Can't Buy Me Love
Page 46
“Oh, posh. This is my own home, after all.” She seemed thoroughly agitated until her eyes landed on Ash and Bailey. “There you two are.”
Ash quickly released Bailey. “Yes, here we are. I expected you at the press conference.”
The queen scowled. “I could not possibly have attended. I was too busy cleaning up your mess. I cannot believe you’ve chosen Lady Kovačič.”
Ash stared at her. “Is this quite the time, Grandmother? We have company.” He inclined his head toward the flannel-clad man.
“You may speak freely,” she said. “This pertains to both of these men.”
Jenson, Ash didn’t mind, but he didn’t like revealing his private life in front of a stranger. Of course, if Grandmother was encouraging him to do so, there must have been a reason.
“Very well. Yes, I did choose her. Lady Kovačič is exceedingly wealthy and single. It will solve our problems.”
“Asher.” His grandmother reached up and patted his arm. For the space of a moment, Ash wasn’t a crown prince anymore. He was the grandson of one very kind woman who’d always been there for him. “None of this should have been your burden. You’ve taken it on admirably, but I never wanted a loveless marriage for you. This isn’t the way.”
Ash rubbed his pounding temples. “But the palace. We can’t afford to keep it up.”
“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness,” Jenson said, “I’d like to introduce you to my friend here.” He gestured to the young man in flannel. “This is Leonard. You may know him as—”
“Bad Ass Typophile!” Bailey cried. “I recognized you from your profile pic.”
Leonard actually blushed enough to match his shirt. The transition between hues was seamless. “In the flesh,” Leonard said.
“I don’t understand. It’s nice to meet you, but what are you doing here?” Ash asked, shaking Leonard’s hand.
“To bring you this.” Leonard grinned as he handed Ash an envelope.
“Leonard and Jenson here gave us a jumpstart!” the queen said. “It’s thrilling!”
“A jumpstart . . . Wait, do you mean a Kickstarter campaign?” Bailey asked.
Leonard grinned. “Yes. To save Florican ‘historical sites.’” He used air quotes as he spoke.
Ash paled as he withdrew a check from the envelope. “This is a check for a hundred thousand florins. It’s enough to repair everything.”
“Consider it a loan. Use the money to do what you will to save your family. Then, once you’re done, invest it into Florico again,” Leonard said.
“But why would you do such a thing?” Ash couldn’t believe his luck. There had to be a catch. “Why donate your time to raising money for the Florican monarchy?”
“Why don’t you ask Leonard what his last name is?” asked the queen.
Bailey turned to Leonard, a curious expression taking over her glorious face. “What is it?”
“Keats. Leonard Keats. Jenson is my uncle. He suggested I use my social media influence for good instead of evil.”
“But why the Kickstarter?” Ash asked.
Leonard grinned. “When the queen found out what my uncle had cooking, she filled me in on the real story. You’ve employed four generations of my family, and I spent two weeks here every summer as a kid. I had to help.”
“And that’s not all,” the queen said. She turned to Leonard and Bailey. “We’ll be paying back this loan fairly quickly. I’ve been playing the stock market.”
“What do you mean, Grandmother?” Ash asked, unable to make sense of it all. Afraid to hope the conversation would lead him to Bailey.
“I got in on Windsor at the ground floor.” Grandmother winked at him. “We are well on our way out of debt.
So that means, my lovely Ash that you don’t need to marry Lady Kovačič after all. You can marry for love. And I think . . . you just may have found it.”
Ash embraced the Queen of Florico as he met Bailey’s eye. “I have, Grandmother. I truly have.”
“Excellent,” she said as she released him. “Leonard. Did you know I have a passion for topiaries? Perhaps you might visit my private garden?” She winked as she turned from Ash and Bailey, leading Leonard by the arm, Jenson followed, close at her heels.
Ash turned to Bailey, his eyes wide and his smile wider. Gripping her hand, he spun her around. “Meet me at the place where we first kissed? I have something to do and then we won’t have to be apart again.”
“I’ll be there,” Bailey said, a slow smile spread across her face.
“I’m counting on it.” Ash said as he turned and sprinted in the direction of the dungeon. He had something very special in mind for his Ms. Parker.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Bailey
Bailey sat on the wooden bench overlooking the sea—the exact place where Ash had kissed her only the day before. There’d been so many kisses since then it seemed like a lifetime had passed instead of a single day—one miraculous, marvelous day.
