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  “Yes. Staci is very happy. She adores the princess and Dr. Jonah. She became a big sister recently, too. Most of our children don’t go on to non-familial situations, but she was an exception.”

  “So the kids who are gone... What happens if their family member shows up today ready to claim them?” Dave picked up a smaller table by himself.

  “None of them should. Most will be here for a couple more weeks. One sibling pair has a single mother who was in a car accident. There wasn’t anyone to take care of them, so they’re here. She’s going to be fine, but it’ll be four or five more days before she can go home. Another pair already lives with their grandparents. Grandma died a few months ago, and grandpa had a hip replacement. Neither one is old enough to truly be helpful, and the grandfather has been in a rehab facility. He’ll be home next week, and they’ll go back with him.”

  “You’re doing amazing things here,” Jacqueline Grace told him before looking up. Kirsten stood in the doorway. “But I’m afraid it’s time for us to go.”

  They went to the playground outside and collected the girls who didn’t want to say good-bye to their new friends.

  After hugs all around, they drove to a nearby field, climbed into a helicopter, and took off.

  To Jacqueline Grace’s mild dismay, the helicopter didn’t land on the lawn of the palace. She supposed that might be a bit too much for an unofficial visit, especially if Dave didn’t want the press to know he was there.

  What was that about?

  Why did he care if he was identified in the pictures?

  It had bothered her off and on since he’d said something about it the day before. She understood not wanting to be in the public eye all the time, but there was something more in his words, his tone.

  Almost like he didn’t want anyone to know who he was.

  Or where he was?

  Maybe his family didn’t know where he was, and he didn’t want them to find out.

  Maybe he was a criminal on the run.

  She rolled her eyes at herself. A background check would have turned up that information. Besides, he didn’t strike her as the type.

  The ride to the palace took about ten minutes. They exited inside the garrison and were greeted by Diana, Christiana’s assistant. A short walk later and they were in the queen’s private quarters.

  “Jacqueline Grace!” Queen Christiana gave her a small hug and kissed both cheeks. “Welcome back to Ravenzario.”

  “It’s lovely to see you again, ma’am. This is David Smith, the father of one of Kiara’s dear friends.”

  The queen shook Dave’s hand as he bowed slightly at the waist. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine, ma’am.”

  Jacqueline Grace turned to the little girls. “This is Kiara.” She rested a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “And her friend, Mary, Dave’s foster daughter.”

  The look on Christiana’s face softened. An orphan herself, she had a soft spot for others like her. “It is a pleasure to meet all of you. My husband will be here shortly. Nicklaus needed his nappy changed.”

  It took Jacqueline Grace a few seconds to remember that Christiana’s son and brother shared a name.

  “I believe my brother and sister-in-law will be joining us as well.”

  Prince Nicklaus, Christiana’s younger brother, was to have been king. He, along with his nanny, were missing and presumed dead for years after the accident that claimed the lives of their parents. He and his nanny returned the previous summer in time for his long-scheduled wedding to Princess Yvette of Mevendia.

  “I’d love to see them. I’m not sure I’ve met your brother, though I’ve met Yvette several times.”

  Christiana smiled and motioned to the seating area. “Many people haven’t met my brother, not even people who normally would have seen him on a regular basis. I believe your family sent a representative to the wedding last summer, but I also know it was in the middle of the trauma with your niece so it’s possible they didn’t. I was still in shock over discovering he was still alive and don’t remember much.”

  “How long did you know?” Jacqueline Grace had heard the story, but as the queen said, it had been a trying time for her family.

  “He showed up here eight days before the wedding. We went to Mevendia the next day to introduce him to Yvette.”

  She glanced at Dave who didn’t seem curious about the story. Most people were confused about why two people who’d known each other for a week got married under pressure from their families. Jacqueline Grace didn’t know the details but did know their fathers had signed a marriage contract when they were young and provisions of it were still enforceable, making the decision to get married the preferable one.

  Thank goodness her country didn’t have arranged marriages or many other crazy old laws to worry about.

  She’d read about one recently that said Queen Elizabeth technically had custody of all her descendants while they were minors. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were wards of the Crown. In reality, she didn’t interfere much, but she could if she wanted to and legally had final say over anything remotely controversial. The law dated back to the 1700s but had never been changed.

  There was another country with something similar, but Jacqueline Grace couldn’t remember which one.

  A few minutes later, they were joined by the rest of Christiana’s family. They moved to the dining room in their personal quarters rather than one of the more public ones. It surprised Jacqueline Grace. Her father rarely hosted foreign dignitaries in his private apartment.

  “We don’t want to be too far from Baby Nicklaus,” she explained as they sat down. “He’s going through a phase where he only sleeps for a short period of time in the evenings. He’ll likely be awake before we finish.”

  Yvette’s brown eyes twinkled as she looked at her sister-in-law. “I know it’s convenient now, but eventually, you’re not going to be able to call him Baby Nicklaus. We need a nickname for the kid.”

  “Yes, we do,” Prince Nicklaus agreed. “I refuse to be Nicky all the time.”

  Duke Alexander waved a hand. “We’ll figure it out.” He turned to Dave. “Now, can you help me figure out where I know you from?”

  Dave shook his head. “I’m afraid I have no idea. I haven’t been to Ravenzario since I was a child and then only for a couple of days. I’m King Edward’s new assistant valet, only along on this trip because Mary is Kiara’s best friend and the princess wanted her to have a friend along. The king agreed it was a good idea.”

  Jacqueline Grace rolled her eyes. “He’s also supposed to be my undercover bodyguard or some nonsense. I guess he has enough self-defense training that he convinced my father he could be useful in a dire situation.”

