Ethan

  Victoria and Samantha looked as impeccable as ever, despite the early hour. Victoria was dressed in a stylish yet practical ensemble—jeans that fit her perfectly and a soft cashmere sweater that made her look effortlessly elegant. Samantha, on the other hand, had chosen a winter dress that showcased her figure without being too revealing, paired with leggings and boots that made her look both fashionable and ready for the cold. With the early spring weather, they were both dressed perfectly. Was that a woman thing? To know exactly what you need for a given situation? Geez.

  I cleared my throat, feeling awkward. “Morning, ladies, you both look amazing. I feel underdressed.” I looked down at my flannel shirt and jeans.

  The women laughed softly.

  “Listen,” I said, “I was thinking we’ve probably overstayed our welcome here. The storm’s over, and the girls and I should probably head back to the campsite. I can bake that pie before we go, so you’ll have something for later.”

  Victoria turned to me with a raised eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips. “Overstayed your welcome? Nonsense, Ethan. We’re having a wonderful time with you and the girls. There’s no need for you to rush off.”

  “Yeah,” Samantha chimed in, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter. “Besides, who’s going to protect us if another storm rolls in? Or if a bear decides to wander down from the mountains? We need a big, strong man around, don’t we, Victoria?”

  Victoria nodded, her expression amused. “Absolutely. It wouldn’t be safe for us to be here alone. And the girls are having so much fun; it would be a shame to cut the trip short.”

  I felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me. They were being kind, but I didn’t want to be a burden. “I don’t want to cause any discomfort,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “I’m not exactly cut out for this kind of living.”

  Samantha tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she were trying to figure me out. “Ethan, you’re not causing any discomfort. We’re actually enjoying your company. And the girls are a delight. So, please, don’t feel like you have to leave.”

  I hesitated, but their words were genuine, and the thought of taking the girls away from this unexpected adventure didn’t sit right with me.

  Then I heard Lily from down the hall. “Daddy, I hear you. If you make us leave, we will go, but you’ll get no kisses for a month. I mean it.”

  Maya chimed in. “It will be two months for me. And you know how much that hurts me to say.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, you two troublemakers, we can stay.”

  I smiled at both women standing in front of me. “Thank you, Samantha and Victoria. Those girls have been through a lot, and you make them feel special. It's obvious how special you are.”

  I looked at Samantha and then Victoria. They had a hard time looking me in the eyes for some reason.

  Okay, we are staying. That's okay, I guess. Now… I had a bigger problem: Silver Ridge. Just thinking about it made me uneasy

  I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady as I addressed Victoria and Samantha. “Look, Silver Ridge… it’s a place for really rich people. I’m not sure it’s the best idea for us to go there. I don’t want the girls to feel out of place.”

  Victoria looked at me, a mixture of amusement and disbelief on her face. “Ethan, do you really think we’d let anyone treat those girls poorly? They’re with us, and I assure you, no one would dare say anything.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Samantha scoffed, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter. “Ethan, if anyone even thinks about hurting those girls, there’s going to be hell to pay. But I think you’re overthinking it. Silver Ridge’s old town is full locals that go back generations, and while there are places for high money, there are lots of regular people too. Don’t you worry about it. Besides, it will be fun to take the girls shopping! There are lots of stores that aren’t anywhere else in the world. The girls will love it.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but the words wouldn’t come out. They were both so confident, so sure that it wouldn’t be a problem. But I knew how people could be—judgmental, snobbish. Hell, look at my ex-wife. I didn’t want to put Maya and Lily in a situation like that.

  “Well, okay, but shopping is—”

  Maya and Lily entered the room. They looked WICKED excited, though to be honest, I couldn’t understand why. It was just Silver Ridge; why would they care—

  Then it hit me. The girls were excited because they were going with Victoria and Samantha somewhere. They were going “shopping.” But it wasn’t about the “shopping”; it was about Victoria and Samantha. They were missing their mother. The old one that used to give a shit about them.

  No. that isn’t fair it isn’t that Sarah doesn’t care for them. It’s just she cares about her own happiness more.

  Well, that wasn’t much better. Damn.

  I sighed, feeling the last of my resistance crumble. It was hard enough to say no to the girls on a regular day. But there was no way I could deny them this experience, even if their mother's substitutes for the day were two of the alluring women I’ve ever interacted with.

  “Alright,” I relented, though the decision didn’t sit well. “We’ll go, but just window shopping. Don’t you two go bugging Samantha and Victoria about clothes or any other such silliness.”

  Samantha flashed me a victorious smile. “Don’t worry, Ethan. We’ll take care of everything. It’ll be fun, and the girls will love it.”

  Victoria nodded in agreement, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “And don’t worry about Silver Ridge. You’ll fit in just fine. Besides, I think you might enjoy it more than you think.”

  We piled into Victoria's brand-new Escalade, the kind of vehicle that seemed more suited for royalty than a simple trip into town. I slid into the driver’s seat, feeling a bit out of place behind the wheel of such a luxurious machine. Samantha climbed in beside me, her presence filling the cabin with a subtle scent of something expensive and sophisticated. She adjusted her seat, and I couldn’t help but notice how natural she seemed in this world of polished leather and gleaming metal.

  “Victoria,” I said, adjusting the seat, “are you sure you want me to drive this car? It looks really expensive.”

  Victoria nodded. “Ethan, it looks really expensive because it is really expensive. It's a specialty vehicle from Cadillac. You have to custom order them.”

  “Then perhaps you should drive–”

  “Ethan,” Victoria put her hand on my mind and squeezed. “I don’t have a driver's license. Neither does Samantha.”

  I burst out laughing. Fair enough.

  Maya and Lily scrambled into the back, practically bouncing with excitement. Samantha slid in next to them and pulled out a dice game. “Alright, ladies, let's see how lucky you are!”

  As I started the engine, the smooth purr of the Escalade surprised me. The power I felt from the turnover was amazing—raw and strong. I loved it. Victoria smiled at me, her usual poise softened by genuine warmth.

  “So, Princess Victoria,” Maya began, her eyes wide with curiosity, “I have a few more questions about being a Lady?”

  Victoria chuckled, clearly amused by the title they’d given her. “Go right ahead, Maya.”

  Maya leaned forward. “Do you guys get to play sports in school, or are you like too pretty and delicate to get messy?”

  Victoria and Samantha broke out into laughter. Victoria responded, “I will have you know, young lady, that I played first-team Polo, Cricket, and was one of the best skeet shooters at my prep school.”

  I looked up in the rearview mirror to see how Maya would react. She looked confused. “I don’t know what any of those things are. You don’t have to make up words like that, Princess Victoria. If you are boring, you can just say so.”

  Samantha lost it. She was laughing so hard I thought she might pee herself. Victoria turned in her seat and grabbed Maya's legs, tickling her. “You little bugger. I will show you boring.”

  It took a moment of mayhem to calm everyone back down.

  I glanced at Victoria, catching her eye. She gave me a wink before turning back to the girls, who changed topics and were now asking about royal dinners and castles.

  We left the estate. The road wound its way through the dense forest, the trees tall and majestic, their leaves shimmering in the morning light. Rain had a transformative quality to it making the forest especially magically after an intense storm—the calm, the dewy atmosphere, the sense of renewal. It was majestic.