Prince Not So Charming: A Royal Love Story

by Tawny Taylor

  “The house is on fire,” I heard Harper say, even though Clay was holding my cell phone to his ear now. “I called the fire department. They’re on the way.”

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  “Is Morgan all right?” Harper asked. “She wasn’t speaking.”

  That was because I’d been focused on staying conscious. And not throwing up. Fire. My house was on fire. My stomach convulsed and I swallowed hard.

  Clay studied me with dark, worry-filled eyes. “She’s okay, but she’s in shock. Are you safe?”

  “Yes. I’m out by the road waiting for the fire department. Mike’s trying to let the animals out of the barn, in case the fire spreads.”

  “Good thinking. Stay put. I’ll be up there in a few minutes.” He poked the screen and sandwiched my face between his hands. All I could see was his face, his eyes. “Morgan, I’m going to check it out.” He enunciated every word like he was talking to a two-year old, which was totally necessary. My brain wasn’t functioning any better than a two-year old’s. “Stay here.”

  I blinked. A shudder ripped through my body. “No. I need to see.”

  He brushed his lips over mine then kissed my forehead. “Babe, are you sure? I wish you’d stay here.”

  I nodded, a sob slipping from my lips. “Yes,” I croaked.

  In reality, the last thing I wanted to see was my aunt’s house engulfed in flames. But a part of me was hoping it wasn’t as bad as Harper was making it sound. Maybe there was a little wire short somewhere and a few flames were blowing out a window, making it look bad?

  It was possible, right? Right?

  Clay stood and, with my hand firmly held in his, led me to his truck. Once he opened the door for me, he circled around to the driver’s side. We buckled in. And off we went.

  The drive was excruciating.

  Never in the history of the universe did fifteen minutes take so fucking long. Making it worse, the big black column of smoke, visible from miles away, pretty much snuffed out my hopes that Harper was exaggerating.

  When we reached the driveway and I saw all the trucks and flashing lights, I knew it was worse than I had hoped. Clay cut off the engine and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll help.”

  “There’s probably insurance.” I prayed. “It isn’t like I’ve lost everything.” I swallowed hard as I stared out the windshield. Something huge was stuck in my throat. Had I swallowed a boulder? “But…” A sob shook my whole body. “I feel like I’ve lost it all.”

  Clay pulled me into his arms. “I know.” His heartbeat was a steady thump-wump in my ear. Soothing me as tears flowed down my cheeks.

  This sucked! What happened? A few hours ago, everything was okay. We’d finished working for the day, as usual. The boys left. I went to the fair, assuming the house and all my aunt’s belongings would be there when I returned.

  And then…?

  “I can buy new stuff. But it won’t be the same. Everything my aunt owned was in that house,” I said as I clung to Clay. “Now it’s all gone.”

  “But the memories aren’t lost. She’s still here.” He pointed at my head and heart. “And here. Nothing can take those away from you.”

  He was right. All I’d lost were things. Precious things that stirred memories. But only things.

  The memories were all still there.

  And so was Clay.

  More than ever I was grateful to have him here, by my side. He jerked his head toward the windshield. “Here comes Harper.”

  “She needs a place to stay.”

  “She’ll stay with us.”

  Harper’s face appeared in the passenger-side window. Mike was behind her. “I can’t believe this,” she said when I opened the window. “Mike and I went for a walk, and as we were coming back, we heard something. A sound. Some kind of explosion, I think. Suddenly flames were shooting out the windows. I’m so sorry, Morgan.”

  I nodded and tugged on the door handle to open it for her. Damn thing wouldn’t open. I gave Clay a help-me look then grumbled, “Harper, climb in. We’re going to be staying with Clay.”

  “Sure.” She swung around and planted a big kiss on Mike, which made me feel even worse. I didn’t know if I had the energy to tackle the Mike thing tonight. I just wanted to get back to Clay’s nice, quiet house and sleep. For maybe a week or two.

  Clay opened the passenger door from the outside. “Do you want to get out or go back to my place?” he asked me.

