Across the Pond (Prince Harry #2)

Chapter Fifty-Six

The next morning when Meredith woke, she was in his arms, wrapped in blankets and her pajamas. After spending all day in the sun and heat, Meredith was happy to find it rainy outside. Her body was burned, even with the sunscreen put on. Harry had managed to escape unscathed from the burning star. Her body felt on fire, but she only felt cold. Meredith curled into him more, and Harry held her tighter.

When it came time to get out of bed, Meredith wasn't the first up again. Lying in bed, even when she moved slightly, it got to be too cold. Harry touched her forehead. "I think you're ill." With the sunburn, it was hard to tell if it was the sun or the flu. "Just bed for you today."

"No," she groaned, throwing off the covers and immediately regretting it. However, Meredith wasn't a quitter, so she stood with Harry carefully watching her. "If I'm going to spend a day in bed, it's with you, doing some very adult things." For how bad she felt, none of it was happening today. "What is today?"

Harry kept his lips sealed and huffed. "Mere, I think you should go back to bed."

"No." Shudders fell over her again, but Meredith held her ground. "Let's go fishing. That's what you said yesterday."

"I think you should go back to bed."

"No."

"Mere, don't be so stubborn. Just go back to bed."

"No." 

Harry sighed; he was getting nowhere. Her body trembled as clothes touched her skin. She bit her tongue as pain pulsed through her.

She knew Harry watched. "I'm fine, really. Let's go."

Harry took a shower as Meredith sat in the kitchen, eating strawberry yogurt. Staring down at the yogurt, her whole body hurt. Her arm refused to move up to her mouth. It won for most painful sunburn of her life. When she heard Harry moved above her, she shoveled the yogurt and toast into her mouth.

He came down and kissed her on the cheek. Meredith burned. "I'm going to take a shower." She wobbled upstairs.

It was so nice to take off all the clothes. Immediately chills swept through her body. Stepping into the shower, no temperature felt good against her skill, yet she turned it high. Meredith started to scrub her skin, making her ache all over. As much as it turn, she still tried to strip herself of the dead skin. Somehow, her skin turned tomato.

In the bedroom, Harry was getting changed. His eyes wandered across her body. "Did you scrub it off?"

Meredith shrugged and started to put on fresh clothes. Though it hurt her body, she pushed through. She never was a quitter. "Are you ready to go?"

He kept his lips sealed as they left the house, which they only drove for less than half an hour before getting out. Mist and low clouds clung to the Highlands of Scotland. The loch was pebble based, and the shoreline threatened to make one of them roll an ankle. Due to the close proximity to Balmoral Castle, Meredith suspected Harry came here a lot while growing up. It was an easy enough hike.

Pulling out the tackle and rods, he set up a nice spot and cast off while Meredith set up shop along the shore. A blanket laid on the ground and a basket full of foods sat next to Harry. While he fished, Meredith walked on the shore, glancing at the rocks. Not all rocks were in the same. Most pebbles on the shore were a rounded gray stone, but occasionally Meredith found quartz. Though she brought it back to him and Harry looked at it, Meredith sent it all back into the water.

She couldn't sit still, and Meredith didn't. She jumped up onto the green tips of the land, glancing at the ground. Her red rain boots squeaked in the water. Bending down, Meredith found something interesting in the grass, but she didn't dare pick it up and bring it back to him.

Meredith sat down beside Harry, watching the water. "The fish aren't biting today."

"I thought you were my good luck charm, Mere."

She laughed and pulled a rod away from him. "Let me try."

"You're supposed to keep it steady."

Meredith cast off again. The bobber hovered on the waves. Sitting down again, Meredith rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't get to stay there long before the bobber dipped below the surface. Meredith jerked the rod up, and she knew she caught something. Smirking, Meredith started to reel the fish in.

"Oh, that was difficult?" she mocked.

Shaking his head, Harry took the fish off her line and put it back in water. It was a fine fish but small and colorful. "I'll get the big one."

Meredith scoffed. "A fish is a fish. Does it matter?" She leaned her head against his shoulder. His warmth was amazing, perfect in the constant mist that settled over. Her book was ruined if she tried to open it, so she watched as gray waves of clouds ebbed across the green mountains.

"No," Harry answered, rubbing his hand across her arm. Kissing the top of her head, he turned back to the water, watching and watching.

The big fish never came, and from there on out, it was silent. That was unit a thunderstorm started to roll in. Gathering up their things, Meredith ran to the car as it started to pour. She threw things into the trunk of the car. Harry ran quickly to the car too, jumping in. She was a bit wet, but Harry was soaked through and through.

Giggles flowed through Meredith, and Harry sat out of breath. Her eyes traveled over him. Harry caught sight. "May I help you?"

Rolling onto his lap, Meredith kissed him deeply. It was hard with how tall she was, and Harry pushed his seat back as far as it went. Yet, it was a tight flip. It was flung down, and Meredith sprawled out across him. Never her lips left his.