Miss Josefina: Nobody's Princess novel Chapter 1217

Josefina and Oliver walked in side by side.

The moment Brandon spotted Josefina, his grin was so big, his eyes almost disappeared. He waved enthusiastically, motioning to the empty seats next to him. “Josie, Oliver, come sit over here.”

They made their way over and sat down.

“Bennett, time to serve dinner,” Brandon called out. He wasn’t about to let his granddaughter-in-law or great-grandchild go hungry.

“Yes, sir. I’ll handle it right away.” Bennett hurried off.

Brandon got to his feet. “Let’s move to the dining room. We’ll eat first.”

Everyone started heading over, one after another.

Josefina and Oliver helped Brandon up, and the three of them were the first to leave the room.

On the way out, Cole stepped in front of Rowan and lowered his voice. “Dorian, have you noticed how much Dad likes Oliver and Josie? You’re the eldest son, but you’re starting to look more like the son-in-law here.”

It sounded like he was joking, but Cole was definitely trying to plant a little doubt in Rowan’s mind.

Rowan, though, completely missed the hint. He just beamed—anyone praising his son and daughter-in-law was enough to make him happy. He used to be so stubborn, but now he’d finally wised up.

“Honestly,” Rowan said, “after you left home, Dad got weird—like he was going through a midlife crisis or something. He’d nitpick everything I did. But once Oliver was born, he finally started treating me decently.” Thinking back, it was really Oliver’s arrival that saved his reputation as a son.

He’d been scolded by Brandon every day, like he was a little kid.

Just thinking about it made Rowan sigh inside.

“You know, Cole, your temper’s way better now than it used to be. Back in the day, you were so impulsive. I never thought you’d ever mellow out.”

Cole just stared at him. “…”

Clearly, getting anything useful out of Dorian tonight wasn’t going to happen.

—

The moment he said that, Brandon’s smile faltered, replaced by surprise. Rowan looked just as shocked, staring at him in disbelief. “Wait—Cole, aren’t you allergic to chestnuts?”

Cole froze.

Wilder and Sandi were stunned too. Their dad could eat chestnuts? When did that happen?

Makiko quickly jumped in to explain. “I found a really great doctor who helped Cole manage his allergy. He can eat a little now, as long as he doesn’t overdo it.”

Oliver swirled his wine, looking like he was enjoying the show. “Makiko, mind sharing that doctor’s contact? My assistant’s allergic to chestnuts, too.”

Makiko nodded. “Sure, I’ll text you their info later.”

Cole took a sip of water. “Still, I really shouldn’t overdo it. Too many chestnuts, and I still don’t feel great.”

Wilder and Sandi kept quiet. Grown-up stuff—they knew better than to get involved.