“Oh yes. She’s just tired. Her body needs rest.” The nurse smiled at me before bobbing a quick curtsy. “Your friend is in good hands here.”
“I have no doubts.” I turned back to Selene and sat down in the chair next to the bed. “There are a ton of flowers in here. I didn’t realize you had so many friends.” The joke was my sad attempt to keep from crying, even though it was true. There were so many flowers stuck around the cramped room, it felt more like a floral shop than a critical care unit.
“Stop frowning.” Selene’s voice was a weak croak. She rolled her head to the side and looked at me with half-lidded eyes.
“Hey there.” I smiled down at my longtime friend. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”
“That is a matter of opinion.” She frowned. “I feel like I was hit by a wine truck.”
“A wine truck?”
“Drunk and hurt.” Her eyes fluttered shut for a minute. “Sorry. Still tired.”
“Sleep. I’ll be here.” I squeezed her hand.
I turned the television to something other than the news and sat for a while, holding my friend’s hand while she snored softly. It wasn’t until the third episode of a nature show came on that she stirred in her bed.
“Go eat.” Her voice took on a stern sound.
“What?” My eyebrows lifted.
“You don’t eat when you’re worried. Eat something.” Her head rolled to the side gently. “Real food.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I couldn’t help my chuckle. Even now when she was recovering from a near-death experience she was trying to take care of me. I leaned over and kissed her forehead but she didn’t stir. She was already sound asleep once again.
“Cath, I’m going to go. I have some engagements to take care of, but I believe Chadwick and David will be staying for a little while.” Max touched my shoulder. Leaning down he whispered in my ear, “Maybe your new friend is hungry too. Chadwick could stay and watch Selene while you eat.”
“Thanks.” I reached up and touched his hand. I had a feeling that Max was picking up even more slack now that this had happened with Selene.
“Be careful with Tabitha.” With that last sentence, he squeezed my shoulder and left the room.
“Want to find the cafeteria?” David asked.
“Sure.” It was well after lunch and I still hadn’t eaten. Selene was right, I lost all interest in food when I was worried or stressed, but I’d try to eat something.
Chadwick settled into my seat as I left with David. I realized this was the first time we had been alone since he had asked for our date. Well, if you didn’t count the bodyguards following a few steps behind or the fact that Tabitha was probably lurking somewhere just out of eyesight.
“So does this count as a date?”
“I’m not sure.” He scratched his chin again and I wondered if he realized he did that when he was thinking. “Not exactly an ideal place.”
“Nah. There’s food, flowers, and zombies everywhere.”
“Are zombies a qualification for a good date?” He chuckled.
“Well, I hear that scary movies give you a reason to fake being scared and cuddle close.” I batted my eyes at him and he laughed.
“I have a feeling that you would be the last person in the theater to be scared.”
“I said fake being scared,” I replied. “Of course I wouldn’t be scared. A good axe to the head of the zombie and you’re fine.”
“Wow. That’s a bit violent, Your Highness.” His shoulder bumped into mine and I realized he was as close to me as he could be without actually having his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, a good shovel would work too. Something with reach, but not too long. You don’t want to waste time swinging something longer than you are tall.” I mimed swinging a bat.
“You’ve done your fair share of research on this, I see.”
“I grew up with two older brothers. They thought it would be funny to scare their little sister with horror movies, but the joke was on them. I wasn’t the one up with nightmares.” I nodded my head.
“No, I bet you slept with an arsenal next to your bed.”
“A big polo stick. They never snuck into my room again.” I laughed, remembering them running and tripping over each other as I swung my weapon. Mother had been furious, but Father had simply winked at me.
“Despite everything, it seems like you had some really normal moments growing up.”
“Despite everything.” I snorted. “There was a lot of normal in my life. I just also had to learn how to behave when visiting dignitaries stayed at our home.” I shrugged. “Sort of like when other people are on their best behavior because Aunt Beatrice comes for the holidays.”
“Okay, I can see that, I think.” He pointed to a sign leading to the cafeteria. “Our food, madam.”
“Excellent. I was in the mood for cold turkey and day-old salad.” I rubbed my hands together.
“I do aim to please.”
We took our trays from the end of the line and pretended not to notice the people staring at us as we chose our food and drinks. I was used to ignoring everyone, but I could tell David had to work at it. When we reached the cash register at the end of the line, I pulled one of my cards from my pocket, but David stopped me.
“I’ve got it.” He ducked his head so that he could whisper in my ear. “What kind of man lets his date pay for dinner?”
“So it is a date,” I whispered back.
He didn’t respond for a minute, just looked down into my eyes thoughtfully. “Any time I get to spend with you is special.”
My heart clenched and my stomach did this weird flip, but I couldn’t make fun of that compliment. If there was one thing I’d grown to expect from David, it was sincerity, and I knew he meant what he had just said.
I smiled as we walked to a corner table, away from the majority of the people catching lunch or dinner during their break and the sad faces of people waiting on friends or family.
