Page 30 of A Royal Obligation

King Henry took the water from Barrett and took a long drink. He let out a breath that sounded wheezy.

“Sorry about that,” he said through labored breaths.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Barrett stood and motioned for Liam to help. Together, they assisted their father to his room.

“Will you please speak with the doctor and get some further tests done? We only want you to be more comfortable.” Barrett pleaded.

The king looked between both of his sons. “Fine.” He conceded. “I will speak with Doctor West when I have some spare time if it will appease you both.”

“Thank you.”

Once he was lying down in bed, the boys quietly excused themselves so that he could rest.

“I’m worried about him,” Liam admitted as they walked down the hallway toward their rooms.

“I am too. At least he said he would speak with the doctor again. I wish Mom was still here. She would be able to talk some sense into him and get him to take it a little bit easier and pursue some kind of treatment.”

“Yeah, well, she’s not here.” Liam’s tone grew sharp as his brows furrowed.

“Whoa.” Barrett threw his hands up in surrender. “Why do you get so touchy whenever Mom gets brought up?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Barrett rolled his eyes. His brother always made a joke out of the things that seemed to truly impact him the most.Is he still trying to cope with Mom’s death? I need to tread these waters carefully.

“You know you aren’t the only one still dealing with Mom’s death, right? You still have me and Dad whenever you need anything.” Barrett clasped Liam’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Thanks.” Liam let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “Also, I’m not trying to be a jerk. Half the time it’s simply fun to rile you up.” The corners of Liam’s mouth rose slightly.

“You really know how to push my buttons.” Barrett gave Liam a light push. They both laughed as they walked to their respective doors.

“You better go get your beauty rest, Princess. Wouldn’t want you gaining any more wrinkles.” Liam winked.

Barrett smirked and waved goodnight before walking into his room. He had always been annoyed at his brother’s antics, but it seemed he needed to give Liam more credit. His antics brought relief to Barrett’s life. They made him roll his eyes, but they also made him learn to take himself—and life—a little less seriously.

While his brother still had some growing to do, tonight Barrett realized that Liam had more hurt to process through than anything else. Barrett still missed his mom every day, but it seemed like his brother was truly still mourning her loss today as much as the day she had passed. Barrett had been close to his mom, but Liam and her had been inseparable. After today, he understood Liam’s pain on a different level.

If he was starting to understand his brother after all this time, maybe figuring out how to pursue a woman wasn’t so far out of his reach.

Chapter Thirteen

Jules

Julesfluffedthepillowbehind her on the couch in the men’s sitting room before leaning back. She had been helping Barrett with dating lessons for a week, but today they were talking about one of the topics she was most excited about.

“One of the most important things I can teach you is the art of flirting with a woman. It’s a careful balance. A delicate dance. You don’t want to come across too strong, but you need it to be obvious enough to her that she knows you’re interested in more than a friendship.”

“Makes total sense.” His tone oozed with sarcasm.

“I know that women can be hard to understand at times, but that’s what I’m here for. You’ll be a pro at flirting with a woman in no time.”

“If you say so. Okay, how do I do this?”

“Have you ever seen the movieTangled?” she asked.

“What does that have to do with being able to flirt?” He chortled.

“Just answer the question.”