by Holly Jacobs
“I can’t be a princess,” she admitted.
“Fine,” he said with a shrug. “Then I’ll quit.”
“You can’t do that,” Shey said.
“Sure I can. Parker did.”
“We’ve talked about this, her brother’s next in line, not her. It’s not the same. You’re it. Your father’s only child.”
“So? I have cousins that can stand in as heirs.” He took her hand. “Don’t you see, you’re what matters.”
“You can’t give it up.”
“I wouldn’t be the first prince to do it.”
“But—”
“Don’t you get it?” he asked, his voice filled with emotion. “I’d give up anything for you. Do anything to win you. Say yes, you’ll marry me and I’ll stay here and work at Monarch’s. I’ll be your busboy, and you can make sandwiches. We’d be happy. I swear it.”
She laughed, then looked in his eyes and realized just how serious he was. “You’d do that. You’d really do that?”
“To be with you? Yes. I’d do that and more.”
“Yes,” she whispered, knowing she couldn’t fight against the feelings that were practically exploding in her chest. “Yes,” she said louder.
“Yes,” he repeated. “I’d do that and more. Tell me what it will take and—”
“I guess it will take princess-lessons for me. I’m sure Parker will give me a start if I ask, but I’ll need someone to help me with the advanced lessons when we get home to Amar. I don’t want to embarrass you or your family. And speaking of your family, have you given any thought to what they’re going to say when you come home with me, rather than Parker?”
“After you had that little talk with my father, I don’t imagine they’ll risk incurring your wrath again.”
“Oh. I’d forgotten about that.” She knew she shouldn’t have talked that way to a king, to Tanner’s father. “He’ll never forget that.”
“No, I’m sure he won’t.” He paused as her words hit him. “Wait a minute. When you said yes, were you saying yes you’ll marry me? I mean it wasn’t just some elaborate plan to get rid of me?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. It’s too soon and I think you’re probably going to live to regret it, but I can’t imagine not having you around.”
“Yes,” he said, and ran to the edge of the balcony. “She said yes,” he called down.
The orchestra stopped in midsong and started a new one. A very classical-sounding version of “Margaritaville.”
Shey started laughing. “What are you doing?”
“I arranged to have them play our song.”
“We have a song?” she asked. She looked at Tanner and knew that despite the fact that she had misgivings about marrying a prince, she didn’t have one single doubt about marrying the man…this man.
“Sure we have a song,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Unless there’s another Jimmy Buffet tune you’d like to choose?”
She laughed. “No, this one’s fine. Our song.”
“They can play it at the wedding.”
Oh, gosh she’d agreed to marry him, but hadn’t thought beyond that. A wedding. “What on earth will people think?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care.”
He held out the ring. “Say the words,” he commanded.
She obliged him, knowing the poor guy was going to suffer a lot from her not being so obliging in the future. Tonight, she couldn’t argue with him about anything. Her heart was just too full. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“No, the other ones. Say the words.”
She realized that she hadn’t vocalized what she’d felt since…well, probably since the moment she met him. “I love you.”
“Again.”
“Geesh, you’re bossy. Someone might think you were a prince or something. But for the record, I love you. It’s kind of crazy, but I love you and will marry you.”
“And if you’re worrying about regrets, just ask me in fifty years if I have any and I’m pretty sure the only one I’ll have is not finding you sooner.” He slipped the ring on her finger.
“There goes that darned book again. Just how many cheesy quotes are in it?” she asked, admiring the discreet diamond on her finger.
“I’m pretty sure the book has a lifetime’s worth.”
She sighed. “Well, then I guess I’ll just have to get used to hearing you be cheesy every day.”
“Every day,” he promised. “I love you, Shey Carlson.”
“And I love you, Tanner Ericson. I’d try for your whole title, but it’s more than a mouthful.”
“You’ll have a lifetime to learn it. Princess Shey.”
“Oh, my gosh. What did I sign up for?”
“My cheesy quote book would suggest I say, ‘You signed up for a lifetime of love.’”
She groaned as she kissed her own bona fide Prince Charming, and, despite their differences, she knew their story would end with a very cheesy happily ever after.
EPILOGUE
Parker and Jace waved goodbye as Tanner and Shey both got on her motorcycle. She let him drive. Okay, driving was a generous description. She was teaching him, but he wasn’t a fast learner.
They’d just put Cara on the plane for Eliason. She was going to help plan a small, private wedding for Parker and Jace, as well as for Tanner and Shey.
The four of them were hoping the small ruse would keep the paparazzi off their trail. Later there’d be some big ornate celebration, but for now, Shey just wanted to be surrounded by friends and family as she made her vows to Tanner.
“Hey,” he said. “You promised to show me your tattoo after we got Cara on the plane. As your fiancé I have a right to know. We can go back to my hotel, or to your place so you can show me in private.”
“No privacy required,” she assured him.
He’d spent the last few months speculating on what and where it was located. It was driving him nuts. And Shey might have admitted she loved him, but she also freely admitted that she loved teasing him.
“What do you mean, no privacy required?”
She pulled the collar of her shirt back from her neck toward her right shoulder. There, just above her shoulder blade, was a small crown. Tiny. Parker had insisted they all do something reckless when they’d opened up Monarch’s and Titles, so the three of them had all gotten matching, pinky-nail-size crowns tattooed out of sight.
Tanner was smiling, the smile turned to a chuckle, then to laughter.
“You see, I came to Erie to find my princess and I did. You’ve even got the crown to prove it.”
Shey laughed. “Just drive the bike, Prince Charming. And don’t grind the gears this time.”
“Your wish is my command…princess.”
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459291706
ONCE UPON A PRINCE
Copyright © 2005 by Holly Fuhrmann
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Holly Jacobs, Once Upon a Prince (Silhouette Romance)