The Untold Story of Prince Charming (Book 2 of Cinderella Series)

Chapter 11

There was a knock on the back door about thirty minutes later, and I looked at it before I looked at my mother, who was sipping a cup of tea that she had made herself.

She looked at the door and frowned but didn't move to get it. Worry filled her eyes, and I had a feeling that she was nervous about who was at the door and silently wondered who she thought was there.

"Do you want me to answer it?" I asked and started to stand, but Ryan beat me to it and was at the door before I could stand fully. I scowled and narrowed my eyes at him when he pointed at my seat and "told" me to "sit the fuck down." "R-"

Ryan shook his head and again pointed at the seat when there was another knock at the door. "Who is it?" he asked, not opening the door and making sure that I did what I was told to do and sat down. He smirked and folded his arms across his chest, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

There was some shuffling on the back deck and then someone cleared their throat. "It's Alec," he said. "Is Mrs. or young Mr. Andrews in there, Sir?" he asked.

"Open the door, Ryan," I said and stood again, curious about what Alec wanted and why he didn't open the door when Ryan didn't from the beginning. "There is no need to just stand there with your arms crossed while it's only Alec at the door."

Ryan rolled his eyes but did what I said and opened the door. He gestured for the stable hand to come in before he closed the door behind him and sat down again.

Alec nodded and cleared his throat, standing at the door with his hat in his hands. "I'm sorry fur comin' on such short notice, but I wanted to let ye know that the vet is here. Are ye wantin' to come down and see what she says?" He looked at me.

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I shook my head no. I wanted to go down there and see what the vet had to say, but I didn't want to piss off my father when he gave me strict orders not to go. "Dad told me that I'm not able to go down there and bug the vet while she works," I said. "So unfortunately not."

"I think it'd be for the best that you go down there, too," Mom said. She raised her hand when I opened my mouth to reiterate that Dad didn't want me down there while the vet was working. "Close your mouth, Dean," she warned. "I know what your father had said, so you do not have to repeat yourself."

I did what I was told to do and closed my mouth while I pursed my lips. I stayed silent and waited for Mom to say why she wanted me to go down there when we both knew that it would cause my father to be mad at us, especially me.

"I want ye to hear what she has to say. If something needs to be handled, then I want ye to deal with it."

I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head. "Like what?" I asked. "If D-"

"We will not tell him, Lad," Alec said with a small nod while he interrupted me. "The vet won't say a word either. Seems to me that she doesn't care fur him."

I pressed my lips into a thin line but didn't say a word because I didn't want to piss off my father or them.

I was curious and wanted to know what the vet had to say about the new horse, but I didn't need any more trouble with my father and be a "disappointment" to him like I had been for the past few years, which was why we had moved back here in the first place.

"Go," my mother said, leaving me no room for discussion or an argument. She narrowed her eyes and scowled when I tried to open my mouth to say something. "You don't want to keep her waiting more than she has to, do you?"

I sighed, defeated before I shook my head. "No, Ma'am," I said, "but what will happen if he comes back while we are looking over him?"

"We'll cover for you," Ryan said while he pointed at himself and then at my mother. "Say that you were helping the men with their bunkhouse or something like that. It wouldn't be the first time, so it wouldn't be that unbelievable."

"We needed help moving the beds again," Alec said. "We thought there was a dead rat or somethin' under one of 'em because it started to stink. It wasn't a rat, but it was one of Raymond's socks that smelt like death."

I bit back a sigh and nodded again, knowing that I wasn't going to get out of it. "Ok," I said, "but if he finds out that you are lying to him, then it is on your head and not mine. Understood?"

"Of course, Lad," Alex said with a small nod and a smirk. "Now, come, let's go see what she has to say."

I nodded and gestured for him to lead the way, and Alec nodded and walked away, and I followed him, praying that my father wouldn't catch me.

I didn't want to be the reason there was another argument between my parents...

Not today.

***

Alec and I stayed silent while we walked to the barn where Blue was staying. He opened his mouth to say something before he closed it and shook his head, not saying a word, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

Again, he opened his mouth to say something before he closed it and cleared his throat, and this time, I let out an annoyed sigh while I cleared my throat as well, and he looked at me.

"What is it?" I asked, letting him hear the annoyance in my voice. "What do you want to say?"

Alec stared at me with wide eyes, and I had a feeling that he didn't think I would have called him out. "Nothing, Young Sir," he said and shook his head. "I did not want anything from ye."

I pressed my lips into a thin line before I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to relax, but I wasn't able to. "I know that isn't true, Alec," I said. "What are you nervous about?"

Alec licked his lips and cleared his throat again while he looked down and kicked the dirt. "I am worried, Sir," he said, finally while he looked at me, "about the Mistress."

I moved a hand across my face before I nodded and sighed. "I know," I said and cleared my throat before I shook my head. "I am worried about her too."

Alec slowly nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Do ye think that the Mister is doing something behind her back?" he asked, and I had a feeling that they knew all about him having an affair or whatever.

I bit back a sigh and nodded while I pressed my lips into a thin line. "I am afraid so," I said honestly before I moved a hand through my hair. "I wouldn't be surprised if something happens here, which is why he did not want me to come down and meet with the vet."

"Hmph." Alec nodded. "I am glad ye are here," he said, changing the subject and being honest. "It'll keep ye out of trouble, an' I think the Mistress is happy to have 'er son back an' not working so hard like ye 'ave been."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and shrugged. I had no idea if living here would keep me out of trouble like they hoped, and I prayed it did, but I wasn't so sure.

All I knew was that moving here didn't mean that my troubles wouldn't be far behind, and it didn't mean that I was going to like it here better than living in Los Angeles or somewhere else that was bustling with people and activity.

However, blue eyes filled my vision as the blonde haired female came back into my mind when she heard about her horse being sold to my father and the pain and anguish she felt about it.

Maybe, just maybe, living here wasn't going to be so bad after all...

If only I could get her to become my friend...