“So tell me about your family. Mine’s no secret but I don’t know much about yours.” I dug into my salad with my fork.
“Not much, huh?” He watched me with a smile.
“Well, you asked Sam about me.” I shrugged.
“True.” He took a bite of his food before starting. “I’m the oldest of three kids. My family still lives in Georgia, which is pretty much slap at the bottom of the states.”
I knew exactly where Georgia was—geography was a necessity in my life—but I motioned for him to go on.
“Our town was tiny and most people didn’t go to college. Lots of farm work in the area, but I had a love of animals and wanted to do more. My youngest sister, Liberty Anne, is eleven, and like me she loves animals. She has a therapy horse that is her whole world.” His eyes lit up. “She is autistic, but it’s as if a light turns on when she’s riding Whipper. She tells us that it’s magic.”
“It’s amazing what an animal can do for a person.” I nodded my head. “Art does that too. It can give a child a way to express themselves that they normally wouldn’t. It’s part of why I’m working on my art program for schools.”
“Yes, and that’s why I want to do something for the animals.” He took another bite of his food. “Liberty helped show me how special, beautiful, and magic they can be. I want to stop the senseless killing. I know that education isn’t the only thing we need, but it will help. No more poisoning or killing birds just because farmers and hunters don’t want competition.”
“A noble cause.” I smiled at him. My family had a long history with animals and it said a lot about his personality that he wanted to protect them. “What about the rest of your family?”
“I have one other sister, Christi. She’s in her third year of school. She’s going to be a fantastic engineer. Numbers just come to her naturally.” He shook his head. “That’s something I was always jealous of.”
“She’s in her third year? So she’s, what, twenty-one?” I dug around on my plate. “You’re p
retty spread out in age.”
“A little. I just turned twenty-seven and Liberty Anne is adopted.” He pointed his fork at me. “Was that your sneaky way of finding out how old I am?”
“Maybe.” I laughed. “You’re really young for having a doctorate.”
“I finished early.” He shrugged. “I took advanced classes in high school and didn’t see the point in taking summers off in college.”
“I wish I could take more classes over the summer, but I have to help with engagements. The summer is always extremely busy for our family.” I sighed. “Not that I want to be done early.”
“Why not?” David had almost finished his sandwich.
“I only have so many years to spend at university before I have to take up a more formal position with the family.”
“Being a princess isn’t a formal position?” He laughed.
“I mean more responsibility. I’ll be taking over a lot more duties and my art history degree will mainly be used for charity work.” I shrugged. “It’s not a bad deal. I can accomplish a lot of good stuff.”
“What would you do with your degree if you didn’t have to focus on royal stuff?”
“I’d like to curate exhibits, and I think I’ve found a way I can do that while maintaining my royal duties.”
“That sounds promising.” He pushed his plate away from him and leaned forward on the table.
“We have a ton of art that is kept in the palace. Some of it can never leave, but there are pieces that would be perfect for a traveling show. Plus I could use the funds for charity, which would go toward my school art fund.” I frowned. “I really need a good name for the charity. It might help get the investors more interested.”
“It’s amazing what a good name and logo can do for someone,” David said thoughtfully. “I’ll think about it. Maybe we could brainstorm on our next date.”
“Already want another date, huh?” I couldn’t help my smile.
“Well, it hasn’t been horrible if you don’t count the zombies.” His eyes ran over my face and I felt my heart grow lighter.
“Don’t worry. I’d protect you.” I reached over to pat his hand, but he captured it and brought it to his lips. “What was that for?”
“Your smile.”
“Be honest. Did you buy a book of compliments?” My breathing increased and I could feel the heat in my cheeks. Just his touch sent my body into overdrive.
“I’ll never tell.” He winked.
“Fine. I’ll let you keep your secrets.”
The sound of a camera clicking caught my attention and I looked at the window to see several photographers taking pictures from the hallway. “Shit.”
“What?”
“We’re being photographed and they saw you do that.” I frowned and turned back to my food. “Don’t look at them. They want a full face shot if they can manage it.”
“What does it matter?” There was a defensive look in his eyes.
“Don’t you remember what happened to Sam?” I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “The paparazzi almost killed her; wrecked her car and chased her through the streets while her father was dying.”
“I’m not a duke.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or is that the issue?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I sat back in my seat. I’d really been enjoying myself up until this moment. “I wouldn’t care if your mom was the bearded woman at a circus, but I do care that you would think so little of me.”
“Whoa. Let’s back up.” He held his hands in the air. “I shouldn’t have accused you of that. Mainly I don’t think I’d have the same problem as Sam. I’m no one.”
“Yeah, Sam thought that about herself too.” I shook my head. “What do they teach you at that school?”
“Okay. I’m not a nobody. I’m just not someone that would be of interest.” He shrugged.
