problem, darling?”
I twisted to find my beautiful wife, Nattie, hovering in the doorway, already dressed and ready for her day.
She had no idea the simple phone call she had made had ruined everything.
“No,” I lied, whipping the tie off again and tossing it aside. “I don’t need a tie.”
She chuckled as she strode forward and grabbed the silk fabric, sliding it around my neck. “Are you all right?”
“Fine,” I said, refusing to meet her gaze.
“You don’t look fine.” Her fingers froze mid-knot, and she snapped her gaze up to me. “Are you having second thoughts about the marriage.”
“No,” I said, meeting her gaze and vehemently shaking my head. “No, not at all. Are you?”
She resumed tying my tie. “No. Of course not. But you seem…distracted.”
“Just…thinking about work.” I cleared my throat, hoping she believed my lie.
“The work with Papa?” She tightened the knot before she straightened it.
“Yeah, that, right. That is on my mind.” I turned to glance in the mirror, admiring her handiwork. “Thanks, sweetie. The tie looks great.”
“You’re welcome,” she said sliding an arm around my waist as she cuddled closer. “Although, I’m still a little worried about you.”
“Oh, no, sweetie, you don’t need to worry,” I said as I turned to face her, rubbing her arms.
She was the one who needed to worry.
“But you have entered an entirely new world, Kyle, and I worry that it will be too much on you. Not just the royal duties, but the rest of the craziness.” She heaved a sigh as her face fell.
I tipped her chin up, staring into her dark brown eyes. “Hey, my family literally called me Crazy Kyle. I can handle crazy, Nattie.”
