by Romancing the Crown Series (13-in-1 bundle) (v1. 0) (lit)
But as she shut the door to her own room, she'd never been lonelier in her life. The room could have been in any small town in America and had little to recommend it other than cleanliness. But it wouldn't have mattered if it had had a Jacuzzi hot tub and a big screen TV with Surround Sound technology, she still would have had little interest in the place. All she could see was the bed.. .and remember last night.
Her appetite now non-existent, she decided to skip dinner altogether and have a bath instead. But thirty minutes later, after a long, leisurely soak, she dreaded the thought of crawling into bed alone. If she was able to sleep at all—and that was highly doubtful—she knew she would dream of Lorenzo, and she didn't think she could take that right now. So she grabbed her computer, instead, and set it up on the small table in the corner. An hour later, she finished adding the last of her notes to her file on the search for the prince. Then she switched her attention to the novel she was secretly writing. Long after the clock on the bedside table had struck midnight, she was still working. At that point, she would have worked on her grocery list if it would have kept her out of that lonely bed.
* * *
"I think we've lost him."
Climbing back into the truck after talking to everyone they could think of in another small town they couldn't even remember the name of, Lorenzo swore softly. Once again, they'd struck out and hit a dead end. Normally, he wouldn't have let that bother him. They'd run into a lot of dead ends since they'd begun searching for Lucas—one more was nothing new. If they drove farther down the road, they'd probably run into someone who had a vague recollection of someone matching Lucas's picture passing through town last year. They just had to be patient.
But they'd been patient for the past three days, and they had nothing to show for it. And it was getting damn frustrating. Up until three days ago, he'd been convinced that Lucas was still heading north. Now he wasn't so sure.
Reading his thoughts, Eliza said, "Do you think he might have headed west, instead? Or have we just missed him? Considering how much territory we're covering, it would be easy to do."
She had a point. Until now, the search had been limited to the small towns and villages on the state highway that Lucas had stumbled across after he'd left the campsite where Willy had found his scarf. Since they'd obviously lost his trail, he'd turned off the highway somewhere. The question was... where?
"After going north all this time, I can't imagine why he would suddenly change course," he said as he started the truck and headed out of town. "It's not like he came to the end of the road and had to go another direction."
"Maybe we haven't missed him at all then. If he was hitchhiking and caught a ride with a long-distance trucker, he could be in Montana, for all we know. We just haven't caught up with him yet."
"If he stayed on this road," he pointed out. "If he went along for the ride with someone, he could be in Key West, Florida. Until we pick up his trail again, there's no way to know for sure."
If they picked up his trail.
Eliza didn't say the words out loud, but she didn't doubt that he heard them, nonetheless. And she was just as worried as he was. They had to find the prince's trail soon, or she was going to be in serious trouble. She wasn't on vacation—she had a job to do, and up until now, Simon had been filling her column with backup material she kept on hand for just such an occasion. But that was running out, and Simon's patience wasn't inexhaustible. If the prince wasn't found soon, he would start pressing her for facts about the search to tantalize the readers. He would want headline material, evidence he could splash across the front page that Prince Lucas really was out there somewhere, lost in the mountains of Colorado, and right now, she wasn't giving him that. She couldn't. Not without blowing her exclusive and putting the prince in danger.
And then there was Deborah to worry about. She would be back from California by now and was, no doubt, already whispering in her daddy's ear that she could have found Prince Lucas if she'd just been given the chance.
Eliza could just hear the little blond bimbo now. She's costing the paper money, Daddy. While she's out running up and down the highway with a duke, the Gazette is eating our lunch with real news stones. Fire her, Daddy. You know I can do her job. I was born in this business. I've got your blood in my veins.
Fuming, Eliza almost called Simon to tell him she was doing everything she could, but her common sense assured her that wasn't necessary. He wasn't any happier about having to baby-sit the owner's ditsy daughter than she was. He tolerated her because he had to, but he didn't have any problems standing up to little Miss Muffet. He'd distract her with other assignments and do everything he could to protect Eliza's job for her.
