And, just like that, the world as he knew it snapped back into place. “It’s got nothing to do with that. Rosie’s got a lot going on back home.”

“I’m not talking about her end of things. All relationships have issues. Couples only survive because they’re invested in making it work. And, I’m telling you, when you find the right woman, you do whatever it takes. You don’t look at the obstacles, you look at the ways around them. Callie had an internship in New York, and Delilah needed to run her family restaurant, but Fin and I didn’t let that stop us from holding onto the women we’re going to marry, have kids and grow old with. And I’m worried you’ll never get to the good stuff until you see that Mom pulled a number on you. She made it hard for you to trust, for you to go all-in with anybody or anything. Look, all I know is that you can’t trust Mom with your heart. That’s a given. But is Rosie like Mom?”

“She’s nothing like her.” Rosie was real and deep and honorable. And it was her dedication to her family that would cost him a relationship with her. “But the situation’s completely different. She has to go home.” I just hope it’s not today.

“You’re not hearing me. I’m telling you that fighting for Mom was a dead-end, because she’s a narcissist. Rosie’s not. That means there’s hope for you. There’s always hope. Don’t let Mom screw it up for you. She’s done enough damage, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. I do.” He didn’t think Will understood the whole picture. There were no weapons for Brodie to win the battle against Rosie’s parents, her country, the fucking monarchy.

Will might not know the situation, but he’d just given Brodie a hit of hope. If there was a chance in hell to make it work with Rosie, he’d grab it. Getting up, he clapped his brother’s shoulder, smacked a kiss on Ruby’s cheek, and took off into the kitchen.

From the cool of the living room, he heard Rosie talking. Peering through the window, he found her on the porch. Ass perched on the banister, phone to her ear, she gazed across the meadow with a troubled expression. When he opened the door and stepped outside, she looked relieved to see him.

“I don’t know.” She sounded exasperated. “I don’t even know where he’s staying. All I can tell you is that he looked shell-shocked. I guess I never saw that he’s nothing more than his father’s puppet. I’d be sad for him if I weren’t so angry.” She paused to listen. “Well, if he thinks he can guilt me into a loveless marriage, he’s out of his mind.”