“If you’re dating me, you will be someone of interest.” I cringed. “That sounds incredibly egotistical but that’s not how I mean it. Because of who my family is my entire life is subject to observation. There are people just waiting to dissect every picture of me.”
“Okay, you’re saying that if I’m dating you, people will want to take pictures of us together.” He frowned and stared at the table for a minute, his mouth pulling to his side as he thought it over.
“Not just us together.” I shook my head before grabbing my plate and standing up. “C’mon. We’ll talk somewhere else.”
He followed me without question and when I looked back at him I could see the wheels still turning behind his eyes.
The attention of the press had amplified the curiosity of the staff and other people in the cafeteria. We dumped our trays and let the security detail clear our path. We made our way back to the room Selene was in, but when I noticed an empty hallway, I pulled David along with me.
“Look, I like you.” Blunt was the only way to handle this type of situation. “But if we date—even just one date to the movies, or a quick lunch in a hospital cafeteria, you’re going to become tabloid fodder. Strangers meet and decide to date all the time. People have one-night stands all the time. Couples break up or decide to go their separate ways all the time. But with me? Or anyone in my family? All of that makes front-page news.”
“I get that, Cathy.” He lifted my chin.
“Your face will be everywhere, on everything, plastered across social media. If you decide that this doesn’t work for you, it will pop up whenever someone searches your name on the Internet.”
“I know.” His voice was so calm, there was no way he could understand what I was explaining.
“It’s not fair to you, because you don’t even have a chance to get to know me to decide if all of that craziness is worth it.”
“I think it is.”
“I mean, you could decide that I’m a silly— Wait. What did you say?” I frowned.
“I decided that it was worth it.” He smiled at my shocked expression. “Look, if we try this out and it doesn’t work, then fine. We’ll go our separate ways and I’ll deal with what happens. But I think we should give it a shot.”
He thought I was worth it? “But you don’t know me yet.”
“I know enough.” His thumb traced my bottom lip. “I know I want to know more.”
My heart pounded and I wondered if it was possible for a person to die just from the look in someone’s eyes, because at this moment I was pretty sure I was well on my way to melting into a puddle of goo.
“I’d really like that.”
“Then let’s take this one day at a time. We will deal with reporters and nosy tabloids if we have to, but for now let’s just take some time to learn more about each other.” He dipped his head down lower so that his lips were near mine. And photographers or innocent bystanders be damned, I wanted to kiss him again. The inclination was even stronger now that I’d spent more time with him, and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep from crushing my mouth against his.
I nodded my head. With his hands on me, I probably would have agreed to go streaking down the hall. There was something special about the way his eyes met mine, the way his hands felt on my skin. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized that it was because he saw me, the woman, not the princess. I never thought that would happen, and the feeling was intoxicating.
THIRTEEN
SELENE SLEPT MOST of the time I was in her room, but the few times she was awake did a lot to ease the pain in my heart. I’d been thinking—when not distracted by David’s gorgeous eyes—that I needed to cut back her schedule. She wasn’t a young woman and maybe it was time for her assistant to take a step up.
“Would you like me to cancel the appointments for tomorrow?” Tabitha was sitting on a stool in the corner of the cramped room.
“Are there any in the area?” I looked over at the other woman. David and Chadwick had left an hour or so before, but not until they absolutely had to. Victory Hall opened to the public tomorrow and David had to be there no
matter what else was happening.
“There is a school art program visit, which is about half an hour away.”
“What time?” I looked at my watch. It was getting late.
“Just before lunch. Selene’s notes mention eating with the head of the department.” Tabitha tsked under her breath.
“That would be the L’vere School. I really shouldn’t miss that.” I sighed. “The clothes that you had brought from D’Lynsal will be appropriate for that engagement.”
“I tried to cover all bases.” She smiled at me, and for the first time I realized that she wasn’t just pretty, but someone who could turn heads.
“You did wonderful,” I said. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” She looked up at me. “I hope that I can fill Selene’s shoes while she is recovering.”
“They’re big shoes. Literally. Her feet are huge.” I laughed, but Tabitha’s smile was small. “Truly though, you’ve done a great job for having this dumped on your shoulders.”
She beamed at me. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” I picked up my bag from the ground and stood. “What’s the press situation right now? Are they still packed outside?”
“The last I checked, there were still a good many. We could try leaving out the back.” Tabitha stood and collected her own stuff.
“I think that would be a good alternative for tonight.” Leaning over, I kissed Selene on the head. “Sleep well and don’t drive the staff crazy while I’m gone.”
“I’ll call for another member of the staff to sit with Selene while you are gone tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” I followed Tabitha out of the room.
“It’s a shame that she has no family.” The words were flippant, and guilt slammed into my chest. My steps hesitated and I almost went back to the room. Someone who had devoted her life to me lay in a hospital bed. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that she wouldn’t forgive me for letting down the schoolchildren.
“She has a family,” I retorted, and resumed walking. My steps were a little faster and heavy. “Selene has been part of my family for as long as I can remember.”
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