Time, however, was running out and she knew it. If they didn't find the prince soon, she would have to return to Denver and let Lorenzo continue the search without her.
When her heart lurched at the idea of returning to the paper, she tried to tell herself she hated to give up the story and go home empty-handed. But she wasn't fooling anyone, least of all herself. For the first time in her life, she didn't care two cents about a story. It was Lorenzo she didn't want to give up.
"So what do you think?"
Caught up in her thoughts, she blinked. "About what?"
For the first time in days, a smile curled the corners of Lorenzo's mouth. "Obviously, I lost you for a few minutes."
"Sorry," she said, wrinkling her nose. "I was thinking about... work."
"So was I," he replied. "I know it might be a waste of time, but I don't like to change the course of an investigation until I'm sure I've checked everything. I think we should continue heading north for the rest of the day."
"And if we don't pick up the prince's trail again?"
"Then we backtrack to where we lost him and start over again, this time in a different direction."
That, unfortunately, would take more time than she had to give before it could possibly yield results, but that wasn't his problem. "I agree," she said, and didn't have a clue how she managed such a cool tone when her heart was breaking. "After all this time, one more day's not going to make that much difference and you want to cover your bases."
So it was decided. They headed north, and Lorenzo didn't have a clue that this would be the last day they spent together if they weren't able to pick up the prince's trail. And it was better that way. If she had to leave, she didn't want any long goodbyes.
As they passed through one small town after another, they left no stone unturned. They questioned everyone they came into contact with, from gas station attendants to grocery store clerks to a group of old men who met at one town's local cafe every afternoon for coffee and gossip. They even visited hospitals and doctors' offices in case Prince Lucas had sought out medical attention. But no one remembered anyone passing through town who matched the prince's description.
Always the optimist, Eliza tried to hold out hope that they would get a break, but as the day wore on, it became more and more obvious that that wasn't likely to happen. One town gave way to another, then another, and they were left with no choice but to keep going north.
By the time they reached the small town of Shady Rock, the sun had already sunk behind the mountains and early twilight was quickly darkening the winter sky. Tired, discouraged and sick at heart, Eliza said, "It looks like this is the end of the road."
"We tried," he said simply. "Let's check out the businesses that are still open, then find a place to stay."
The town, such as it was, appeared to be already closing up for the night, but a few of the shops and offices that lined the main street were still open. Knowing they were running out of time, they parked and quickly split up so they could cover more territory.
"I'll take the west side of the street," she said, and hurried across to the small dress shop on the corner.
The bell on the glass door rang merrily as she stepped inside, drawing the attention of the older woman who was just closing out the cash register at the old-fashioned counter. Glancing
up with a friendly smile, she said, "Good afternoon. Come on in. Is there something I can help you with?"
"I hope so," Eliza replied, returning her smile. "I'm looking for my brother." Giving her the story she and Lorenzo had come up with, she added, "I know he was probably in Valley View last winter, but I lost track of him after that. I was hoping he might have come through Shady Rock."
Pushing her glasses farther up her pert nose, the clerk frowned. "Well, let me think, dear. My memory's not what it used to be, but I'm not senile yet. Well, not completely, anyway," she added with twinkling eyes. "Oh, by the way, I'm Sally Tucker. And you are?"
"Uh...Carol. Carol Jones," Eliza said, improvising.
Smiling, Sally confided, "I enjoy talking with people much more when I know their name. Now.. .what does this brother of yours look like?"
"He's six foot two, athletic, with dark brown hair and blue eyes," she replied promptly, then grinned as she embellished the story. "He's my big brother—I always thought he was a pain—but my girlfriends thought he was a hunk. If you ever saw him, you wouldn't forget him. He looks like Prince Charming."
