Against the Odds

Harry woke Alex early the next morning. Nursing a slight hangover from all of the wine and a bit tired from staying up so late out by the fire, she wasn’t entirely ready to get out of the warm bed and begged Harry to get back in with her, promising him a morning filled with things that he would normally never say no to. Not today though, today he had plans and nothing was going to deter him; even if it was Alex and her newly found dirty mouth.

“C’mon Alexandra, get up,” he said, pulling her up by her arms. “Get in the shower and I’ll go get you a bottle of water and some Advil.”

She pouted. “Get in the shower with me?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Stop it. We have things to do. Don’t you want to see what I have planned?”

And because he was right and she really did want to see everything he had set up for them, she sucked it up and climbed out of bed. She showered, and when she stepped out into their room from the bathroom, wrapped tightly in a fluffy white robe, there was a cold bottle of water, two Advil, and a note, folded in half. She picked it up and smiled when she read it.

Alexandra,

Dress warm and wear jeans. Don’t worry about footwear, I’ve got it covered.

I can’t wait to kiss you.

Love,

Harry

She took the two Advil, even though she felt better already from the shower, and got dressed. Putting on jeans, a long sleeved flannel plaid shirt, and her warmest socks, she padded downstairs to look for Harry.

She found him in the kitchen, sitting at the old wood table on his laptop. “Hey,” she said, moving up behind him. She ran her hand over his shoulder as she moved in front of him.

“Hi,” he murmured, his attention immediately leaving whatever he had been looking at on his laptop and turning to her. He grabbed the hand that was on his shoulder and tugged her so that she moved to his lap. Her legs moved to either side of his, straddling him, and she settled into him.

“Did you mean it?” she said quietly, her eyes searching his.

He tipped his head at her, confused. “Did I mean what?”

“That you couldn’t wait to kiss me?”

His lips curved into a smile and his tongue darted out, wetting his bottom lip. “I can never wait to kiss you Alex.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “So what’s the hold up now then?”

He laughed. “I have no idea.”

He leaned forward and captured her laughing mouth and the result was a sweet, playful, loving kiss that Harry was reluctant to pull away from. In the end though, he had plans for them that wouldn’t wait. He could get back to that sweet mouth of hers later.

She smiled when he pulled back. “So what’s the plan today?”

His eyes lit up. “A few things, but first on the list is horses.”

“Horses?”

“Do you not like horses?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m from Texas, Harry. Of course I like horses. Don’t you know people ride them down the roads there? We save lots of money on gas.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

She nodded, laughing at the look on his face.

He smirked. “Brat.”

She winked at him before climbing off of his lap and moving to a chair next to him. “So are we riding horses?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Better. There is a place on the land here where all these wild horses roam free. I’d like to take you out there to watch them.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “That sounds wonderful.”

Harry clapped his hands together, rubbing them in anticipation. “Great. Now, let’s get you fed and we can be on our way.”

He stood and pulled some light pastries and fruit from the fridge, letting her choose what she wanted as he had already eaten while she was getting ready. She ate quickly, washing everything down with some fresh orange juice, excited to see what Harry wanted to show her.

When she was done he led her to the door and handed her a pair of Wellies. “It’s going to be wet out there with the ground starting to defrost” he said with a grin as he slipped his own pair on.

She grinned back at him as she slid her feet into the Wellies and reached for her coat and scarf. “Just remind me to clean them when we get back, I don’t want to leave these dirty for whoever they belong to.”

Harry stopped, looking at her with that slight smug grin that seemed to be almost permanently present.

“What?” she asked.

“Those are yours, Alex.”

She shook her head. “No they aren’t. I don’t own a pair of these.”

“I know you don’t. That’s why I bought those,” he stopped and pointed at the shoes and then up at her, “for you.”

She laughed then, at herself mostly, for not getting it. “Wow. Score one for Alex,” she said, still giggling. “Just blame it on all the wine and smoke from the fire last night. It clouded my brain.” She waved a hand alongside her head to prove her point.

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry said, grabbing her hand and kissing her palm softly.

Smiling, she leaned up on her toes in her brand new Wellies and kissed him swiftly on the mouth. “I’m not. I love you. Thank you for the boots.”

He grinned. “You’re welcome. And I love you too.” Having gotten his jacket and scarf on as well, he handed her a pair gloves before sliding a pair on his own hands. Then opening the door he slapped her right on the ass as she moved out the door in front of him. “Let’s go sweet cheeks.”

*****************

“So, I have a question,” Alex asked as they walked hand in hand from the Range Rover that had dropped them close to the spot where Harry knew the horses would be.

“Ask away,” Harry said, smiling over at her.

“You are being deployed for four months, correct?” she asked quietly.

He sucked in a breath. “Alex…”

“No, don’t brush me off. Besides, this isn’t really about you and me. It’s about…your brother and your sister-in –law.”

“Oh?” Harry asked, intrigued.

