A Royal Baby on the Way

‘‘I am not imperious,’’ he said loudly. ‘‘I’m a nice guy. Everyone likes me. I do not tell other people what to do.’’

Betty’s only response was to raise her eyebrows.

‘‘I’m very easygoing,’’ Mitch insisted.

‘‘This from a man who got upset because I served him ham on Wednesday instead of Thursday?’’ Her voice was sweetly smug.

‘‘That happened once. It was years ago.’’

‘‘It was last month, and if you want other examples I have dozens.’’

He opened his mouth to respond, but just then he heard footsteps in the hallway. The princess was up and ready for her breakfast.

‘‘Some of us have to work for a living,’’ he said, and tossed his napkin on top of his half-eaten breakfast. He pushed back from the table, then grabbed his hat as he headed for the door.

Betty started laughing. ‘‘I never thought I’d see the day when you were chased out of your own house by a woman, Mitch.’’

‘‘I’m not being chased, I’m leaving.’’

‘‘One day you’ll have to explain the difference,’’ she said with a chuckle.

* * *

Alex heard both laughter and the slamming of the back door as she entered the kitchen. She glanced out the window in time to see Mitch heading for the garage next to the barn. No doubt he would get in his four-wheel-drive truck and be gone for the entire day. For reasons she didn’t quite understand, she had to fight back a sigh of sadness. Foolishly she’d hoped they might have breakfast together this morning. She’d gotten up a little earlier than usual in hopes of catching him. If she didn’t know better, she would say that Mitch Colton was avoiding her.

‘‘Care to share the joke?’’ she asked as she walked over to the counter by the stove and poured herself a cup of coffee.