A Very Merry Princess Read online

  She smiled as she drove into town in her borrowed truck. The day was sunny, the temperature warm, the scenery pleasant, and everywhere she looked she saw signs of the upcoming holidays.

  At a large intersection by the river, there was a huge faux chimney sitting on the sidewalk, the bottom half of Santa spilling out of the top as if the man was stuck. As she waited at the light, she saw his mechanized boots waving oh so slowly. On the opposite corner was an equally impressive menorah. The shops all had wreaths on their doors and twinkle lights in the windows. Thanksgiving was over, and the rest of the holiday season had begun in earnest. Maybe she should take an afternoon off and do some shopping for her family. It would be fun to have gifts under the tree from Happily Inc.

  But before all that, she was off to have lunch with Pallas and her friends. A “girls’ lunch” was a rarity for her and one she was looking forward to.

  She followed the directions Cade had given her and found herself in front of an interesting building. From one side it looked like a castle and from the other, it seemed to be a villa. The Christmas decorations reflected the architecture—traditional on the castle side and more airy and whimsical on the villa side. The structure itself was large, with a high roofline and a cute balcony. She pulled into the huge parking lot just as a red truck drove up next to hers.

  There were two women inside—one a platinum blonde, the other a brunette. They both waved at her.

  “You must be Beth,” the blonde said as she climbed out of her truck. She was tall, slender and gorgeous—all of which was slightly intimidating to Bethany. “I’m Silver and this is Natalie.”

  The other woman was shorter, with brown eyes to match her hair. She wore red glasses and had an easy air about her. “Hi, Beth. Pallas told us you were joining us. You’re really from El Bahar?”

  “I am, although I was born in California.”

  They collected big tote bags from the truck, then all three of them walked toward the building together.

  “Do you know anything about us?” Natalie asked. “Pallas didn’t say.”

  “Not really. She just invited me to lunch. She’s been very sweet to me since I arrived.”

  “That’s our Pallas,” Natalie said as she held open the front door. “Okay, so I’ll make this super easy. This is Pallas’s place. Weddings Out of the Box. Destination weddings of all kinds. Silver here owns a business called AlcoHaul. It’s a cool trailer-slash-bar that she hires out for events and various venues.”

  “I’m a party on the move,” Silver said with a laugh.

  “Carol and Wynn are coming. Carol works at the local animal preserve. We’re in the process of getting more giraffes, which is very cool. Millie was by herself for too long. A girl needs her peeps, right?” She flashed a grin. “Wynn owns a graphics and printing company. And then there’s me.” Natalie sighed dramatically. “I’m an office manager at a gallery by day and a struggling artist by night.”

  “Don’t let her fool you,” Silver said as they walked down a wide hallway. “She’s incredibly gifted. One day she’s going to be famous and leave all this behind.”

  “I won’t be leaving anything,” Natalie corrected, “but I’m happy to deal with the famous part. As long as the fame comes with nice-sized checks. This girl has rent to pay.”

  They passed through an open doorway that led to a grassy courtyard. Pallas was there, setting up a table and chairs in the shade. She looked up and hurried over to them.

  “You made it,” she said excitedly as she gave Bethany a hug. “I’m so glad. I see you’ve already met Natalie and Silver.”

  “I explained our very complex relationships,” Natalie said with a laugh.

  “You did well,” Bethany said. “This is a lovely setup.”

  “Thanks. It’s fun rotating locations for our lunches. If it had been Carol’s turn, we would have been picnicking on the Happily Inc savanna out at the animal preserve,” Pallas said. “It’s beautiful, but can take a bit of getting used to.”

  “I like having semiwild animals stroll by,” Natalie said.

  “They’re great until one of them poops.” Silver wrinkled her nose. “If you’re downwind, it’s not pretty.”

  Bethany grinned. “I’m around horses all day. I’m not easily offended by that sort of thing.”

  Carol and Wynn arrived and more introductions were made. Bethany saw that everyone brought something to the lunch while Pallas provided a chicken and pasta main course.

  Once they were all seated, dishes were passed around.

  “So,” Natalie said, leaning toward Bethany. “Tell us what it’s like in El Bahar. Where do you live? Do you really work in the royal stables? What’s that like? Have you ever seen the king in person? Oooh, what about the princes? Are they cute like William and Harry?”

  “That’s a lot of questions,” Bethany said, wondering how many she could answer without actually lying. She liked these women and didn’t want to deceive them.

  “You don’t have to answer any of them,” Carol told her. “We’re all just so curious about you. You’re so exotic, while our lives are ordinary.”

  Silver rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to her. She’s madly in love and that’s never ordinary. Oh, and that one, too.” She pointed at Pallas.

  Pallas waved her left hand, showing off her engagement ring.

  Bethany wondered if her envy showed. Finding the right guy and falling in love was what most women wanted at some point in their lives, including her. Being who she was added a whole layer of complications she had yet to navigate successfully.

  Natalie turned to Bethany. “So... El Bahar. Tell us.”

