Once Upon a Holidate, page 38
Cade swore under his breath. He really hadn’t thought this through. Once he’d figured out how incredibly stupid he’d been to let Bethany go, all he could think about was getting to her to tell her he’d been wrong. He hadn’t considered the fact that he was going to have to face an actual king.
Yes, he’d met King Malik before, but at a casual dinner or at the ranch. Not like this.
One of the carved double doors opened and yet another suited minion appeared to escort Cade inside. The guard who had been with him since he entered the palace took Cade’s bag from him, then Cade was in what he guessed was Malik’s working office and alone with the king.
The monarch sat at his aircraft-carrier-sized desk. He wore a shirt and tie with his suit jacket hanging behind him. Windows looked out onto impressive gardens with the Arabian Sea in the distance.
Cade approached the desk. Malik looked up from the papers he’d been reading and raised his eyebrows.
“Cade, you are most unexpected.”
The tone wasn’t exactly warm and welcoming. Cade wondered how much Bethany had told her parents.
“I’m here to see Bethany,” he began.
Malik shook his head. “That is not going to happen. You have broken my daughter’s heart. Consider yourself lucky that I don’t in turn break parts of you.”
“I never meant to hurt her. I was wrong . . . what I said to her. I . . . There are things from my past and they got in the way.”
“How fortunate that you had this revelation after sending her away.”
Sarcasm was a lot more intimidating when the speaker was a king, Cade thought. He was also aware of not being invited to take a seat.
“I can’t help the timing. The things from my past are information, not an excuse. I need to see Bethany.”
Malik’s dark gaze remained icy. “So you said and yet your request is of no interest to me. You may go.”
Now Cade was the one to shake his head. “No, I won’t. You have to hear me out.”
“Surprisingly, I do not have to do anything.” Malik smiled tightly. “It is one of the advantages of being the king. Did you know we still have working dungeons in the palace? They are below ground and most unpleasant.”
Cade ignored the threat. “I’m in love with your daughter and while you won’t care about that, you may want to know she’s in love with me.”
“She’ll get over it. She’s always been a very smart young woman. In a few weeks, you’ll be nothing to her.”
Cade had to take the chance—there was no other way to get through to Malik. “We both know that’s not true. Bethany doesn’t give her heart easily. I don’t, either. I want to see her, Your Highness, and I’m not leaving until I do.”
“To quote you, we both know that’s not true. You will leave when I decide we are done.”
Cade swore silently. This wasn’t going well and he didn’t know how to get through to the angry, protective father in front of him. The man who—
Cade felt himself relax. Of course. Malik might be the king but he was also a dad. What he cared about more than anything was his precious baby girl.
“I love her,” Cade said simply. “I was a fool to let her go. Worse, I hurt her and there is no way to take that back. I made a mistake—one I’ve learned from. Your Highness, Bethany is amazing. She’s kind and funny and hardworking. I love everything about her.”
He moved closer to the desk. “I’ll admit the princess thing threw me. It’s not what I was expecting and something I’ll have to get used to, but it’s part of who she is. I love her. I know I have to apologize to her and work to earn her trust, but once that happens, I want to marry her.”
Malik rose, his brows drawing together. “She is Princess Bethany of El Bahar,” he roared. “The daughter of my heart. How dare you presume to come here and tell me you want to marry her? What makes you think you can begin to provide for her?”
Cade stayed right where he was. “You would have had me vetted before you let me buy Rida, so that’s not what this is about. I get she’s your daughter, but do you have any idea who she is inside? Bethany doesn’t care about the palace or the trappings of royal life. If she did, she wouldn’t have been working in your stable. She wants to be normal. I can give her that, and while you may not think it’s enough, she does. For you, I can promise I will take my last breath protecting and loving her. Every second of every day for the rest of my life, she will be my world. It’s all I have and it’s hers.”
Malik continued to glare. “You offer your word. What if I want your head instead?”
“You don’t scare me.”
“Don’t I?” He grinned. “Then perhaps I should try harder.”
Chapter Ten
Bethany stopped by the Giving Tree set up by the entrance to the palace offices. Buying dolls and trucks for kids she would never meet wasn’t making her feel much better, but at least it was something. For those moments when she went to the bazaar, she could almost forget how much she missed Cade. Almost.
She wound her way through the offices and ended up in front of her father’s door. She had been summoned. No doubt he was going to give her his “time to get over the man” speech. He’d delivered it after the debacle with her college boyfriend. To be honest, it had worked. If only it would do the same now.
Her father’s secretary told her to go in. Bethany opened the door and stepped into her father’s office, only to realize he wasn’t alone. Then her heart stopped as she recognized the man sitting across from him.
“Cade,” she breathed. “What are you doing here?”
Cade looked from her to her father and back, then crossed to her and took her hands in his.
“Bethany, you’re here. I can’t believe it. I came all this way only to realize I had no idea how to get in touch with you.”