“Kate…or Catherine…she’s due in July, correct?” Alex asked.

“Kate,” he said, wanting Alex to feel comfortable calling her that when she did finally get to meet her. “And yes, she is.”

“You aren’t due back until the middle of July. You could miss the baby’s birth,” Alex said softly.

Harry looked over at her, trying to hide the hurt that appeared in his eyes. He’d already gone over that with Will and Kate, feeling very sad that it was likely he wouldn’t be around for a week or two of his first niece or nephew’s life.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean…”

He shook his head at her, pulling her close to his side. “Never feel bad about asking me questions, Alex. Never. I love that you feel you can and I’ll always be open and honest with you about things, I can promise you that. It’s not in my nature to skate around the truth or sugar coat things.”

She nodded, “I just didn’t mean to bring down your mood.”

He leaned down and kissed her temple. “You didn’t,” he sighed. “I’m would be lying if I said I wasn’t upset about it. This deployment…it really came at the most awkward time. But you know that’s as close to the real world as I’ll get. I shouldn’t get to choose when I go because of who I am. Other blokes don’t get to say when they’ll go or complain that it isn’t convenient because their brother is having a baby…” he stopped walking and gazed down at her. “Or because they just happened to meet and fall in love with the most amazing woman.”

She met his gaze and then winked up at him. “You are too smooth for your own good.”

Her smart comment took him by surprise and he laughed loudly, loving that the tension of the moment faded right away, that she did that for him; for them. His fingers played lightly along her sides, tickling her softly.

“Eeeee!” she shrieked, swatting him away. “No tickling!”

He put his hands up in the air. “Fine. I promise. No more tickling.”

She looked at him with narrowed eyes before she moved back toward him. “I don’t believe you.”

He chuckled and grabbed her hand, entwining her fingers back in his. “You shouldn’t.”

She laughed, delighted in their playful banter. “Are you excited about being an uncle though? I know how much you love kids.”

His lips turned up at the corners and his eyes lit up. “I do love kids. I always have and I’ve made no secret about it.”

“Right, wasn’t that during the Jubilee last year when you gave that interview that sent ovaries everywhere into overdrive?” Alex teased.

He rolled his eyes. “Ah yes, boy did I ever learn a lesson how to keep my mouth shut on that one,” he said, trailing off as a smile curved onto his face. He turned and winked at Alex. “We’re here.”

She turned and looked out before her and her breath caught. They were standing up on a hill, at the very top, looking down at a huge open meadow below. Dozens and dozens of horses were in the meadow, grazing and moving amongst themselves. They all had different markings and colors and sizes and shapes…a mismatch resulting in true beauty.

“Wow,” Alex breathed. “They are…amazing.”

“Aren’t they?” Harry answered, echoing her wonder. “Come on, let’s sit.” He pulled a thick blanket from his backpack and laid it out before sitting and pulling her down next to him.

“How did you even find all of this?” she asked as they sat there at watched quietly.

“My dad showed them to William and I when we were young. William thinks they are beautiful, but he isn’t as connected to this spot, to these beautiful animals as I am, which is weird when I think about it.”

“Why?” Alex asked, pressing on.

Harry sat in thought for a moment, trying to find a way to put the connection he felt to these horses, this place, into words.

“Alexandra, these horses have been here as long as anyone can remember. They are a society unto themselves. They are free, wild. They breed with who they want. They aren’t raised and mated for pedigree to make the perfect thoroughbred show horse or riding horse. They just…are.” He looked at her when he finally finished, hoping he made a little bit of sense.

She didn’t miss a beat before she answered. “It is how you wish it could be for you and it’s strange to you that William doesn’t see it the same way.”

He blinked. “You get it.”

She shrugged. “I’m smart.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to imply you aren’t. I know how incredibly smart you are. What I meant was you can see it the way I see it, can’t you?”

She nodded and leaned into him, watching the horses with fascination.

“Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“How many other girls have you brought up here?” she asked softly, as if she almost didn’t want to know.

He took a deep breath. “Just one.”

“Besides me?”

“No, including you.”

She turned her face up to his in surprise. “Just me?”

He nodded slowly. “It’s always something I said to myself I’d share with someone someday, but it never felt right.”

She blinked back tears. “Until me?”

“Until you.”

She couldn’t help herself and she leaned up, kissing him hard, throwing her weight behind it. He had to reach an arm behind himself to prevent her from toppling him backwards, but he didn’t mind. He let her kiss him and kissed her back with equal fervor until she slowly pulled her face away, staring up at him with bright eyes.

“I won’t lie Harry, I wouldn’t have been mad if you said you had brought another girl up her, but I would have been so jealous that someone else got to share this with you.”

He burst out laughing, his head falling back. “Alex, you have no reason to be jealous of anyone.”

She laughed with him, biting her lip. “Sometimes I can’t help it.”

“What?” he asked incredulously. “You get jealous? You’ve never seen me with another girl besides Charlotte,” he stopped, his eyes getting big as he pointed at her. “Don’t tell me you get jealous of Charlotte!”

