A Home for Nobody's Princess

by Leanne Banks

  “Now, I’ve heard a bit about you. You lost both parents and your mother was ill for some time. Please accept my condolences,” Tina said, covering Coco’s hand with her own. “I’m also terribly sorry you felt you needed to quit your job. And weren’t you engaged to the ranch owner?”

  Coco felt her cheeks heat. “It was more of an arrangement than a real engagement. He just offered to pretend in order to protect me from the crazy offers I was receiving. I thought it would all die down, but I couldn’t take Emma for a stroll in the park without being hounded by the paparazzi. Emma had been through so much with losing her mother and coming to live with her father, and they didn’t get along very well in the beginning at all.”

  “He didn’t like the baby?” Tina asked, clearly appalled.

  “Oh, no, he loved her. She was terrified of him, screamed every time he came around. But that’s all better now. She even said Da-da the other day,” Coco said. Then she took a breath. “But the paparazzi were causing too much of a burden on the whole household. It just didn’t seem right to me that Benjamin would assign one of his men as a guard.”

  “So you quit because of the press?” Tina asked.

  “Mostly. There was also some confusion over pretending to be engaged, and I didn’t want to get into that kind of situation with my employer. Especially since I lived in his house, and—” She broke off. “I’m sorry. I’m rambling.”

  “Not at all,” Tina said. “It must have been hard to leave the baby.”

  Coco felt tears sting her eyes and her heart swell with a knot of emotion. Tina was so kind and seemed so genuine that Coco felt as if she could be herself with the woman. “Terribly. The only consolation I have is that I found a wonderful nanny. She’ll probably be better than I was,” she said.

  “Oh, I doubt that. So what are your plans?”

  “I don’t know. Get a job. I’ve thought about finishing my education. I only had a year and a half left when my mother got so ill,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine going back right away. There was so much that had to be done afterward.”

  “Of course you couldn’t. But maybe you’re a bit more ready. Hildie’s very big on education. She always says that once you have your degree, no one can take it away from you,” Tina said.

  “Hildie sounds like a smart woman,” Coco said.

  “She’s a treasure. I can’t imagine our lives without her. As soon as I put down Katiana, you and I can have lunch. Chicken noodle soup. Would you like to freshen up? I can ask one of the ranch hands to bring in your luggage.”

  “Oh, no, that won’t be necessary,” Coco said, although the thought was tempting. Tina seemed to infuse the house with warmth and comfort.

  “Well, you must stay at least one night because I’ve already promised Katiana you’ll be around this afternoon. We can’t have you driving around these country roads in the dark.”

  Coco stayed for lunch and dinner and met Zachary Logan, Tina’s husband, who looked at his wife and daughter with such adoring eyes that it made Coco’s heart hurt. She wondered if a man would ever look at her the same way. Coco knew she should have left when she did, because she had begun to wish that Benjamin would make their engagement real, and that had been a very dangerous wish. Being at the Logan ranch soothed her at the same time it reminded her of what she’d left behind.

  * * *

  Two days later, Coco felt she had accepted as much of Tina’s hospitality as she should. She headed toward Fort Worth to apply for jobs and, if she was lucky, entrance into a university to complete her degree.

  Chapter Twelve

  Two and a half weeks later, Benjamin sat in his office and stared into a glass of whiskey. A knock sounded at the door. It was nearly 8:00 p.m. He knew it was Sarah. He opened the door and there she stood with a tray in her hands bearing a sandwich and soup. “Hi, Sarah. Thanks.”

  “You haven’t been eating well,” she said with a disapproving glance. “And you’re drinking too much, too.”

  “Sarah,” he said in a warning voice as he returned to his chair.

  “Well, you are. It’s not healthy. You’re upset. It’s not good for the baby,” she said.

  “What do you mean it’s not good for Emma? She’s fine. Susan is doing a great job.”

  “How much time have you been spending with your daughter?” Sarah demanded.

  Benjamin hung his head. He’d buried himself in his work ever since Coco had left.

  “You should go after that woman and make her come back,” Sarah said. “Coco was the best thing that’s happened to this house in a long time.”

  “You didn’t feel that way when the phone was ringing off the hook with calls for her,” he said, looking up at her.

  Sarah waved her hand. “A minor annoyance.”

  “She’s the one who left. She was determined to go,” he said, plunging his spoon into his soup. He lifted it to his mouth and scalded his tongue. “Damn.”

  “That’s what you get for not doing the right thing. If you hadn’t let her get away, you wouldn’t be in this situation,” Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “How was I supposed to keep her when she wanted to leave?” he asked.

  “Maybe you could have told her you had feelings for her,” Sarah said.

  “I never said that,” he said, stirring his soup.

  “Well, maybe you should have,” she retorted. “You were engaged to her. Or at least you said you were.”

  Benjamin frowned at his housekeeper’s razor-sharp instincts. She clearly thought there’d been something fishy about the engagement. “How do you know she wasn’t getting bored? Maybe she has signed up for one of those reality TV shows or is taking all those interviews that she was offered,” he said.

