But at least she’d met some great people who didn’t hold what happened against her. That was how she got Madi’s book in front of people who could make it into a movie.
“Good to know. So if I think I’ve found Ms. Right, I take her to meet your aunt, Mrs. Beach, and see what she says.”
“Mama Beach,” Lani corrected. “Everyone calls her Mama Beach outside of the courtroom.”
“Noted.”
“So how many siblings do you have?” she asked as another text from Astrid came in. He hadn’t replied to any of them yet.
“Four. I’m the youngest. I have three sisters and a brother. You?”
“Also four. Three girls and two boys total, so we have that in common. The boys are the bookends.”
“Bookends?” The GPS dinged with a notification that they were coming up to a change in direction.
“Oldest and youngest. I’m the youngest girl in the middle.”
“Ah. Astrid is the oldest. Then my brother, then two sisters, then me.”
“Any of the others married? Nieces and nephews?”
“All of them actually. Well, Jacquie isn’t married, but she adopted two little girls.” He sighed and waved a hand in the air. “It’s a whole thing. Astrid was married then widowed while she was pregnant. She remarried and has a couple of more kids now. Esther’s been married a couple of years and has twin girls. Kenny adopted his wife’s much younger sister, and they have another kid now, too.”
“Wow. You’ve got a lot going on in your family. I bet Christmas gatherings are a ton of fun.”
“They can be. My whole family, including my grandmother, plus Esther’s husband’s family, get together in Serenity Landing for a few days before Christmas. Esther and her husband rent out a giant house because there’s eight hundred or so of us by the time you count all of his family. It’s even bigger than mine, though they don’t have nearly as many grandkids, yet. They have a lot more kids, though. Ten plus three step-brothers after their mom remarried.”
“Please tell me you take pity on anyone who joins the group as a girlfriend or boyfriend and wear name tags.” She was getting dizzy just trying to keep that little bit of information straight.
Harry laughed so hard, she thought he was going to swerve off the road.
“Careful, Harry Potter. I’d like to make it to the game in one piece.”
“Huh?”
“If I can’t call you Prince Harry, I have to call you something else,” she told him with a shrug. She needed to look up famous Harrys - real and fictional.
“Not Harry Potter either.”
At least he didn’t sound mad this time.
“Take the next exit,” she told him. “We’ve still got about forty-five minutes until we get there and an hour before game time.”
Harry turned and winked at her, pressing on the accelerator as he did. “Don’t worry. We’ll make it.”
It had been a long time since Harrison felt so normal. If he ever had.
Just hanging out with a beautiful woman who had no idea who he was or what role his family played in the running of his home country never happened.
A role he would never really play, but he still had many of the responsibilities that went along with the privileges.
Like amazing seats to any event he really wanted to go to, anywhere in the world. A private jet at his beck and call - as long as someone higher up in the family didn’t need it, but even then, he could charter a plane rather than flying commercial.
And if, for some reason, he did end up flying commercial, he often flew first class. His long legs didn’t require it, but he liked the extra elbow and leg room.
“It won’t take long to get from the parking lot to our seats,” he promised Lani. He’d never been to this particular stadium, but he knew how it worked. They were in one of the luxury boxes. That meant they had their own parking lot next to the stadium and a private elevator to the suite level.
“If you say so.” She pointed to another exit. “Get off here.”
They still had twenty minutes, but the GPS said they’d be there in six.
“How do you think we should handle the doll?” Lani turned to look at it in the back seat. “Just carry it in with us? Take pictures to send to the page of the doll reigning over the baseball game, but not mention which booth or who’s in there with us?”
“Maybe.” Harrison needed to make sure he wasn’t connected with it at all. He was too close to the history of the item, and he really didn’t want anyone to figure out who he was. “We’ll figure it out.”
They pulled up to the booth at the parking lot. Harrison handed over his ID and told the guard which suite they were going to be in.
He spoke to someone on his radio then let them through the gate.
“Do you have a blanket or something we can cover her up with while we walk in?” Lani asked as he pulled into a parking spot.
“Maybe in the back.” He parked the car. “I’ll check.” Two minutes later, they were walking into the special entrance where their identifications were checked again. Someone there had their tickets for them so they could get in and out. Security did check under the blanket to see what they were carrying.
The elevator whisked them up several stories until it let them out on the suite level. The guard there checked their tickets again before pointing them the right direction.
They walked through the door to see a group of people standing up and placing their hands over their hearts.
Harrison didn’t, though he noticed Lani did. He wasn’t an American. He’d stand and be respectful, just like he’d expect someone else to do when his national anthem was being played in San Majoria.
Just like his sister and her husband were doing.
He hadn’t known they were going to be here, but they did know the Langley-Cranstons and Bayfields.
Once it ended, everyone turned to greet him.
“Little bother!” Esther gave him a big hug, even though he’d seen her the day before. “What are you doing here?”
“She doesn’t know,” he whispered. “Thinks I’m Harry.”
