A Very Merry Princess Read online

  Rida tossed his head, snorted and continued his morning exercise. Tomorrow she would ride him, but for today this was enough.

  Thirty minutes later, she walked him back to the barn for his grooming session. She’d just secured him when she heard a woman calling, “Hello? Is it all right to come into the barn?”

  Bethany waited for someone else to answer. When no one did, she said, “It’s okay with me, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  A pretty brown-haired woman who looked oddly familiar walked over and smiled. “Hi. You must be Beth. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Pallas Saunders, Cade’s sister.”

  “Hello.”

  Pallas eyed Rida warily. “Wow. He’s really handsome. And big.” She kept her distance. “Doesn’t he scare you?”

  “No. He’s a good guy.”

  Pallas didn’t seem convinced. “If you say so.” She looked back at Bethany. “I wanted to meet you and see how you’re settling in. You really came all the way from El Bahar to get your horse settled? Is he afraid to fly?”

  Bethany laughed. “He did really well.” She rubbed Rida’s neck. “He’s special. Horses of his caliber rarely get sold. My job is to make sure he’s going to be comfortable here and well cared for. Once he’s acclimated, I’ll head home.”

  “To El Bahar?”

  Bethany nodded.

  “Wow. I’ve barely traveled,” Pallas admitted. “It sounds so exotic. I’ve never been a horse person but Cade has been crazy about them his whole life. We’re twins. Fraternal, obviously. Is he making you feel at home? Oh, do you like the room? He asked me to help with a few touches. I hope you’re okay with them.”

  Bethany had no idea what she was talking about. What room— “Oh, the bedroom in the house.” She tried to remember what it looked like. “I’m sorry. I’ve been sleeping in the barn. I’ve only run inside to use the shower. But I’m sure it’s lovely and very comfortable,” she added, feeling awkward. One would think being a princess would help her be less of a dweeb socially, but one would be wrong.

  Pallas’s hazel eyes widened. “You’re sleeping in the barn?”

  “To keep Rida comfortable. Just the first couple of nights.”

  “In the barn. On the hay.”

  Bethany did her best not to laugh. “Technically people put straw in stalls. Hay is what horses eat. Here, Cade uses bedding pellets. It’s a wood product that produces less dust and is easier to maintain. But you’re probably not concerned about that.”

  Pallas started laughing and Bethany joined in.

  “Now I know where the old saying ‘hay is for horses’ comes from,” Pallas said, shaking her head. “All right, this hasn’t gone like I expected. Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Pallas, Cade’s sister. I know nothing about horses. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Bethany grinned. “Now you know a little something about horses. You should spring it on Cade the next time you see him. He’ll be shocked.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I have three younger brothers. I get the dynamic and the importance of always having the upper hand.” That was even more critical in her family what with the oldest of her younger brothers being the Crown Prince, a title he loved to flaunt.

  “How long have you lived in El Bahar?” Pallas asked.

  “We moved there when I was nine, but I was born in Riverside, so I’m right at home here.”

  “Good. Want to come to Thanksgiving with Cade and me?”

  The invitation was unexpected. While the holiday wasn’t a big deal in El Bahar and could occasionally be forgotten, it was still part of her life. Spending it by herself would be lonely. Rida wasn’t much for celebrating with turkey and dressing.

  “Before you answer,” Pallas said, “I should warn you. We have a huge family. My grandfather had seven daughters and they all come home for the holiday. Cade and I have over a dozen cousins. There’s no telling who will show up or what will happen. It’s loud and crazy with plenty of drama, but the food’s good and you could sit by me. I’d protect you from the worst of it.”

  Her words made Bethany miss her own family. “I’d love to if you’re sure it’s all right.”

  Pallas waved her hand. “Trust me, no one’ll even notice and if they do, you’ll be a much-needed distraction. Although my second warning is my mother can be relentless with the questions.”

  “I’m pretty good with answers.” Even if, in this case, they would have to be lies.

  “Then it’s settled. Do you have a cell phone here? Let me give you my number.”

  Pallas fished her phone out of her handbag. Bethany pulled hers from her jeans pocket. They exchanged numbers.

  “Dinner’s usually around three, which is a stupid time to eat. I mean seriously, lunch or dinner, pick one. But noooo. It has to be three.” She sighed. “I’ll let Cade know to give you a ride. He shows up about one, which is really smart. I’ll be stuck with kitchen duty starting at eight.”

  “I’m looking forward to it. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “It’s going to be fun.” Pallas laughed. “Or at the very least, you’ll have a heck of a story to tell when you get home. See you on Thursday.”

  “See you then.”

  Bethany finished grooming Rida, then led him back to his stall. The barn cat was waiting on the pole by the gate. Rida walked over and raised his head. The cat rubbed his face against the horse’s nose.

  “All right, little guy, you’re going to need a name.” She smiled. “How about Harry, after England’s ginger-haired prince? Like you, he’s friendly and very sweet. It will be our little joke.”

  She petted Harry, who purred loudly.

  After making sure Rida was secure in his stall, she went to the house. As she’d told Pallas, she really hadn’t paid attention beyond running upstairs to shower. Now she took her time to explore the main level before heading upstairs.