  “It’s very beautiful, right on the Arabian Sea. The people are warm and friendly and the country is progressive.” She added salad to her plate. “I do work in the royal stables and I have a nice apartment nearby.”

  Which wasn’t technically a lie. The palace was close to the stables.

  “My mom and I moved there when I was nine. She was hired to be a math teacher at the American School. She met a man and fell in love, so we stayed.”

  “What about the princes?” Wynn asked. “I’m not sure I’m up for a real relationship but a fling with a prince sounds nice.”

  Bethany shook her head. “I’m sorry to have to say that the king’s oldest son is only a teenager and the king’s brothers are married.”

  “Foiled again,” Wynn said. “Please tell me someone brought dessert.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Conversation moved on to more neutral topics. Pallas talked about an upcoming wedding and how she and Nick were heading to Italy in a couple of months. Carol mentioned her sister, Violet, who had just moved to England with her fiancé. Natalie’s car was hanging on by a thread and she was hoping it held out until she could afford a new-to-her replacement.

  Bethany listened more than she talked. She liked the easy friendship between the women and the way they included her. Sure, it was only one lunch but she had a feeling she was going to miss a lot more than just Rida when she returned to El Bahar.

  * * *

  CADE SAT ON the fence watching Beth canter Rida around the ring. His attention was neatly torn in two. The male part of him appreciated how she moved with the horse and how good she looked doing it. That side of his brain was remembering their kiss and wanting more.

  The rest of him coveted her relationship with the stallion. He wanted that easy communication and trust. He’d always had an affinity for horses—why would it be different with Rida?

  She eased him into a walk, then directed him to the fence.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” she said as she brought the horse to a stop. “I guess it’s going to have to happen eventually.”

  Cade’s gut tightened. “What are we talking about?” he asked, keeping his voice light. H
e doubted his luck was good enough for her to be thinking sex.

  “You want to ride him. I can tell.” Her expression was doubtful. “We’ve had trouble with him before, just so you know. But he’s your horse and I guess this is as good a time as any.”

  So not sex, he thought as he jumped to the ground and approached the horse. But a close second.

  He stroked Rida’s neck, then shoulder. Beth slid to the ground and moved to Rida’s head.

  “I need you to be a good boy,” she murmured. “Cade’s your new owner. You’re going to have to get along with him eventually.”

  Cade adjusted the stirrups to the right length, put his left foot in one and swung onto the saddle. He found his seat immediately and kept a light but firm hold on the reins.

  Even standing still, Rida was powerful. He could feel the controlled energy, the potential. Running flat out with him would be—

  One second he was comfortably seated, the next he was flying through the air. The ground rushed up to meet him and he landed flat on his back with a thud. Rida casually trotted to the far side of the ring while Beth hurried to Cade’s side.

  “Don’t move,” she said as she dropped to her knees. Concern darkened her blue eyes. “You’ve had the wind knocked out of you. It’s going to seem like you can’t breathe, but you’re fine. Just take it slow. Let your body relax for a second, then inhale. Shallow at first but deeper with each breath.”

  While the words were designed to be comforting, this was not his first rodeo. He waited until he’d caught his breath to say, “I’ve been thrown a time or two.”

  He shifted on the ground to make sure all the moving parts were still working, then sat up and looked at the horse.

  “I didn’t see that coming.”

  She sighed. “I had a feeling.”

  “You didn’t want to warn me?”

  “I told you we’d had trouble with him before. What do you think that meant? That he’d been pouty?”

  Cade felt himself start to smile. “You have some attitude on you.”

  “Well, yeah. I’m not the one who was just thrown by a horse. How are you feeling?”

  “Nothing’s broken and you only have one head, so I’d say I’m fine.”

  She scrambled to her feet and held out her hand, as if to help him to his feet. Seriously? Of course it was an excuse to touch her, even for a second, so he took it and stood.

  She released him, but stayed close. “Still okay?”

  “Never better.” He glanced at Rida. “Although he and I are going to be having a conversation, man-to-man.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  She whistled. Rida’s ears perked up, then he turned and walked directly toward her.

  “Show-off,” Cade grumbled.

  “I know. I can’t help it.” She reached for the reins. “He’s really sorry.”

  “No, he’s not. Does he let anyone ride him but you?”

  “My father’s been on him and he wasn’t thrown.”

  “Good. I just need to know I stand a chance.”

  Rida would have to get used to multiple riders. It might take a while, but Cade knew the horse could be trained. He was intelligent and had a good temperament, and both would work in Cade’s favor.

  He returned his attention to Beth. “You know what you’re doing. Let me know if you’re ever looking for work.”

  Her eyebrows rose as a dozen different expressions chased across her face. “You’re offering me a job?”

  “Would you take it if I did?”

  “I would be tempted, but it’s...complicated.”

  What did that mean? Her family in El Bahar, or was there a man waiting for her? He considered the latter, then decided that Beth wasn’t the type to kiss him while involved with someone.