Esther gave a not-very-princess-like snort. “Noted.”
Harrison turned around to see Christopher Bayfield with his arm around Lani’s shoulders.
A wave of jealousy and possessiveness swept over him. Even though Christopher was happily married with four children, his familiarity with Lani irritated Harrison.
“Jealous much?” Esther whispered, elbowing him.
Which meant he must be staring.
Christopher introduced her around then asked what she was holding.
“It’s this display doll thing that’s headed from Albuquerque to Columbus, Ohio. Someone posted it on that quirky things Facebook group. I was helping move it from one place to the next, but Harry over there, had never been to the Crimson Knights Stadium before, so I came with him.”
She set it on the counter and unveiled it as the crowd outside roared with the first pitch.
Esther gasped. “That’s...”
Harrison gave her a warning look.
“...gorgeous,” she finished.
“I guess it’s the former queen of some country in the Caribbean on her coronation day. I didn’t read the whole description.”
“She’s from San Majoria,” Darius started to tell them before Esther squeezed his hand.
“Oh.” Lani turned to Harrison. “That’s where you said you’re from, right?”
“Yeah. That’s former queen Grace,” Harrison confirmed.
“Have you ever met her?” Lani asked.
Harrison purposely didn’t look at his sister and brother-in-law.
“How many people ever actually meet a queen?” Christopher asked, though he was clearly uncomfortable with the half-truth.
The crowd outside roared again, catching the attention of everyone in the room.
“That’s the Wyatt guy, right?” Julia Bayfield asked, helping him take advantage of the distraction.
“Yep,�
�� Jonathan walked over to the window. “He’s batting clean-up today.”
With everyone now focused on the game, Harrison breathed a sigh of relief.
“What are you thinking?” Esther hissed, pulling him away from the group as the rest of them went out onto the small balcony with outdoor seating.
“I was thinking that I’d come by myself and whoever I handed the Gigi doll off to would have a fun picture when he or she later realized who I was. I didn’t expect an infuriating woman would insist on coming with me when she found out I’d never been here before.” Harrison glared right back at his sister.
“Infuriating?” Esther asked with a smirk as she picked up a soda sitting on the table. “Mum and Papa are going to love to hear that you’ve found an infuriating woman. Gigi would love to see that doll, you know.”
Harrison rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.”
“Are you driving back to Serenity Landing tonight?”
He shook his head. “We got the last Kraz Suite for the night. We’ll drive back in the morning.”
“We talked about it. There was only one suite left when we searched.” The smirk widened. “One two-bedroom suite.”
“Exactly. Two-bedroom. One for each of us.”
Harrison headed toward the door to the outdoor seating area. Maybe she was right about Gigi. He could arrange for her to show up the next day, maybe. So it wouldn’t affect the actual hand off with the people who’d arranged it.
Although, they’d likely enjoy meeting Gigi as well.
Hm. Maybe there was a way to get all of those who helped to Columbus, Ohio and surprise all of them.
With that thought running through his head, he focused on the game. Maybe there was a way.
3
The whole game was a bit of a surreal experience. Sitting with people she’d only just heard of, except Christopher, who she remembered from when he and his older brother lived up the street from Mama Beach. They would play together and have neighborhood parties.
He’d become a teen heartthrob after that, and she was one of the few who’d known who he really was. She’d seen them from time to time after they returned for college but not often. Then Alexander married Queen Christiana of Ravenzario. Christopher went back to work as an actor then married Julia.
She hadn’t seen much of him since.
They spent part of the game reminiscing and catching up on old times and old friends. He moved to sit with his wife while she went to find Harry during the middle of the fifth inning. He’d come outside but only briefly as soon as they got there.
“Why aren’t you out there? You can see better.” She noticed his sister and brother-in-law stayed inside too.
He reached for a nacho. “The food is in here.”
She held up a plate and waggled it at him. “You can take the food outside, too.”
“I also prefer the climate control.” He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out. “Plus, it’s more comfortable.”
Something about the way he said it made Lani wonder if this was the first time he’d sat in a suite like this.
It was hers. She wished it wasn’t going to be her last, but somehow she doubted the opportunity would present itself again.
“Have you heard from the lady we’re handing this off to?” she asked as she started to load her plate with baseball food.
“Not since we got here, so I’m guessing she’s enjoying the game, too.” He ate another chip. “We’ll find her afterward.”
That was something that concerned Lani a bit. Carrying the doll through a crowd probably wasn’t the best idea. They should probably wait until the crowd thinned out some.
She was going to mention it to Harry but the yelling outside caught her attention. By the time she reached the window, Wyatt Carson was rounding second on his way home.
When he touched the plate, the Crimson Knights were up by six. Almost enough to breathe a sigh of relief. If they won, they would lead the league. It was still early in the season, though. Anything could happen before October.
By the time they reached the middle of the ninth, the Knights were still up by three and the game ended. Lani followed the small crowd back into the suite where Harry was frowning at his phone.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as everyone else started to gather their things.