  The house was older, but well cared for. Like much of the barn, it had been lived in. She liked the old-fashioned kitchen. The microwave looked incongruous next to the stove from the 1940s or 1950s. The windows were clean, the pantry well-stocked. She went upstairs and paused on the landing. There were two guest rooms at this end of the hall, which meant the master was in the other direction.

  For a second she thought about checking out Cade’s room, then told herself there was no way she could be that rude and intrusive. Still, she was curious about him. From what she’d discovered in the past couple of days, he was good with horses and ran his ranch efficiently. The animals were healthy and his employees seemed happy. Which made him a really nice guy. And handsome. And funny.

  But not for her, she told herself firmly. She was a disaster in the romance department. Even if she wasn’t, she was only going to be here for a few weeks, and she was hardly the fling type. Besides, the fact that there wasn’t another woman living at the house didn’t mean anything. For all she knew, Cade had a girlfriend in town.

  The thought was too depressing to consider for long, so she pushed it out of her head and retreated to her room. She paused to notice all the things she hadn’t bothered to see until now. The bedding was new and pretty. There were lots of pillows and blankets. A TV sat on the dresser; there was a desk with a card that gave her the house’s Wi-Fi password. In the bathroom there was a basket of lotions and hair care items, along with fluffy towels.

  When she saw Pallas at Thanksgiving, she would be sure to thank her for all her thoughtful touches. Cade’s sister was nice and Bethany wanted to get to know her better. Making friends was on her life’s to-do list. She’d become too isolated at the palace. If she wanted to find where she belonged in the world, she needed to get out in it and experience things. Starting with a big American Thanksgiving.

  * * *

  CADE HAD SEEN videos of Rida in action but watching him in person was a whole d
ifferent experience. The horse was that perfect combination of strength and agility. The same could be said of his rider. Beth and Rida were a well-matched team—anticipating, respecting each other. Seeing them together was a hell of a show.

  One of the barn cats leaped up on the railing post and meowed at him. Cade scratched the side of its face. Beth slowed Rida and urged him closer.

  “I named that one Harry,” she said with a grin. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “Did you make sure he was a boy first?”

  “I didn’t. It seemed rude. If he turns out to be a she, we’ll say it’s short for Harriet.”

  “I like that you’re a problem solver,” he teased.

  She laughed. “Thanks. I try.”

  She swung her right leg off the saddle and jumped to the ground, then reached for the gate. Cade opened it first and they walked to the barn, Rida trailing behind.

  “I met your sister yesterday,” Beth told him as they stopped in front of the tack room.

  “Pallas couldn’t believe the El Baharian royal stables were sending a woman, so she had to come check you out for herself.”

  “El Bahar is a great advocate of women’s rights both at home and abroad,” Beth told him. “Girls have been educated alongside boys for over fifty years. University is free to all. While we still value our traditions and culture, women aren’t second-class citizens.”

  Before Cade could react, Beth groaned. “Sorry. That came out way more like a lecture than I’d intended.”

  “Still, good information,” he teased. “I can probably use it on Jeopardy.”

  “Is that game show still on?”

  “It is. Are you a fan?”

  “The theme gets in my head for days at a time,” she admitted. “Anyway, back to your sister. She seems really nice.”

  “She is.”

  Beth hesitated for a second. “She invited me to Thanksgiving dinner. Is that okay?”

  “That depends. I have a big, loud family and my mother is weird. If you can handle it, you’re more than welcome.”

  “Will I be in the way?”

  “Do you plan to eat over six pounds of turkey, because unless it’s that, you’ll be fine.”

  She unfastened Rida’s saddle and lifted it off him as if it weighed nothing. “I am unlikely to eat more than five pounds of turkey. I was thinking more about your personal life. Will your girlfriend mind me tagging along?”

  He reached for the saddle, but she shook her head. “I’m good. I do this all the time.” She carried it into the tack room, leaving him to ponder the girlfriend question.

  For a second he allowed himself to pretend she was fishing for information rather than being polite. Then he reminded himself his luck wasn’t that good. He’d had his share of women, but very few of them had been as beautiful as the curvy horsewoman walking Rida’s saddle blanket into the tack room.

  “No girlfriend,” he said when she returned. “No wife, either.”

  “I kind of assumed that last one,” she admitted, setting several brushes on the table by the door. “Seeing as I haven’t seen one lurking around the house.”

  “Why would I marry someone who lurks? What are you saying?”

  She grinned. “I take that back. You would never marry a lurker.”

  As they spoke, she patted Rida’s front shoulder, then gently nudged him. The huge stallion politely shifted his weight to his other three legs, then raised his front hoof for her to inspect. Beth used a small brush to clean the outside of his hoof, then pulled a hoof pick out of her back pocket.

  It was the kind of grunt work they all did every day, but he had to admit on Beth it look sexy as hell. Which made him an idiot. Or possibly something worse.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “WHAT ARE YOU going to wear?” Queen Liana asked, her face showing worry on their Skype call.

