The Royal Betrayal

Chapter 3

Tanya sighed in the back of the cab as she stared out the window absentmindedly. Apparently the grocery store where Tanya had her food items delivered from delivery man truck broke down, and Tanya had nothing to prepare for dinner for Cedric when he arrived that night.

She heard a soft shift next to her from Chloe and turned to watch the toddler who sat in her car seat patiently staring out the window as her mother did. The little one never had a car ride before and Tanya was thankful she didn't become frightened or worse---car sick.

When the toddler felt her mother sooth the top of her curls she turned and smiled a toothless smile at her, her blue-gray eyes shining. Tanya's smile fell to a sad one, as she sighed once more.

'Why must you look so much like your father?' She thought to herself.

~*~

"Mmm...what should we make daddy for dinner, Chloe?" Tanya asked rhetorically. She glanced at her baby girl and smiled softly knowing her daughter who put her thumb in her mouth. "Yeah I was thinking that too."

After gaining all the items she could find to make a pot roast, she made her way to the front to check out, before forgetting the main ingredient. The roast.

"Dammit!" She said in realization.

"Ooooh, mommy day vat worm," Chloe said around the thumb in her mouth giving her mother the most adorable look of rebuke.

Tanya rose a brow at her daughter as she began to turn the cart around. "And Chloe is still sucking her finger, didn't mommy tell you that was a no-no?" She teased poking her tummy making the little one giggle.

Just when Tanya was about to start pushing the cart forward in the opposite direction to the back of the store, she dumped into something---or rather someone. Someone who she hadn't noticed was following her the entire ride from her home.

"Oh, shoot! I am so so sorry!" She exclaimed as she looked up to the stranger.

She watched as he sat his basket down and lifted his pant leg up checking for damages. Tanya rose a brow in offense. 'I didn't even hit him that hard,' She thought mentally scoffing to herself.

"Geez, woman. I didn't realize we were playing bumper cars." He joked picking his basket of few items back up and looking up at Tanya with a playful smile etched on his face.

He resembled Cedric so much it made Tanya nearly faint. His eyes were light brown and hair a dark brown color which was different and so were some of his facial features as he dressed in a casual manner with his black jeans and white button down opened at the top three with his Sperry boat shoes. Tanya watched as he held a hand out to her. She stared at it.

"I'm Kaleb." He smiled.

Tanya just nodded her head as she tried to sidestep the man and proceed on. "Yeah, sorry again." She mumbled walking off. He stepped in front of her basket and let out a shaky breath of nervousness.

"I-I'm the one sorry. I shouldn't have been so close behind you." He said rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh wow. She's a down right beaut, that one, innit?" He said regarding Chloe bending down slightly. "Just like her mother, I'd say."

Tanya was slightly flattered at the smoothness and baritone bass in his voice. Chloe stared behind her at the man with her upper body completely turned and her thumb still entrapped in her mouth. She smiled softly at the man around her thumb as she giggled.

Tanya felt a little uneasy but she did like the way Chloe didn't start screaming and crying like she had did when the cab driver tried to coo at her. She knew it was because her daughter wasn't around anyone really besides herself.