“She already left. Her son fell on the playground at the park and is in the emergency room with a probable broken leg.”
“So now what?”
“We can ask online to see if someone else can meet us and take it to Effingham in the morning, or just do it ourselves. Or I can do it, and you can ride home with someone here. They’ve got room for you.”
“We still need to take a picture in front of the statue, but I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to. Go home with Christopher and Julia. They’re driving back tonight. You can sleep in your bed. You won’t need to buy another outfit or anything.”
“I don’t mind going. I’m not working right now anyway. It’s summer break.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Then we’ll go take a couple of pictures and head to the hotel.”
“I need to stop at a superstore on the way. I can run in really quick while you wait in the car. I don’t want to leave the doll unguarded.”
“I agree, so let’s get moving. I’d like to get some sleep if we’re driving to Effingham then home tomorrow.”
They took the elevator back down to the ground floor, but rather than going to their car with the rest of the group, they said goodbye and headed for the statue. Harry’s sister and brother-in-law went with them.
After a few pictures of the doll with the Bradley Garza statue, Lani carefully lifted the glass box covering it. “Take a couple like this.”
“And both of you get in there,” Esther told them.
Harry picked up the doll as Lani held the base with him, smiling as his sister took several pictures with her phone. She’d have to send them to Harry, so they could post them.
The pictures of Lani with the doll were on Harry’s phone. He’d have to submit them to the page for her or send them to her to do it.
“That’s enough.” Harry carefully put the glass case back on the doll. “We’ve got to get going if we’re going to get any sleep tonight. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
The four of them walked back to the parking lot together. At least most of the traffic had cleared out, and they were soon on their way to the store. Lani ran in and grabbed two pairs of shorts and a couple of t-shirts and some toiletries then traded places with Harry. As soon as he was done, they headed for the hotel.
Harry kept his word and gave her the larger of the two bedrooms. Once he disappeared into his, she didn’t see him again.
A long soak in the tub was just what the doctor ordered. Lani wished she’d grabbed some pajamas but had forgotten.
She went into the living area to see if there were any snacks that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. There weren’t any, but she did hear Harry on the phone in his room. Who could he be calling so late at night?
He didn’t have a girlfriend. She would have known by now.
Shrugging it off, Lani went back to her room, locked the door, and went to bed.
The next morning, Harrison tried to keep his voice down as he tried to explain to his grandmother what was going on.
“I don’t want to get in the way of what is already being done,” she told him.
“I know, but do you remember this woman?”
“Of course. She often helped with my wardrobe during that time period.”
“Then do you want to be there? Show up after it’s been given? I’m working to get everyone who’s been a part of getting it there to Ohio for the presentation.”
“Perhaps. Will you be there?”
“I’m planning on it, but I’d rather be in the background. Stay out of pictures because then it’s about me, and I don’t want tha
t.”
“If I go wouldn’t that make it all about me?”
“Not the same. It’s your dress, designed for you, and you’re thanking one of the women who helped make it for you.”
“Talk to my assistant. Perhaps I need to visit my great-grandchildren in the States. I could stop on my way to Missouri.”
“Esther and Darius lived in San Majoria all spring. They’ve only been here a couple of weeks.”
“It’s still been far too long since I’ve seen my girls.”
Harrison chuckled. “If you say so, Gigi.”
“That’s Grandmother Grace to you still, young man.”
“I’m your grandson. I don’t get to call you Gigi?” This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation, but since she couldn’t see him, he didn’t bother trying to hide his smile.
“Not if you’re over twenty.”
“So I could have called you Gigi a few years ago?”
“No.”
He would still call her Gigi. She knew it. She’d give him a hard time about it. Then she’d pat his hand and ask him if he wanted coal in his stocking.
Only the great-grandchildren could call her that without some kind of remark.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days, Gigi. Love you.”
“I love you, too, Harrison.”
After he hung up, Harrison went into the living area of the suite to find Lani seated in one of the chairs with her legs curled underneath her and a cup of coffee in her hand.
“Good morning,” he told her heading for the coffee pot still steaming in the kitchenette area.
“Morning. What time are we supposed to be in Effingham?”
“About noon. We need to leave in about an hour.”
“Where’s it going after that?”
“I’m not sure. Southern Illinois somewhere, then Louisville, then Cincinnati, then Columbus - or at least the greater metro areas. I’m not sure of the exact spots.” But he’d already gotten hotels for the next few nights. “I think I’m going to caravan with the other drivers, though. I’m happy to rent a car for you to get back to Springfield. Or a train ticket or whatever you want.”
Lani tilted her head as she thought about it. “That sounds kind of fun. I’d love to go along, but I don’t know that a hotel for the next few nights is in my budget.” She sighed. “I should take you up on the offer of a car, but I think Christopher and Julia decided to stay the night somewhere local after all. I can text him.”
Small Town Girls Don't Marry Secret Princes: A Small Town Contemporary Christian Romance (Beaches of Trumanville Book 2) Page 2