  I glanced at the massive inferno behind him and my stomach did a flip-flop. “No, I’ve seen enough.”

  He nodded and closed the door. To Harper, he said, “If I give you an address, can you drive?

  Harper held up her cellphone and smiled. “No problem. GPS.”

  “Allow me.” He extended a hand, asking for her phone. He typed in the address as Harper circled around to the driver’s side.

  She clicked in just as Clay handed me the phone to pass to Harper, his address typed into the phone’s GPS program. “Ready?”

  I looked at Clay. I didn’t want to go anywhere without him. He was my rock, my stability, the only thing I could count on right now. Being without him, even for a few minutes, scared the hell out of me. “Aren’t you coming too? Why do you need to stay?”

  “I’m going to help Mike with the animals.” He leaned in and brushed his mouth over mine. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.” He shifted his attention to Harper. “Thanks for taking her home.”

  “Glad to do it.” She dropped her keys into my hand. “Here, Clay can drive my car back.” Then, once I’d given her keys to Clay, Harper flashed the okay sign and shifted the truck out of park. “Here we go,” she said faux-cheerfully as the truck bumped over the gravel.

  As Harper drove I stared out the open window. I didn’t see a thing. The world was one great big, blurry watercolor.

  “Are you all right?” my worried bestie asked.

  I knew I should reassure her. But I didn’t have the strength. “I don’t know,” was my answer. It was actually more of a non-answer. But it was an honest non-answer.

  Was I okay? I was breathing. That counted for something, didn’t it? Beyond that, well…?

  My bestie gave me one of the most genuine sighs of frustration I’ve ever heard from her. “I wish there was something I could do to help.”

  “You did everything you could,” I said to the window. What point was there in talking about this? Nobody could have stopped the fire. Nobody could have done anything. It was what it was.

  “Yeah, but if only we’d come back a few minutes earlier, maybe we could have stopped it.”

  “Stopped it? How? From spreading?” I shook my head. “If there was a fire extinguisher in the house it was ancient and probably totally useless.”

  “No. Stopped it from starting.”

  Again, I saw no point in talking about the what-ifs. I was learning really fast that obsessing over what-ifs led to nowhere. “I doubt it.”

  “I don’t. Mike said he saw someone running away from the house just as we heard the sound.”

  “Wait!” My heart stopped.

  Was she saying…?

  Did she mean…?

  “Someone started the fire? Intentionally?” I blurted, anger swelling, turning my blood to ice.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “We told the police officers everything. There will be an investigation.”

  My body tensed. My head throbbed. “Someone burned down my aunt’s house?” My jaw clenched as I glared at Harper. I wasn’t angry with her. I was furious at the asshole who had just stolen my whole fucking life. Fucker!

  Harper’s expression turned regretful. “I’m sorry, Morgan.”

  “Why? Why the fuck would someone do that?” I wanted to pound something. Pound it to dust.

  “I don’t know.”

  I yanked at the seat belt strapped across my chest. I stomped my feet. I slammed my hands against the dashboard. “Why would some
one burn down my fucking house?”

  Morgan sighed hard.

  I cried.

  Someone took it all away from me. My house and everything in it. And for what reason? Why? There could be no way for anyone to profit from my loss, could there?

  There had to be. People didn’t burn down houses for no reason.

  They burned down houses to gain something… like an insurance payout. I needed to check on the insurance thing pronto. Later. Tomorrow.

  I was too tired to think straight right now. Tired. And confused. And overwhelmed.

  “Holy hell!” Harper shouted, jerking me out of my thoughts.

  Why was she yelling?

  Oh.

  We were at Clay’s.

  “This place is freaking amazing,” Harper added when I didn’t comment. She steered his truck into a parking spot and cut off the engine. “You weren’t lying when you said this guy was rich, were you?”

  Yeah, so he was rich. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about how much he had right now.

  I was in pity-party mode.

  Instead of explaining why she had to open my door for me, I climbed across the truck’s cabin and exited from the driver’s side.