Because she’d disconnected the phone she’d used in Happily Inc, she thought, still dazed by seeing him. “I have a phone with local service for when I’m home. I just went back to that. Pallas has the number.” Which was all totally inane. What she should really be asking was why are you here?
Hope stirred, pushing away doubt. Both made it hard to breathe.
“I’ve missed you,” he told her, staring into her eyes. “From the second you left, I knew I’d made a mistake, but it took me a couple of days to figure out why. I knew you were wonderful, but I didn’t know I’d fallen in love with you.”
Tension eased as hope grew stronger and brighter.
“I love you,” he repeated. “I was wrong about what I said and how I acted. I apologize and I hope that, in time, you can forgive me. Not right away—I don’t deserve that. But eventually.”
He drew her close and smiled at her. “You should have protected yourself the way you did. It made sense. My past is my problem, not yours. You’re nothing like Lynette. What can I do to earn a second chance?”
She started laughing, then crying before finding herself being held tight by the man she loved. Her fears and pain healed as if they had never existed.
Her father walked over and patted her shoulder. “I’ll leave you two alone to finish this. He seems like a good man, Bethany. He stood up to me when many would not have been so strong. When I met him, I thought he might be worthy of you.”
When the door closed, Cade drew back enough to stare into her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I know why you did what you did.”
“That doesn’t make it right. I hurt you. Please forgive me.”
“Of course. I love you, Cade. That hasn’t changed.”
He kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him and hung on as if she would never let go, which she hoped was the point. Then he stunned her by pulling back and dropping to one knee.
“I love you, Princess Bethany of El Bahar. I’m not the least bit worthy, but I love you and I’m asking you to marry me.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded and pulled him to his feet.
“Yes,” she whispered as she pressed her mouth to his. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
* * *
The few days leading up to Christmas passed in a blur. Cade called his mother to explain he would be staying in El Bahar through the holidays and that he was engaged. Libby Saunders had trouble grasping the fact that “the girl who worked in the stable” was really a princess. Bethany found her phone call with her future mother-in-law much warmer than her Thanksgiving conversation had been.
Pallas had shrieked into the phone when they’d called her and made them promise not to elope. Their wedding was her only chance to see a real live princess wedding and she didn’t want to miss it.
In deference to tradition, Cade accepted the large diamond engagement ring Queen Liana offered him. It had belonged to Malik’s beloved grandmother Fatima and he wanted his daughter to wear it.
Bethany winced when she saw the six carat stone. “There’s no way I can wear this while I’m mucking out stables,” she said. “But it’s important to my folks. You sure you don’t mind?”
Cade kissed her. “I figured you’d use it for official occasions. I’m going to buy you a ring as soon as we get home. And plan better next time.”
She laughed. “There shouldn’t be another time when you need to pack an engagement ring.”
“Excellent point.”
They were in her suite, sitting on the balcony. The family’s Christmas dinner was in an hour. They’d already exchanged presents that morning. Bethany was thrilled that her younger brothers seemed to adore Cade. Given the fact that he was having to deal with a couple of thousand years of tradition, he was doing great.
Cade took her hand in his and smiled at her. “So here’s the thing. About your ranch management degree,” he began.
“I’ve already found an online program that will be perfect for me. It’s not as if I need a lot more hands-on training with horses.”
“I’m glad. I’d go with you to Texas so you could go to school there, but I really appreciate you being willing to get your degree from Happily Inc.”
They’d talked about that, about working together on the ranch. She thought about the paperwork her father had given her that afternoon and wondered if this was the time to share it with Cade. Before she could, he spoke.
“You know I’m buying into the ranch,” he began. “When we get married, I’m going to add you to my share, so we’ll eventually own it together. We’ve talked about our plans and I want to get going on growing the operation.”
She pulled the envelope out of her back pocket. “Yes, well, there’s a small twist to your plan. Your grandfather doesn’t own the ranch anymore.”
Cade stared at her. “What are you talking about?”
“My father bought the ranch from Grandpa Frank and deeded it to you. I think it’s my dowry.”
Cade took the paper he offered, then shook his head. “Tell him I won’t accept unless he deeds it to both of us. We’ll be equal partners in everything.” He kissed her. “I love you, Princess Bethany.”
She laughed. “I love you, soon-to-be Prince Cade.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Yeah, I should have mentioned that, too. My dad wants you to be a prince.” She held up a hand. “There aren’t any duties or anything. It’s kind of honorary, although you might end up owning an island. He wasn’t clear.”
Cade started to laugh and she joined in. He pulled her close and she let herself get lost in the joy of being loved by him. Yes, there would be details. Where to hold the wedding, how long to wait to start a family, and how to convince her father to give them her favorite mare as a wedding gift, but those tiny problems would be solved in time. For now, there was only this amazing man and the incredible future they would have together.
“I’m so lucky to have you in my life,” he told her softly.
“Thanks. I feel exactly the same way.”
He rose and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go celebrate our El Baharian Christmas. Later, I’m going to sneak into your room.”
She laughed. “I’ll be counting the hours.” And the days and years to follow. Bethany knew she’d been blessed more than most and she would be grateful for the rest of her life.