  “How about dinner?” he asked impulsively. “Tonight.”

  She smiled. “That I can say yes to.”

  * * *

  BETHANY WOULD MAKE a point to thank her mother when next they spoke. The box of clothing she’d sent contained a couple of dresses from Bethany’s wardrobe, including a pretty pale pink sleeveless A-line dress that had always been one of her favorites.

  Her mother had sent along high-heeled sandals, a curling iron and plenty of makeup and hair product, all taken from Bethany’s bathroom. She was too grateful to be exasperated. Plus it was her own fault—she was the one who hadn’t moved out of the palace.

  Not that she wanted to. She liked living close to her family. She spent a couple of afternoons a week with her brothers and had dinner with her parents just as often. She had independence and yet was still with her family. It was great—only every now and then she wanted something more. Something of her own.

  She was nearly twenty-seven. Shouldn’t she have a life plan in place, or at least some goals? Her family situation was, as she hinted to Cade, a complication, but she was starting to think the bigger problem was that she was using it as an excuse. And if so, shame on her.

  She checked her appearance in the mirror. Her hair had curled nicely and she liked how the dress fit. She slipped on her sandals and picked up her small clutch, then went downstairs to meet Cade.

  He was standing in the living room, looking out the window. He’d put on khakis and a light green, long-sleeved shirt. When he turned and looked at her, she felt her heart give a little flutter. The flutter increased as his eyes widened.

  “You look great,” he told her. “No one would ever guess you can carry a hundred-pound sack of grain with the best of them.”

  She laughed. “I’m more comfortable with forty-pound sacks, but I can lift a hundred-pound one in a pinch.”

  They walked outside to the truck. Cade looked concerned when he spotted her shoes, but before he could say anything, she stepped expertly on the running board and eased into the passenger seat.

  “I’m a girl,” she told him primly. “We’re all multitalented.”

  “I see that and I won’t question you again.”

  Cade drove them to a steak house in town. He put his hand on the small of her back as they walked inside. His mother might not approve of Bethany but she’d raised her children well. Cade had excellent manners.

  “Why are you smiling?” he asked as they were shown to a table by the window.

  She waited until they were seated to say, “I was just thinking your mother raised you right. You take charge, but in a polite way, yet you must have a wild streak. You told me you left home when you were eighteen.”

  “I have my moments,” he said. “It was an easy decision when I didn’t have any responsibilities. It would be more difficult now.” He hesitated, then added, “I’m buying into the ranch. Every year I earn ten percent ownership. I want to expand the breeding program, which is why Rida’s so important to me. I’ve been talking with my old boss in Texas and we’re going to work together. Right now I have to run a lot of the big decisions past my grandfather, but once I’m the majority owner, it will be on me.”

  She saw the passion in his eyes, along with determination and confidence. “You can’t wait,” she said.

  He raised a shoulder. “I like working with Grandpa Frank, but yeah, I’m ready to be in charge. You’ve been around horses enough to know that you have to take the long view of things. It can take years to know if a gamble is going to pay off. I’ve learned to be patient. I’ve got a lot of years ahead of me and I’m going to make it all happen.”

  “I don’t doubt you for a second. You never would have been happy in the family bank.”

  “It took a while for my mom to figure that out, but she’s finally stopped asking me to reconsider my career choices.”

  “What about your dad? You never mention him.”

  Cade’s expression tightened. “He died when Pallas and I were kids. He’s the one w
ho first brought me to the ranch. We were close.” He hesitated. “When I was little, I idolized him. As I got older, I began to wonder if he’d married my mom to get an in with my grandfather and the bank.” He shrugged again. “I can’t know for sure without talking to my mom and that’s not a conversation I want to have with her.”

  An unexpected confession, she thought. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that. Is it why you’re so conscientious? Just in case?”

  “Probably. I want to make the right decisions and not screw up. But every now and then it all comes tumbling down.”

  “Tell me about it. I had a horrible experience with a guy in college. I was devastated and went back to El Bahar.” She grimaced. “That’s when I started working in the royal stable. While I love what I do, I can’t see myself staying there for the next twenty years. Yet I have no idea what else I want to do.”

  “No room for advancement with the king?” he asked, his voice teasing.

  “Not really.” She supposed she could use some of her trust to simply buy a horse ranch of her own, only somehow that seemed like cheating. She didn’t want to step into a position of ownership, she wanted to earn it. Or at least feel she was a part of it.

  Their server stopped by the table and told them about the specials. They each ordered a glass of wine.

  Conversation flowed easily. Before she knew it, they were done with their meal. She’d had a great time and didn’t want the evening to end. There was something about Cade, something that made her wish their circumstances were different. That she could...

  What? Date him? Why couldn’t she? It had been forever since she’d been this attracted to a guy. From everything she’d witnessed so far, Cade was totally honorable. Why not explore the possibilities?

  Bethany told herself if she wanted something, she had to be brave enough to go after it, so she took a deep breath and asked, “So why isn’t there a Mrs. Cade Saunders?”