Chapter Twenty

Nick surveyed the garden, having spent an hour here. He had been observing Tate and Ella grilling on the family bbq and serving food onto the long table for everyone’s enjoyment.

When he looked around him, they were not with everyone else lined up to grab some of the food. He noticed they were at the back fence, taking advantage of the moment when everyone’s back was turned, sneaking out the back gate.

He had been trying to shake Ava off for most of the last hour. She was always near, or one of her friends. Touching him or invading his personal space. It all made him very uncomfortable. He didn’t want Stephen to get the wrong idea. Because he wouldn’t touch the woman with a 10-foot pole.

Smiling to himself, Nick moved to the back of the line and when no one was watching. Grabbed a bottle of wine from the cooler and followed the two women who didn’t care about him being a prince, who just thought of him as Nick. He enjoyed being around them.

As he stepped out the back gate, Nick found