He made his way through the living room, picking up some stray wrapping paper to help clear the clutter. Then he opened the door.
“I have a—” He stopped. He blinked and shook his head to clear his vision.
But she was still there.
“Jasmine?”
She was smiling. “Merry Christmas, Sam.”
“You’re—” He looked behind her for bodyguards and attendants that ought to be watching over her. All he saw was a sedan sitting at the curb. “Here?”
“I’m here,” she said softly.
“I don’t understand.”
How could she be here? It was Christmas Day. She was the Crown Princess. She must have a dozen things to do in Vollan.
It was then he saw movement in her hands.
She was holding a puppy. It was a small, golden ball of fuzz, with floppy ears, big paws, an adorable face and a red bow around its neck.
“Jasmine, Jasmine,” Amelia shouted from behind him, and Sam was immediately surrounded by three young girls.
“Oohh, it’s a puppy!” cried Sophie. “Jasmine brought us a puppy!”
“Can I hold him? Can I hold him?” Amelia asked.
“Hold him gently,” said Jasmine, handing the puppy carefully into Amelia’s hands.
Amelia rubbed her face against its fur. “Sophie will love you so much.”
The puppy’s tail wagged and Sophie scratched his head.
The girls disappeared into the house, while Sam drank in the sight of Jasmine.
She looked directly into his eyes, her own shining with happiness.
“Is that why you came?” he asked, still baffled. “All this way to deliver a puppy?”
He couldn’t stop the wild surge of hope that her appearance might mean something more. He needed that hope dashed right away.
“It’s an awfully long way to deliver a puppy,” she said, stepping forward.
“It is,” he agreed, but that didn’t answer his question.
He was fighting to keep from touching her.
But then she touched her hands to his and he lost the battle. He pulled her forward, hugging her close, holding her tight.
“Tell me,” he whispered into her ear. “Say it. Whatever this is or isn’t, just tell me so I can stop hoping.”
“I’m came back to you,” she said.
“Why?” He could hear the pain in his own voice, laced with hope, laced with fear.
“To love you, Sam. I came back to love you.”
Joy rushed uncontrollably through him. “How is that possible?”
“I had a difficult talk with my father.”
“Are you okay? You didn’t run away or anything?” He desperately wanted Jasmine, but he didn’t want to harm her relationship with her family.
“I didn’t run away. I told him you were more important to me than the throne.”
Sam drew back in complete shock. “You what?”
“I love you, Sam. And if you feel the same way—”
“I do.” He stated emphatically, holding her tight once more. “I love you so much, Jasmine.
“Then we’ll figure the rest out.”
“You can’t give up your country.”
“I can, and I will. But there’s another option.”
He knew what she was saying. The question was there in her eyes. And it was a huge, huge decision.
He didn’t know the answer. So he kissed her instead. It was a long and fulfilling kiss. It was everything he remembered, and this time he vowed to make it last forever.
He finally drew back, breathless, grinning into her flushed expression. “We have to talk.”
“We do,”
“We’ll figure it out,” he vowed. “And we’ll be together.”
Epilogue
They’d broken with royal tradition to host a winter wedding in Vollan. Sam hadn’t wanted to wait, and neither had Jasmine. Amelia and Sophie loved the palace, and the staff seemed to adore the girls. They’d been over the moon at getting fitted for their gowns, and they had been perfect junior bridesmaids.
The ceremony was now over, the flower petals thrown, and the proclamation read to the citizens of Vollan. There’d been a cheer outside the cathedral as Sam and Jasmine emerged and greeted the crowds. Then the entire wedding party rode back to the palace in a line of limousines, where tables had been set for a fifteen course dinner, and a ten tier cake dominated the formal ballroom.
“Welcome to the family,” Princess Adara said to Sam, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t take her away too often.”
Jasmine saw her father approach. She touched Sam’s hand to warn him. She and Adara curtsied, while Sam gave a small bow.
“Your Majesty,” Jasmine greeted.
“Congratulations, my darling.” He gave her a rare kiss on the cheek.
“And the new Duke of Holden,” the king said to Sam.
Jasmine knew Sam was struggling to get used to having a title, but he’d definitely agreed on the choice. Holden was an old title, with woodlands in the south of the country. Sam could grow, cut and mill his own wood. He already had ideas for growing an entire furniture industry.
Amelia and Sophie arrived, laughing with Belle.
When they saw the king, both immediately sobered and curtsied the way they’d been practicing. They were dressed in aqua tulle gowns, and still carried their small bouquets.
“And these two,” the king said in a kindly voice, “my brand new granddaughters.” His expression was softer than Jasmine had ever seen and he crouched down to talk to the girls.
Jasmine did a double take at his strange behavior. She looked to Adara, whose eyes had widened as well.
“You’re members of the royal household now,” he told Amelia and Sophie.
The girls were in obvious awe. Amelia took Sophie’s hand.
“Your father will be a duke in Vollan, and your mother is a royal princess. Do you know what that means?”
Both girls shook their heads.
The king motioned to an aide, who came forward with a purple velvet cushion in hand.
“That means,” the king said, slowly drawing his ceremonial sword, “that I have to make you princesses.”
The girls’ eyes went enormously wide, and then they both grinned ear to ear.
The king held his sword between them and spoke solemnly. “Do you pledge allegiance to the king and the people of Vollan?”
“Yes.” Sophie managed.
Amelia could only nod.
The aide lowered the cushion, and the girls saw the two matching diamond tiaras.
They both gasped.
As the king placed them on their heads, Sam leaned close to Jasmine’s ear. “Did you know he was going to do this?”
“I didn’t. He’s really taken a shine to your daughters.”
Sam sounded worried. “I don’t know how we’re going to keep them grounded.”
“We’ll visit Tucker. We’ll visit a lot. And I’ll help you raise them. I’ve been a little princess, and I remember what it’s like.”
“And you grew up beautifully,” Sam said, putting his arms around her. “I adore you Princess Jasmine.”
She leaned into his embrace. “I adore you right back, Duke Holden.” There was a thread of laughter in his voice. “Oh, yeah that’s going to take a while.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
His voice was deep and definitive. “For you, I’ll get used to anything. We’re truly going to make this work, aren’t we.”
“We truly are.”
The End
If you enjoyed His Jingle Bell Princess, don’t miss Barbara Dunlop’s new series…
The Match series
The comedic, contemporary romance series featuring the high-tech antics of matchmaking senior citizens unleashed on their unsuspecting heirs
Book 1: An Unlikely Match
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Book 2: An Impractical Match
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Book 3: An Extraord
inary Match
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Book 4: An Astonishing Match
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Book 5: An Unpredictable Match
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Get swept away for a sweet royal holiday…
His Jingle Bell Princess by Barbara Dunlop
A Royal Christmas Princess by Scarlet Wilson
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Christmas at the Castle by Melissa McClone
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About the Author
Barbara Dunlop is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fifty romance novels. A three time finalist in the prestigious RITA award, she is also a two time winner of the RWA Golden Heart award. An Unlikely Match, the first book in her acclaimed Match series, was a number one bestseller on Amazon. Barbara makes her home in Yukon with her bush pilot husband and the moose and bears that wander through their yard.
Visit Barbara at BarbaraDunlop.com
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