Excited chatter toward the other end of the room interrupted her malaise. She lifted her head up out of her cubicle. Trane’s grinning face approached with a huge whale stuffed animal. It was at least six feet long. People all around them started to clap, louder. Her boss left his office to join them. By the time Trane reached her cubicle everyone was cheering. He hefted that thing up and laid it across the top of her cubicle, balancing on the top of both walls. “Meet Bernard.”
“Bernard?”
“Yes, he is our new pet. Some people get dogs, cats…”
“Our…pet?” a spark of hope filled her.
“Yes, we can’t very well keep all the oceanic wildlife we rescue together but we can keep Bernard.”
She laughed. “Trane,” She looked around. “What is this?”
“I’m here to walk you out.”
Deflated, she picked up her box. “Oh. Well, let’s go then.”
“Not so fast.” He took the box from her and put it back on the desktop. “Phina. Just look at all the good we did when we weren’t even working together. Me, planning summits, you tearing apart our efforts…”
She blushed. “It wasn’t like that…”
“I know. It’s ok. You brought much needed attention and further change I had neglected as inconsequential. And then your award winning pieces were honest and brilliant. No one could read them and not feel responsible for our planet. Phina. I want you on my team.”
She hesitated. She didn’t want to be an employee of the crown or Torren, their press liaison. She planned to keep them on their toes just as she would everyone else.
Then he got down on one knee. “This team.” His eyes filled with sincerity, with hope, love.
She placed a hand on her heart, not daring to look away.
“Princess Seraphina. Will you marry me?”
Everyone around her burst into cheers. Phones were out recording the whole thing. She nodded, tears on her face. When they quieted, she said, “Yes.” And she thought her happiness would burst out in great bubbles of joy.
He picked her up and whirled her in a great circle, knocking over Bernard. Then he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers, over and over until somewhere far away, she heard her old boss barking for everyone to get back to work.
Epilogue
“Princess Seraphina Rolano.” Everyone in the room dipped in a bow or curtsey. When they raised, she nodded to the room at large.
“Prince Trane Valdez.” He joined her on the top balcony, overlooking the town square of the people outside the palace. They loved this little town ane the people in it. They had gathered in a packed square to hear the time honoer tradition of the announcement of a newly engaged couple. The previous Queen, Trane’s mother, came to join them. “Congratulations.” She waved to the crowd. “I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Phina kissed her cheeks. “Thank you.”
She continued. “And the King, Francisco, he always liked you.”
Pleased and touched, the queen’s eyes blurred in her vision. “I wish he were here.”
Trane squeezed her hand.
Then Nico and Jo joined them. They raised their linked hands into the air and waved the the citizens. Cameras flashed, press invited for this one time special occasion. They were usually banned from the area outside the palace.
The other brothers joined them and their sister, Dahlia who had flown in from University to celebrate. The entire Valdez family grinned and waved and Phina didn’t think she could feel more complete.
A young boy from the crowd called out, “A kiss!” His mother shushed him, but Trane winked and said, “a wonderful idea! Don’t mind if I do.”
When he pulled Phina close, he said, “I love Torren, but I love you more.”
Then he covered her mouth with his own.
***
Follow Sophia Summers at http://eepurl.com/duyVfn to learn of her new releases and prizes and giveaways.
You can read the first two books in her series, The Heir and The Crown. My Book. Please look for the four remaining books that follow. The Duke’s Brother, The Prince, The American, and The Spy.
Copyright © 2018 by Sophia Summers
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters are the author’s own creation and come from her imagination.
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The Duke (Billionaire Royals Book 3) Page 8