“Come with us.” Cathy put her hands on her hips.

“I want to paint.”

“Paint later.”

“No.” I stood up and picked up my shoes.

“You have a hole in your sock.” Cathy looked down at my feet.

“Yep.” I wiggled my big toe.

“You’re probably the only prince in the world that doesn’t throw away his holey socks.” She laughed.

“So?” I felt my eyebrows furrow. “They still work.”

“Come with us and I’ll buy you new socks while we’re out.”

“I can’t.” Shit on toast. I hadn’t meant to say that.

“What? Why not? You can paint later.”

“I need to catch the light right now.” I turned to walk back in the house but she kept pace with me.

“She’s not speaking until later.” She practically bounced. “That’s perfect. It’s been forever since we’ve all been together.”

Oh, low blow. She might look all sweet and innocent, but she was working the guilt angle now.

“It hasn’t been that long.” I ducked my head in the kitchen to make sure the cook wasn’t in there. She wasn’t, which meant I could drink straight out of the milk carton.

“Come with us.” She sat on the counter and frowned at me.

“No.”

“Come with us. Please.” She gave me her best smile.

“No.”

“Why are you being even more stubborn than normal?” She pouted.

“I’m not.” I lifted the carton to my mouth to forestall any more talking.

“Yes you are. What’s going on?” She crossed her arms. “Do you not like Meredith?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“No you don’t like her or no you do like her?” She watched my face carefully.

“She’s okay.” I shrugged again. I was shrugging a lot today.

“Okay? She’s gorgeous, funny, and can sing like an angel.”

“Didn’t notice.” I turned away from her and opened a cabinet looking for cereal.

“You didn’t notice that she’s a hottie?” She followed me around the kitchen. “You?”

“Did you just call a girl a hottie?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I’m straight, not blind.” She grabbed a handful of my cereal before I poured the milk in the bowl.

“Okay, she’s attractive.” I looked at her with a frown. “You’re really annoying, you know that?”

“I’ve been told before.” She leaned back against the kitchen island. “I thought you told Sam you would help her out.”

“Is that what this is about?” I shoved a spoonful of colored squares into my mouth.

“Well, you said you’d help, and she obviously needs help.”

“Look, I know what I’m doing.” I turned away from her and poured the rest of my cereal in the trash. “I don’t do public appearances. You know that. God, when does David get back so you can annoy him?”

“Come with us.” She stepped in my path to the door. “If Sam thinks you aren’t helping Meredith right now, she’s going to send over a ton of people to take over.”

“Mother already sent someone from the palace.”

“Then come with us.”

“How old are you?” I glared at her.

“I’m twenty-two.” She smiled. “Why won’t you come with us?”

“I promised I wouldn’t.” I sighed. She wasn’t going to leave me alone.

“Promised who?” She stopped in her tracks.

“Meredith.” I growled her name. Knowing that she was doing all of this today on her own made me angry. Even more angry knowing that she had made me promise when she had such an important thing happening.

“Why?” A sly smile curved my sister’s lips. “Did you annoy her that fast?”

“Shut it.” I glared down at her. “She doesn’t want our help.”

“But does she need it?”

My chest clenched and something in my face must’ve shifted because Cathy smiled like the cat that swallowed the canary.

“You can’t force people to take your help,” I said.

“We don’t leave our own to deal with horrible stuff alone.” Cathy crossed her arms. “And look at you! It’s bothering you so much you were up at dawn.”

“I had a nightmare.” There, I’d give a dog a bone and let her gnaw on that. It would be better than her going on about Meredith.

“I wonder why.” She smiled up at me. “Be ready at two.”

“I’m not going with you.” Putting my hands on her shoulders, I moved her out of my way.

“Wear something nice. We want to look civilized.”

I shook my head. Little sisters were something else.

I showered and changed back in my room before gathering my stuff and heading to the lake. I hadn’t been lying about wanting to paint. The idea had stuck in my head and I needed to get it out.

I used one of the four-wheel terrain vehicles to get my supplies to where I wanted. It was a decent walk and would have been made difficult by carrying an easel, canvas, and paints.

Once I was set up, I tuned into the painting and let everything else melt away. And as I smoothed paint on the canvas, everything did melt away, except my nagging need to protect Meredith while she gave her speech today. It was in the back of my mind the entire time I worked. Like a quiet whisper stuck on repeat.