  “Mo-om, seriously? I’m not five. I know how to dress.”

  “I know you know how to dress, Bethany. What I’m asking instead is do you have anything that isn’t a T-shirt and jeans? I saw your luggage. I would be thrilled to think you actually packed two duffels worth of clothes, but we both know the second duffel held a sleeping bag and pillow, don’t we?”

  Bethany suddenly felt like that five-year-old. “How come you know me so well?”

  “I love you and you’re my favorite daughter.”

  “I’m your only daughter.”

  Her mother laughed. “Then you don’t have to question my sincerity, do you?”

  “I have one nice shirt,” Bethany said with a sigh. “And a pair of dark wash jeans. And flats.” Not exactly her mother’s elegant style but hopefully it was good enough for a family Thanksgiving. “Did you have a nice dinner?” Because while it was still late morning in Happily Inc, it was after ten at night in El Bahar.

  “We did. We had a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Louis outdid himself. I had him freeze leftovers for when you get home, darling.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Louis was the family’s French chef and a master at both the fancy and the simple. The man made a grilled cheese sandwich that could reduce Bethany to whimpering.

  “Enjoy your dinner tonight,” her mother said. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too. Give my love to everyone.”

  “I will.”

  Bethany hung up, then headed for the shower. She’d already fed and exercised Rida. One of the other stable hands would check on him later that afternoon and Bethany would see him after dinner. With Harry hanging out near his stall all the time, she didn’t have to worry about her horse being lonely.

  After showering, she blew out her hair, doing her best to use her round brush to add a little curl. It wasn’t as if she’d brought her curling iron, so that was all she could do.

  She dressed in her good jeans and pulled on her shirt, then reached into her duffel for her flats. There was a plastic folder at the bottom of her duffel. She pulled it out and opened it, then unfastened the heavy cardboard protecting the document underneath.

  Handwritten calligraphy covering thick parchment paper detailed Rida’s lineage back over five hundred years. Tiny drawings at each corner depicted Arabian horses in four different scenes.

  She would give this to Cade before she left. He would receive a bill of sale, along with other documents, but to her, this was the one that mattered most. It didn’t just say Rida was his—it explained who Rida was.

  Twenty minutes later, Bethany joined Cade in the living room and they went out together to his truck. Like her, he wore dark jeans, but with a long-sleeved shirt and leather boots. With luck, everyone else would be dressed similarly and she wouldn’t have to worry about fitting in.

  “Do you know how to drive?” Cade asked as he held open the passenger door. “You’re scheduled to be here another three or four weeks. That’s a long time to be stuck on the ranch. I can arrange for you to have the use of one of the ranch trucks if you want to head into town or something.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” She settled in the seat. “Thanks. I do know how to drive.”

  One corner of his mouth turned up. “On our side of the road?”

  She laughed. “Yes. We have that in common.”

  “Good.”

  He got in and started the engine, then turned to look at her. “So here’s the thing. My family is a little bit strange.”

  “All families are, or so I’ve been told. Your sister also pointed out there would be a crowd.”

  “My Grandpa Frank is the best. He’s funny, active and very unconventional. Libby, my mom, can be a bit more...” He hesitated. “Traditional. She loves working in the family bank and it shows. Seriously, if you were to line up twenty women her age and have to pick out the banker, you’d pick her every time.”<
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  “Sounds interesting.”

  He started down the driveway. “That’s one way to put it. You’ve met my sister, Pallas. Her fiancé, Nick, will be there, too. We have over a dozen cousins. Don’t worry about trying to keep them straight. I can’t and I’ve known them forever.”

  She smiled. Cade was doing his best to make her feel comfortable and welcome. He was a very nice man. The fact that the nice man was packaged in a rather sexy exterior was also appealing. So far she hadn’t found a flaw, which was a tiny bit scary. Not that she wouldn’t mind meeting someone she could fall for, assuming she could ever trust herself or the guy in question enough for that to happen. She’d been burned more than enough.

  Besides, she told herself firmly, it wasn’t going to be an issue. She wouldn’t be around long enough for anything to happen. Still, a girl could dream...

  “You probably know a lot about El Baharian history,” Cade said as he drove along the road.

  “It was required learning in school. Why? Should I be prepared to dazzle with assorted factoids at dinner?”

  “We have a history here, too.” He winked at her. “It’s pretty interesting.”

  “Do tell.”

  “About fifty or sixty years ago, my grandfather realized the town was dying. There was no industry, no tourists, and if the town died, he would lose the family bank. To keep that from happening, he spun a story of how the town was founded. That in the 1800s, during the gold rush, a group of mail-order brides were stranded here when their stagecoach broke down. By the time the parts came from back east, they’d all fallen in love.”

  “That’s lovely.”

  “It’s a crock. Never happened. But the locals liked it enough to change the name of the town and the word spread. Hollywood got all excited and a few stars came here to get married. From that point on, Happily Inc became a destination wedding town.”

  “Very slick,” she murmured. “And innovative. I’m very excited to meet your grandfather.”

  “You’ll like him.” He glanced at her again. “And he’ll like you. He’s single, so be careful.”