She nudged him in the side with her elbow. “Quit making fun, Harry,” she said, fighting off a giggle. “And no, I do not get jealous of Charlotte…even though I know you kissed her.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Oh God, she told you about that?”

Alex laughed. “She did…as much as it grossed her out…she did.”

Harry shuddered. “Good, I’m glad she is still as grossed out as I am.”

“You should have seen her face when I started talking about how hot I think you look in uniform and all the things it makes me want to do to you,” Alex teased.

He raised his eyebrows. “Horrified, was she?”

“Completely.”

Harry shook his head. “You two are insane.”

“We both love you though. Albeit, in very different ways.”

He smirked. “God, I hope so.” He grew serious then, leaning over and resting his head on hers, his attention shifting back to the horses. “Really though, Alex, you shouldn’t be jealous over anyone.”

She sighed. “It’s not that I mean to be. Sometimes the thought pops into my head that there were others before me…other…girlfriends,” she says, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.

He nods. “There were other girlfriends.”

“And you loved them…”

“Oh Alex…” he said, his fingers coming up to trace her cheek before pushing back and threading themselves through her hair. They finally find home at the back her neck, cradling it, holding her tilted up to him. “I loved one. I didn’t love the others.”

“Okay…now don’t get mad at what I’m about to ask…” she whispered nervously.

“I won’t get mad,” he promised. His eyes were wide, open, and honest.

“How many did you sleep with?”

He sucked in a breath. “Alex…”

“I know it’s crazy and you don’t have to tell me, Harry. I promise I don’t think about these things all the time, but I think I have a right to know,” she said, rushing over his words.

He sighed. “You are right. You have a right to know.”

“You hate talking about this, don’t you?” she asked.

“I hate talking about this,” he confirmed, although he smiled. “But just so you know, I tell, you tell, okay?”

“I have no problem with that,” she answered right away.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, mussing it more than it already was. He had literally never had this conversation with anyone. He didn’t tell anyone about this in fear that it would get out, but he would tell her because she asked and because he wanted her to know that he would tell her anything. “Five,” he finally bit out. “There has been five, including you.”

“That’s not so bad,” she said, biting her lip. “I was expecting more.”

He threw a hand up in the air. “What do you think I am, Alex?” he asked, half joking.

She looked at him wide-eyed. “A prince who must have had a shit-load of opportunities before he was even able to drive a car.”

He looked at her, mouth agape, before finally nodding, conceding the point. “True. But I told you weeks ago Alex, casual sex doesn’t work with me. Now please, don’t ask me names…cause then I’d have to tell you and if you ever run into any of these people…”

She held up her hands. “No. No names please. I know of Chelsy and that’s fine. I don’t want to know more than that.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and then as quick as that came he realized that he made her promise to tell him her number, and he found himself…totally and irrationally jealous already. He shook his head, trying to snap out of it.

“What?” she asked, sensing his change in mood.

“I’m jealous.”

“Over what? I haven’t even told you.”

He rolled his eyes. “Now I’m not sure I want to know.”

She shrugged. “Okay.” She leaned back into him.

He sat there for a few moments, stewing over it, his jaw ticking, and his body tense.

“Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Two.”

He looked down at her in surprise. “Two? Including me?”

She nodded. “Just you and John, and you better feel so fucking lucky, because I made John wait until our wedding night and…”

And then he was kissing her, cutting her words off, his hands shoved into her hair.

“Wait…” she said, pushing him back. “Are you kissing me because my lack of sexual partners makes you happy? Because if you’re going to be that guy…”

He shook his head quickly, silencing her. “I’m kissing you because this conversation is over and you were right…we both deserved to know that. I don’t care how many people you slept with, I care that you made me be honest with you, you didn’t let me hide it. It felt good to share that with you, even if it was painful to hear for both of us. That’s why I’m kissing you.”

“Well okay then, that acceptable,” she murmured, her eyes dropping to his lips. “Kiss me again, sweet cheeks.”

****************

They were driven back inside that afternoon by rain, but Harry and Alex went with it, choosing to change into comfy clothes and curl up on the couch together. Harry pulled his laptop out and used the opportunity to get some work done, while Alex called Emma to check on her and then took out her Kindle and dove headfirst into a book she had been dying to read.

The sun was almost fully set before Alex’s stomach started to grumble and she asked Harry if she could make him dinner.

“Sure,” he said, smiling. “I’m not sure what’s in the in fridge, but whatever you need we can always call over to the castle for.”

She smirked.

“What?” he asked at the look on her face.

“Oh nothing, we’ll just ‘call over to the castle’ for whatever we need,” she said with a giggle.

He laughed, “You’ll get used to it.”

She was stunned for a second at the implications of that statement but she chose not to correct him. Instead she just winked as she flounced from the living room, knowing that she would never, ever get used to calling a castle to borrow some sugar, but for Harry…she would try.