Somehow, she’d come back to Florico to face her fear. Not only had she said goodbye to Dad and begun healing, but she’d done something she’d never imagined. She’d fallen in love.
Because people did fall in love. Bailey just never thought it would never happen to her.
She’d gone from feeling as though she’d been torn in two to absolute exhilaration. She gripped the bench, forcing herself not to pace, or run around like a maniac.
The clink of the gate alerted Bailey to Ash’s arrival. Ash rushed ahead, and then slowed a few steps away from her. That morning, he’d seemed like a man condemned. Hours later, he’d been transformed.
“Bailey.” His entire face lit when his eyes locked on her.
“Asher.” Bailey rushed into his arms.
He drew her to his grandparents’ bench, taking a seat next to her, clasping her hands. “When I first came into your employ, I was a miserable, entitled brat. No man at all, really.”
Part of her wanted to argue, to tell him that she’d never seen that side of him. But Ash needed to get everything out, to share just as she had the day before.
“You showed me what duty and commitment truly are. I discovered what it means to be a man who works for his wage. I couldn’t have achieved it without you. Then you gave me your friendship and your trust and, finally, your love.”
Bailey squeezed his hand. “I did. You have it.”
“Good.” Ash ran a thumb along Bailey’s cheek. “With that in mind . . .”
He released her, sliding to his knee.
Bailey froze. He couldn’t be doing what she thought he was doing.
Yet, Ash extracted a ring box from his pocket. Before she had the chance to question him, he said, “I had to pay a visit to the family vault. This was my mother’s.”
He popped open the box to reveal a gorgeous emerald ring. The circular spray of diamonds surrounding the green gemstone reminded her of a snowflake. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Bailey Eleanora Parker,” he said.
She covered her face, mortified. “God, how did you find out my middle name?”
But Ash only reached up and tugged her fingers down, lacing them in his own. “I’m a prince. I do have some intelligence—literally. Now be serious,” he said, as Bailey burst into giggles. “This is not a time for giggling, either, because . . . Bailey Eleanora Parker . . . will you marry me and be my princess?”
“Mm-m.”
“What does that mean? What are you thinking?”
Bailey grinned, her heart ready to burst from her chest. “Best . . . proposal . . . ever.”
As Ash slid the ring on her finger, where it twinkled in the Florican sun, Bailey stared down at the man she loved. Her heart was full of love and pride, because Asher wasn’t trapped alone in his tower anymore.
Ms. Bailey Parker had rescued her prince.
EPILOGUE
Newswire—Florico City
December 12th
Asher Tiberius Hawthorne Tarrington, Crown Prince of Florico, was wed
Sunday last to Ms. Bailey Eleanora Parker of Florico City in a quiet ceremony at the newly restored Winter Palace chapel. Only fifty guests were in attendance. This included the new princess’s royal golden doodle, Duncan. Each guest received an invitation designed with one, very important font created by the crown prince himself.
“After all,” the new princess reasoned, “none of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for his Royal typeface.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child [Inkspell Publishing], which includes The Star Child, After Faerie, The Fallen Stars, The Star Catcher, The Last Protector, and A Faerie Wedding. In 2016, Inkspell compiled The Star Child novellas into the paperback, Into Faerie: The Star Child Novellas. Her work also appears in the compilations Moonbeams and Magic, Blood In The Shadows, and the international bestseller, Ever in the After: 13 Fantasy Tales.
Ms. Keyes has presented and facilitated courses throughout the US and the UK. In addition, her work has received multiple commendations, including the following: 2015 BTS Magazine Reader's Choice Awards Finalist, 2014 Dante Rossetti Young Adult Novel Awards—Mythological Category—First Place, 2013 Kindle Book Awards Semi-finalist. Keyes was also selected as a 2015 Rutgers University One-On-One Plus Conference mentee. She's an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Pennwriters.
When she's not writing, Keyes is an adjunct faculty member at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). She also works as a freelance graphic and instructional designer.
She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and her boys, Hip-Hop and Bam-Bam, and dogs Duncan MacLeod and Princess Riley. Steph is a hopeless romantic and Whovian who's shamelessly addicted to Nutella and spontaneous singing.
OTHER BOOKS BY
STEPHANIE KEYES
The Star Child
After Faerie
The Fallen Stars
The Star Catcher
The Last Protector
A Faerie Wedding
Into Faerie: The Star Child Novellas
Blood In the Shadows
If you enjoyed these stories…
please check out the authors’ other works (www.inkspellpublishing.com)
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