  The guy had a shit ton of money. Why wouldn’t he buy himself a better truck? At least one that had doors that worked?

  Harper clopped up the front steps, and we let ourselves in. “Ohmygod!”

  Yeah. It was beautiful.

  She scurried over to the massive windows lining the back of the house’s main living space. “This is unreal.”

  I agreed with a nod.

  “Are you hungry? Thirsty?” she asked.

  I shook my head no. “I’m tired.”

  “Of course you are. Why don’t you get some sleep? Don’t worry about me. I’m gonna check out this palace. Then I’ll probably crash on the couch.”

  Chastising myself for not being a better hostess and at least showing Harper where the spare bedrooms were, I nodded again. She’d be fine. She really didn’t need me to point out the obvious. “Okay.”

  As I turned toward the bedrooms, Harper assaulted me, squeezing me until I couldn’t breathe. “Morgan, it’s going to be okay.”

  “I know.” I smiled, even though that was the last thing I wanted to do. “G’night.”

  She let me go and sent me off to bed with a wave and a smile. As I found my way back to Clay’s bed, I heard her yapping on her phone. I shut the door, and, still wearing everything I’d worn to the fair but my shoes, I climbed into bed and prayed I’d fall asleep quickly.

  22

  Where the hell was Elvis?

  Sunlight?

  Yeah, that was sunlight warming my face.

  Elvis always woke me up at the crack of dawn, before the sun blazed through my window. Where the hell was he?

  I opened my eyes.

  Oh.

  Yeah.

  I wasn’t at home.

  Because my home was probably a big pile of ash by now.

  I blinked bleary eyes and ran my hand over the rest of the enormous bed.

  Empty. Except for me. Cool to the touch.

  Where was Clay? Didn’t he come home last night?

  After a quick trip to the bathroom I padded out to the main living space to see if there was any sign of him.

  I didn’t find Clay. But Harper was sawing some serious logs on the couch. The rest of the place was silent and empty.

  Where was Clay?

  I rummaged in the refrigerator for something to eat. The man was a protein freak. Meat. Meat. Meat. That was practically all I found in there. I grabbed a Greek yogurt and spoon and went back to the bedroom to get my cellphone. I poked the screen and forced the thick goo down my throat as I listened to the line ring.

  “Hey,” he finally answered.

  “Hey.” I set down the yogurt and spoon and pressed the phone to my ear. “Where are you?”

  “The office.”

  His office? Why would he be there all night? “Did you spend the night there?”

  “Technically, no. I got here this morning.”

  This morning? Had he been at Silver Sage all night? “Why didn’t you come home?”

  “It was late and I didn’t want to wake you.” That made sense. I could accept that reasoning. “Plus I had some things to do,” he added. “I was just wrapping everything up here and then I’ll be leaving. I’ll be home soon. Do you need anything? Some of that vegan shit?”

  I chuckled, which was a miracle. How did he do that? How did he make me laugh when my world had gone up in flames? Literally? “I can live without the ‘vegan shit’ for a couple of days. Maybe we can make up a shopping list when you come home.”

  “Sure. In the meantime, do you want me to pick up some lunch somewhere? I’m sure you’ve checked my refrigerator by now. I’m not used to feeding someone who eats like a rabbit. It’s no big deal. I can grab something on my way home.”

  “Sure. That would be nice. Thanks.”

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “A salad is fine.”

  “Remember who you’re talking to. To me anything green qualifies as a salad. Do you want a specific kind of salad?”

  “Anything that has no meat. Cheese is fine. And eggs are okay too.”

  “Got it. Cheese and eggs. What about your friend?”

  “She’s still sleeping. But I’m going to assume she’ll be hungry when she wakes. She’s a carnivore like you. So you can buy her the biggest, sloppiest burger in town and she’ll love you forever.”

  “Will do. I was hoping to be home by the time you woke. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

  “I’m fine,” I lied.

  “No, you’re not. Be there soon.”

  “Bye.” I disconnected the call just as Harper’s head popped up.

  “Caffeine?” she grumbled.