* * * * *
Turn the page for a sneak peek at New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s next novel, Otherwise Engaged, available soon!
1
HOW DOES THE HORSE LOOK?”
Victoria Rogers pressed her good arm to her very bruised, almost broken ribs. “Dad, don’t,” she said, trying to stay as still as possible. “You can’t be funny. It already hurts to breathe. It wasn’t a horse.”
Her father frowned. “I was told you were thrown off a horse.”
“I was thrown out of a truck.”
“Then how’d you get the black eyes?”
“The ground was a little bit pissy when I hit it and punched me back.”
There wasn’t a part of her that didn’t hurt. The good news was that now that the medical staff had determined she didn’t have a head injury, they were going to give her drugs to help with the pain. She’d already said she didn’t want any of that weak-ass pill stuff. She wanted a nurse to give her a shot of something that would work instantly and let her rest. Because in addition to the bruised ribs, requisite scrapes and contusions, she had a broken left leg and a sprained wrist. Her previously dislocated shoulder also throbbed, but that was kind of the least of it.
As she lay in her hospital bed, feeling like death on a tortilla, she had the thought that maybe stunt work wasn’t for her. Injuries came with the job, but this was the third time in five years she’d landed in the hospital. The first time she’d messed up, so that was on her, but the other two had just been plain bad luck. The incident with the truck had come about because one of the tires had blown, causing the however many ton vehicle to jump the curb—an action that had sent her flying up and over the side. Gravity, being the bitch it was, had flung her onto the sidewalk. Hence the injuries.
Her father studied her, his brows drawn together in concern. “None of this makes me happy,” he told her.
The incongruous statement nearly made her laugh. She remembered—just in time—that her ribs wouldn’t appreciate the subsequent movement and they would punish her big-time.
“Today isn’t my favorite day either,” she admitted, trying not to groan. “I didn’t wake up with the thought that I should try to get thrown out of the back of a pickup.” Although technically getting thrown out of the truck had been the stunt. Just not when it had happened and without warning or a plan.
“I’m worried,” her father told her.
“I’ll be fine.”
“This time.”
She winced, and not from pain. “Now you sound like Mom.”
Her father, a handsome man only a few months from his sixtieth birthday, brightened. “Thank you, Victoria. That’s such a nice thing to say.”
Given her weakened condition, she let that comment slide. Honestly she didn’t have the strength to deal with it right now, even though she knew her father understood exactly what she’d been saying. He was only pretending to not get it.
“If you’re going to act like that, you should go,” she said, then amended what could be construed as a catty comment into something more kind. Mostly because she only had the emotional energy not to get along with one of her parents, and her mother had already claimed that prize. “Besides, they’ll be bringing my drugs any second. I plan to surrender to sleep, so I’m not going to be very conversational.”
As if to prove her point, one of the nurses walked in with a syringe. “Ready to feel better?” he asked cheerfully.
“Yes, and let me say, you’re my favorite person ever.”
He winked. “I get that all the time.”
He slowly injected whatever the medication was into her IV. Victoria drew in a shallow breath as she waited to feel that first blurring of the edges of the pain. Modern medicine was a miracle she intended to embrace.
The nurse left. Milton took her good hand in his.
“I’ll let you rest,” he told her. “But I’ll be back later tonight.” He squeezed her fingers. “Tomorrow, when you’re released, I’m taking you home.”
Ugh. Victoria knew that her father wasn’t talking about the pretty condo he’d bought her when she’d turned twenty-one. Instead he meant the house where she’d grown up. The one where her mother still resided.
“I don’t need to move back,” she protested, feeling the first telltale easing of the pain. “I have a few bumps and bruises.”
“Along with a broken leg. And what about your ribs? You can barely move without wincing.”
“I have zero pain tolerance. I’m a total wimp.”
He frowned. “You’re tough and stoic. If you’re showing signs of pain, it’s bad. You’ll stay with your mother and me until you’re well enough to be on your own.” He pointed at her. “I mean it, Victoria. You don’t get a vote.”
Her father was rarely stern with her, so his sharp tone warned her he wasn’t kidding. And she knew from twenty-four years of experience that arguing with the man would get her nowhere. Milton didn’t take a stand very often, but when he did, he was the immovable object.
“I wish you loved me less,” she murmured, feeling a little floaty and stumbling over her words. “Okay, I feel drugs. Let me enjoy the experience of breathing without, you know, wanting to die.”
“Oh, baby girl. You’ve always been difficult.”
“I know. It’s one of my best qualities.” Her eyes drifted closed. “Love you, Dad.”
“Love you more.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Come alone.”
His soft chuckle was the last thing she heard.
* * *
Shannon Van Horn pulled into a parking space in front of the construction trailer that was the main office of her boyfriend’s gardening business. She clutched the steering wheel tightly and gave in to the scream that had been building for the better part of the morning. Unfortunately the cry that echoed through her ten-year-old Corolla did little to make her feel better.