That wasn't far from the truth, and for a moment, Eliza was afraid she'd gone too far and the older woman had connected the missing Prince Lucas with the missing "brother" she was looking for. She frowned consideringly, then she said, "You know, it seems like I do remember hearing that someone like that passed through town some time back."
Already focusing on what she was going to say if the clerk asked her if she was looking for Prince Lucas, it was a long moment before Eliza actually heard her. When she did, her heart stopped in midbeat. "I beg your pardon?"
"I didn't see him myself," she warned her, "but Charlie Johnson's wife, Mary, was in here one day buying a new dress for church, and she kept going on and on about a man who'd come into her husband's store looking for work. She said if she'd been twenty years younger and thirty pounds lighter, she would have gone after him in a heartbeat... Charlie or no Charlie. Not that anyone believed her," she chuckled. "Everybody in town knows she thinks Charlie hung the moon."
"What about the man she was talking about?" Eliza said hoarsely. "Did he find a job?"
"I don't know," she replied with a shrug. "I never did hear."
Her heart pounding, she just barely swallowed a groan. "What about the woman you mentioned.. .Mary Johnson? Would she know? Where can I find her?"
"She's in Cheyenne right now, visiting her daughter, who just had a baby, but Charlie's the one you need to talk to." Glancing at the clock on the wall, she said, "His hardware store is just three doors down and he doesn't close until six. You should be able to still catch him if you hurry."
Thrilled, Eliza impulsively hugged her. "Thank you so much, Sally! You don't know what this means to me!"
Laughing the older woman returned the embrace. "I hope it helps. Now, go on with you. You don't want to miss Charlie."
She didn't need to say more. Promising herself she would come back to get her story—she was a wonderful character for her column feature—Eliza rushed outside.
Johnson's hardware store was right where Sally had told her it was, and the open sign was still in the window. Every nerve ending in her body tingling with excitement, Eliza cautioned herself not to find a place on her bookcase at home yet for her Pulitzer—this could all be a mistake. Sally had good intentions, but she didn't actually see the man Mary Johnson had raved about. It might not be the prince at all.
Her common sense accepted that, but her heart wanted nothing to do with logic. Already writing the story in her head, she pulled open the door to Charlie Johnson's hardware store and hurried inside.
If circumstances had been different and there was no prince to look for, no duke she was trying to keep in her life, Eliza could have spent hours in Johnson's hardware store. It was the kind of place that looked like it had been there for a century or longer. The wooden floors were scarred from years of abuse from booted feet, and the shelves that stretched up the walls to the twenty-foot ceilings were crowded with every conceivable tool and nail and pipe known to mankind. The place even smelled old.
But time was running out, and she was on a quest. Seeing no one at the front counter, she called out, "Hello? Is anyone here?"
"Back here!" a male voice called from the storeroom at the back of the store, and a few seconds later, a middle-aged man stepped through the open doorway. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said with an easy smile. "I was just checking some inventory. What can I do for you, ma'am?"
"Actually, Sally Tucker suggested I talk to you. I'm looking for my brother—he may have passed through town a few months ago." Quickly giving him the made-up story of her lost brother, she said, "Sally thought he might have come in here looking for a job. He's tall, with dark hair and blue eyes. Here—I have a picture." Quickly digging it out of her purse, she handed it to him.
Not nearly as talkative as the dress shop clerk, Charlie frowned consideringly at the picture, and Eliza felt her hopes sink. Maybe Sally was wrong, after all. "I believe your wife was the one who told Sally about him," she added, trying to jog his memory. "Apparently, she thought he was the best-looking thing since Clark Gable, which is why I thought the man might have been my brother. He has that effect on people. He's really good-looking."
"Oh, yeah!" he said, a huge grin transforming his face as recognition hit him. "I remember! That was quite a while back. I didn't recognize him without the beard. He's a good-looking kid. Mary took one look at him and threatened to trade me in for a new model. I sent him out to the Chambers ranch. They were short on ranch hands at the time."