  “Coming up… if I can find the coffee maker.” I started my search at one end of the kitchen. After Harper made a trip to the bathroom, she helped me. We searched every cabinet in the place and totally struck out.

  “No coffee?” Harper whimpered.

  “I’ll call Clay. He can bring some.”

  “That’s okay.” Harper stumbled back to the couch and stooped down. “I’ll call Mike.”

  Crap. I really wasn’t in the mood to tackle the Mike thing, but I didn’t want to wait either. It was easy to see how fast Harper was falling for him.

  I plopped down on the couch and placed a hand over Harper’s, stopping her from dialing the phone. “Hang on. There’s something I need to tell you about Mike.”

  Harper’s brows lifted. “Like what? That he’s an ex-con?”

  She knew?

  Harper nodded as if she could read my mind. In reality she was probably reading my gape-jawed stare of disbelief. “He told me the first night we went out.”

  “And you’re okay with it?”

  She shrugged. “He explained everything that happened and, long story short, yes. I’m okay with it. He went to prison to protect his younger brother. The whole thing was a huge mess, but it’s done. He did his time and now he’s focused on getting his life back on target.”

  “Are you sure—”

  “He isn’t lying?” she finished for me. “Yes. Absolutely.” She gently pulled her hand out from under mine. “Thanks for being worried, but it’s okay. He’s a great guy and I really like him, but it’s nothing serious.”

  I knew that look, and I knew that tone. This discussion was over. Whether I agreed with her or not, Harper wasn’t interested in what I had to say at this point. So I was left with one option: to trust that she knew what she was doing. And at her age, why shouldn’t I? “Okay.”

  She gave a quick nod then went back to poking at her phone’s screen. Me, I returned to the kitchen to search for alternative forms of caffeine. Cola, tea, anything that would take the heaviness out of my eyes. But after a few minutes, I asked Harper if Mike would bring two coffees. Of course he would. So off we scampered, in search
of separate showers so we could clean up.

  A half hour later Mike was at the front door, a cup holder with not two but four coffees in his hands. “Someone order coffee?” he asked as he strolled in.

  “You are a lifesaver!” Harper exclaimed as she took the carryout tray from him and set it on the kitchen island.

  “No ma’am,” he said, wrapping his arms around Harper’s waist, “I’m just a mechanic.”

  “I could kiss you right now,” she announced, flopping her arms over his shoulders.

  “So what’s stoppin’ you?” He didn’t give her a chance to respond. Instead, he pulled her against him and planted his lips on hers.

  Feeling very much like the proverbial third wheel, I grabbed one of the cups of steaming heaven and headed out the back door.

  It was a blessedly cool morning, the air fresh. Birds twittered cheerfully, flitting between the trees shading the deck. I sipped and stared, my mind abuzz. So much to think about. So much to figure out.

  I hoped the police would help me find the bastard who set my ranch on fire, but I had a feeling it would be close to impossible. Whoever it was, he wanted something. He was profiting in some way. Again, I had to wonder if he was the beneficiary of an insurance policy. I needed to learn more.

  I went to my bedroom to grab my phone and give Clay a call. But as the line rang, I heard a sound outside.

  A ringtone.

  I swiveled around.

  Clay smiled, his phone in his hand. “Babe?” He extended his arms and I hurried into them. It felt so right, snuggling up to his warm, hard body, his strong arms holding me close. His heartbeat thumped in my ear as I pressed my head against his chest and closed my eyes. “You called?”

  “I was hoping you had a copy of my aunt’s will somewhere.”

  “I do. Why?”

  “Because I want to find out who torched my house.”

  “The police will figure that out. At least there’s a bright side.” He started walking toward the bed, tugging me along with him.

  “Bright side? Do I want to ask what that might be?”

  “I gain a new roommate.” He flopped onto the bed, and I tumbled on top of him, making a little squeak noise as I fell.

  “Ah ha! Now that’s a rock-solid motivation for burning down my house.” I landed with my arms extended, my upper body braced above his. “Maybe you started the fire.”