  “She’s in Fort Worth working as a waitress trying to go back to school in January,” Sarah scoffed.

  He stared at her. “How do you know that?”

  “I have my ways,” she said. “You messed up,” she said, wagging her finger at him. “It’s up to you to fix it.”

  He gave her his best scowl, but she was unmoved. “I have work to do,” he said and looked at his laptop.

  “Yes, you do. In more ways than one,” she said and left the room.

  Benjamin stared after her, then rose to close the door. There were definite downsides to having long-time employees. A. They thought they knew you better than they should know you. B. They thought they had the right to speak their mind.

  Benjamin snarled and returned to his desk. He took bites of his sandwich and spoonfuls of soup. Thank goodness, the soup had cooled. Excel files faded before his eyes. Images of Coco stood front and center. He saw her smiling and laughing, kissing him. He saw her kissing Emma’s head as she rocked her to sleep. He saw her falling for him.

  Benjamin plunged his head into his hands. What could he do? What should he do?

  * * *

  Two days before Thanksgiving, Coco hustled to deliver blueberry pancakes at a Fort Worth café. After an afternoon break, she would serve T-bones at a popular steakhouse. If she was lucky, she would be able to get a loan for her first semester at a state-supported school within a couple weeks.

  She automatically delivered water and coffee to two tables, took orders and placed them. After delivering orders to another table and picking up ketchup, hot sauce and extra butter, she grabbed a cup of water for the table in the back. “Would you like coffee?” she asked, her pitcher poised above the customer’s cup.

  “Always,” he said. His voice was too familiar. She’d heard it in her dreams. She glanced up and stared into the dark-eyed gaze of Benjamin Garner.

  “Hi,” she managed, her heart racing in an irregular beat. “What are you doing here?”

  “Needed some breakfast,” he said and glanced at the menu.

  �
��Oh,” she said and pulled out her pad. “What would you like?”

  “What’s good?”

  “Most everything,” she said. “Blueberry and pecan pancakes are popular, along with the meat-eaters omelet.”

  He nodded. “You like this job better than taking care of Emma?” he asked.

  Her heart fell and so did her cheery facade, but she quickly pulled it back in place. “Not really, but I needed to go.” She took a deep breath to calm herself and lifted her pencil to her pad. “What do you want?”

  “Eggs, bacon and pecan pancakes,” he said.

  “Can do,” she said and turned away. Her heart was tripping over itself. She just prayed she wouldn’t trip over her own feet. She’d never expected Benjamin to show up here, but then, she’d never expected to see him again in her life. Coco resisted the urge to rush to the bathroom and fix her hair or put on some lipstick. She knew what she looked like, and it wasn’t at all glamorous.

  Forcing herself to focus, she delivered orders to other tables and when Benjamin’s order was ready, she placed it on his table, along with extra butter, syrup and orange juice.

  “I didn’t order orange juice,” he said.

  “It comes with the pancakes. Can I get you anything else?” she asked.

  “Yes, you can,” he said, locking his gaze with hers. “You can come back to the ranch with me.”

  She almost dropped her carafe of coffee, but clenched her fist. “I—um—I can’t do that.”

  He rose to his feet. “Why not?”

  She sucked in a deep breath. “It just wouldn’t work. I started to feel too much—” She broke off. “Want too—” She shook her head, not wanting to reveal how deep her feelings for him were.

  “You started to want me. You started to love me,” Benjamin said.

  She closed her eyes, trying to keep herself under control. “Don’t be cruel,” she whispered.

  “I’m not being cruel,” he said. “I started loving you, too.”

  Coco opened her eyes and gaped at Benjamin. The carafe dropped from her hand. She stared at the coffee spilling on the floor. “Darn.”

  “It’s just coffee,” Benjamin said and pulled her into his arms. “I love you. I want you in my life forever. I want you to marry me.”

  Coco met his gaze and felt her knees weaken. “Marry you?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I know I can be a pain in the butt, but being with you makes me happier than I ever thought I could be. I’ve been a miserable fool since you left.”

  Coco bit her lip, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. “But I thought you weren’t ready. I thought you didn’t want to make a commitment,” she said and he covered her lips with his fingers.

  “I was wrong,” he said. “Don’t expect me to say that a lot,” he told her. “But you took me by surprise. I didn’t expect you to get under my skin, but I’m glad you did. I want you under my skin and in my life forever. Starting now. Marry me,” he said and pulled a box from his pocket. “This time, for real,” he said, and flipped open the box to reveal a diamond ring.

  Gasping, Coco couldn’t fight the tears burning her eyes. She looked into the gaze of the man who was everything she’d ever hoped for. “Yes,” she said. “I love you.”

  “And I love you,” he said.

  * * *

  A month later, just before Christmas, she and Benjamin, along with the new nanny, and Sarah, traveled to Chantaine. Bridget had insisted that Coco and Benjamin get married in Chantaine. At first, they had protested, but then they had both seen the wisdom of combining their wedding with a honeymoon. Coco had also realized that the Devereaux were far more welcoming to her than she had previously thought.