This was it! Eliza thought excitedly. She could feel it in her bones, and her bones never let her down! "So he got the job? Is he still working there? How do I get to the Chambers' place? I've got to find my brother!"
"Whoa, girl!" he laughed. "Don't go off half-cocked just yet. He got the job. He was in here last month collecting supplies. But you can't go driving out there tonight.
You'll never find it in the dark. The ranch entrance is set back from the road and hard to see if you don't know where to look for it."
"Then I'll call—"
"Can't," he said with a shake of his head. "The telephone lines are still down out that way from the storm. They probably won't be fixed for another week or more."
Stuck, Eliza swallowed a groan. She couldn't believe this was happening! After the days and days of searching, they finally had a lead, and they couldn't follow up on it until morning! Resigned, she forced a crooked smile. "I guess I sound a little impatient, don't I? It's just that I've been so worried."
"Of course you have," he retorted. "He's your brother. But at least you know where he is now. He'll still be there in the morning. Here, let me write out the directions for you, then you can get a room at the Eagle's Nest Motel for the night, and drive out to the Chambers' place in the morning. Just remember to take it slow and easy or you'll miss the turn off."
"I will," she promised, carefully tucking the sheet of paper he'd written the directions on into her purse. "Thank you so much! I can't tell you how much this means to me!"
"No thanks are necessary," he said with a chuckle. "If this fella's really your brother, then I'm happy to help. Now get down to the Eagle's Nest and get you a room before they're all rented out. There's a dance in town tonight, and a lot of the ranchers in the area rent a room rather than drive back home when it's over."
He didn't have to tell her twice. "Then I'd better find the Eagle's Nest," she replied with a smile and hurried out to find Lorenzo.
She didn't have to look far for him. He'd already checked all the businesses on the east side of the street and had crossed to find her. "Well?" he asked as he approached her in the thickening twilight. "I struck out again. What about you? Did you have any luck?"
"As a matter of fact, I did," she said with a sassy grin. And with no more warning than that, she threw herself into his arms. "Oh, Lorenzo, I think I've found him!"
Giving
him a fierce hug, she pulled back, so excited she couldn't stand still. "I can't believe it! Mr. Johnson, the owner of the hardware store, recognized him from his picture. He said he's working at the Chambers ranch. He was in town just last month for supplies."
"Let's go, then," he said and quickly took her arm to hurry her back to the truck. "Did you get directions? Was this Johnson character sure it was Lucas? What did he say about him? Is he all right?"
"He couldn't really tell me too much—just what I told you—but he was positive it was him," she said breathlessly as she hurried to keep pace with his long legs. "The only problem is we can't go out there tonight. Mr. Johnson said we'd never find it in the dark."
Stopping in his tracks, Lorenzo swore. "Damn! Are you sure? This is the first break we've had. I hate to wait."
"I know, but from the way Mr. Johnson described the entrance to the ranch, we really need to go during the day or we'd drive right past it. And we may not need to go out there at all," she said with a smile. "There's a dance tonight, and apparently all the ranchers in the area come into town for it. Who knows? We might just see Prince Lucas there."
"So you think we should go to this dance?"
"It wouldn't hurt," she said with a shrug. "We can check it out, see if he's there, and celebrate the end of the search. Because it's him, Lorenzo. He has a beard now, but Mr. Johnson was sure it was him. We've finally found him!"
Lorenzo wouldn't believe it until he saw his cousin with his own two eyes, but he had to agree with Eliza. They had a positive picture I.D.! All their hard work and endless searching was about to pay off. "I'm not calling the king until I know for sure, but I think you're right. Lucas is close by."
"Then you'll go to the dance?"
Grinning, he nodded. "We could both use the break. And if Lucas isn't there himself, there might be other ranchers there who've seen him around."
"Then we'd better get over to the Eagle's Nest Motel and see about getting us each a room before they sell out. According to Mr. Johnson, they'll be in short supply tonight because of the dance."