  Eve, in full bloom of pregnancy, and Pippa, with her baby bump, fussed at her dress.

  “It’s beautiful,” Eve said of Coco’s shoulder-grazing lace dress. “And I’m not the prissy type.”

  “Neither am I,” Pippa said. “And I love it, too. Benjamin’s a lucky guy.”

  “Damn lucky,” Bridget said, entering the room in five-inch heels. “The nannies are taking care of our lovely demons, so we should get this show on the road, as you Americans say.”

  Soon after, Valentina and Katiana entered the room above the chapel where Coco and Benjamin would soon be married. Tina moved toward Coco and embraced her. “You look gorgeous.”

  “Like a princess flower fairy,” Katiana said.

  Coco bent down to kiss Tina’s daughter. “You are so sweet.”

  “Time to move out, everyone,” Bridget said, clapping her hands as she toddled in her Christian Louboutin heels. “Can’t keep the groom waiting forever.”

  Each of the Devereaux women kissed her on the cheek before they left. Bridget lingered behind. “You’re a wonderful addition to our family,” she said. “We’re so lucky to have you.”

  Tears wells in Coco’s eyes. “I’m the lucky one.”

  “We would all argue that, but not now,” Bridget said and gently pressed a handkerchief underneath Coco’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, it’s just been a journey. Less than a year ago, my mother died of cancer, penniless, then I became a nanny. After that, I went back to waitressing. Now I’m getting married to a man I was afraid to dream of. It’s been a crazy year.”

  “And it’s only going to get better,” Bridget said with a mysterious glint in her eyes.

  Coco wrinkled her brow. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll see soon enough,” she said. “Do you need anything else?”

  “Just a little help getting down the stairs,” Coco said.

  Bridget opened the door and the wedding assistant appeared. “I am at your service, miss.”

  The assistant guided her down the stairs and Coco waited in the foyer for her cue to enter the chapel. Her stomach danced with nerves as the doors were thrown open and she walked, by herself, down the aisle.

  Benjamin stood, in his Western tux, waiting for her at the front of the church. The other guests disappeared before her eyes. At this moment, Benjamin was her everything, and he held her gaze every step of the way down the aisle.

  Coco finally arrived by his side and he took her hands and kissed her. “You’re safe with me,” he whispered. “You’ll always be safe with me.”

  He couldn’t have said anything that moved her more. He couldn’t have said anything that made her feel she’d finally found home. With him.

  The minister called the service to order.

  Benjamin recited his vows. Coco made hers, and they were pronounced man and wife. The small group in the chapel applauded in approval, and Benjamin took her mouth in a kiss that sealed their promises for a lifetime. Coco swooned. Oh, how could that happen to a modern-day nonprincess?

  * * *

  After the ceremony, there was a private reception in a palace ballroom. Stefan took the stage. “We have the unusual joy of sharing the marriage of our father’s daughter, Coco Jordan, to Benjamin Garner. In this unusual and blessed situation, the Devereaux family wishes to convey a special, honorary title to Coco. She has already contributed in a unique way to our family. That said, Coco Jordan is now Honorary Princess of Chantaine,” he said and dipped his head. “Bless you and yours and forever.”

  Coco looked at Benjamin. “Did he just say what I thought he said?” she asked.

  He chuckled and nodded. “He did.”

  “So I’m a princess?”

  “You always were royalty in my eyes,” he joked, his gaze holding hers.

  She laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t need to be a princess. I just needed to belong to you.”

  He took her mouth in a kiss. “Looks like I’ll have to hire an extra guy to protect my princess. No worries, darlin’. You’re worth every penny.”

  Coco sank into him. “I’m
the luckiest girl in the universe.”

  “Just one more thing,” Bridget said, interrupting their kiss as she led a tall man toward her. “Eve helped. We did something similar for her.”

  Coco pulled back, studying Bridget and the tall man. Something about him seemed familiar. She stared at him and noticed that his eyes mirrored hers in color. Her heart reverberated in recognition.

  “You’re my brother, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yes. And you’re my sister,” he replied. “Maxwell Carter at your service, Your Highness,” he said with a wry grin.

  She laughed out loud. “Yes, just as you are a prince. Your Highness.”

  “Not me,” he said with a shake of his head. “I wish I’d known you before.”

  A wisp of loss swept through her. “You know me now, and I’ll be your pain-in-the-butt sister the rest of your life.”

  He gave a crooked grin. “Why do I feel like I suddenly won the genetic lottery?” Max asked.

  “Because you did. In every way,” Benjamin said and turned to his bride. “Just tell me you don’t expect me to bow to you now.”

  “Only at certain moments,” she said and laughed.

  Benjamin took her mouth again, and Coco knew she had finally found home with the man of her heart and her dreams.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Real Vintage Maverick by Marie Ferrarella!

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