  A slow smile crossed Dave’s face. “Hopefully, we’ll never have to find out. But princess? I’ll put my skills against yours any day.”

  Before Jacqueline Grace could reply, Christiana held up a hand. “Let’s not go there, please. It’s been nearly eighteen months since my own brush with security matters, and I’d just as soon not revisit it. It’s been even less time for Yvette.”

  It came flooding back to Jacqueline Grace. Christiana had been chased by her power-hungry uncle and took refuge in a men’s clothing shop. Yvette and one of her friends had been kidnapped by the friend’s father after Yvette’s father had him arrested for crimes against the crown. She didn’t remember the details of it because it happened not long after Gracie returned home.

  Maybe her father had a point. Maybe a little extra protection around wasn’t a bad thing.

  But why couldn’t he at least be old and bald?

  She went back to the conversation, since moved on to other topics, and tried to ignore the tugging of her heartstrings toward the man at her side.

  An apartment had been set aside for their use. As had become their norm, Mary and Kiara shared a room. Dave let Jacqueline Grace tuck them in. He went to shower and change.

  Jacqueli
ne Grace was in the living area when he headed for their small kitchen to get a glass of water.

  “Did you have a good day?” he asked, more to make conversation than anything.

  She nodded. “I really do enjoy helping at organizations like the orphanage.”

  “Me, too.” It had been a while.

  “Why don’t you want to be identified in pictures with me?”

  Her question stopped him in his tracks. “Pardon?”

  “You’re glad you’re unidentifiable in the pictures. Why?”

  Dave sighed. “I’ve had a bit of a falling out with my family. Things will be fine eventually, I’d rather they not know where I am for the time being.” He tried to give her a smile but it wasn’t his best one. “Nothing nefarious, I promise.”

  He couldn’t tell her more than that.

  She stared at him for a long minute then nodded. “All right. If I know anything about any pictures, I’ll make sure you’re not in them or obscured.”

  He bowed at the waist, not quite as deeply as he did when he met Christiana, but definitely a bow. “Thank you, princess.” He started for the kitchen again.

  “Why do you call me that?”

  Dave stopped again and turned. “Why do I call you what?”

  “Princess. You call me that almost like it’s a nickname.”

  He shrugged. “It kind of is.”

  “Why do you call me that?”

  “You’re a princess, princess.” He hated being vulnerable, but he had to be. His eyes closed, and his shoulders slumped. “It reminds me of who you are. More importantly, it reminds me who I am.”

  “You mean who you’re not?” she asked softly. “You’re not a prince or even a title-holder or the son of a title-holder which means it reminds you that there’s no future for us.”

  Dave didn’t answer.

  She moved closer to him. “I wish it didn’t matter, Dave. I can’t tell you how much I wish it didn’t, but it does.”

  He reached up and brushed a bit of hair off her face. “I know you do.” The desire to kiss her nearly overwhelmed him, but he couldn’t do that to himself again. Couldn’t let himself dream about what couldn’t be.

  At least not right now.

  Dave took a step back. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Maybe I should talk to my father. See what he says. Maybe he’d be all right with seeing what happens between us.”

  With a sad shake of his head, Dave told her no. “That’s not the way these things work, princess. I’ll be your friend. Your undercover bodyguard. But that’s all.”

  Walking away from her was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

  He chugged a full glass of water then refilled it, staring out the window into a dimly lit garden.

  When had life gotten so hard?

  All he wanted to do was go incognito for a little while. Find the man he was looking for. Bring him to justice.

  Each step toward reaching that goal was more difficult than it should have been, starting with the dates with Mary’s mother. He wouldn’t have normally dated someone like Elaine, though she was nice enough. No. He just thought she could help him with his investigation. He wouldn’t trade being with Mary for anything, but it had detoured him significantly.

  If it wasn’t for Mary, he could have found the evidence he needed a year ago.

  Instead, he was falling in love with a princess and caring for a four-year-old like he was her father.

  When he was certain Jacqueline Grace had gone to bed, Dave went to his own room and tried to sleep. It didn’t come easily, but it did eventually come.

  The next morning, he woke far later than usual. It struck him as odd that no one had come to wake him.

  He had no idea what was on the agenda, but slacks and a dress shirt, sans tie, seemed like a safe enough bet. No one was in the apartment when he looked around.

  In the main hallway, he encountered Duke Alexander. “Good morning, sir. I can’t seem to find my traveling companions. You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you?”

  The duke smiled. “I do. In fact, I was on my way to get you.” He rested a hand on Dave’s shoulder as they walked. “There’s something I wanted to discuss with you. I think I know where I know you from.”

  Knots formed in Dave’s stomach. “I think you must be mistaken. Perhaps I look like someone else.”

  “I think that’s it, actually. You remind me of someone I met a few times. A guy named Gideon. He had the same accent you do, and I haven’t met many people with it.”

  The knots twisted. “Just because you haven’t met many people with this accent doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of people out there with it.”

  The duke stopped and turned to Dave. “I’m sure you have your own reasons for keeping things to yourself. I’m not asking you to divulge them. Not right now anyway, but I would like you to tell me if I’m right.”

  “Right about what?” If he hedged long enough, maybe the duke would let it go.

  “If you’re related to Gideon.”

  The knots constricted further, but Dave couldn’t deny it. “Can I trust you, sir?”

  “My secrets have secrets,” the man promised.

  Dave nodded. “Gideon is my older brother. No one knows that, and I’d prefer it stayed that way.”

  Duke Alexander looked slightly uncomfortable. “Not even Jacqueline Grace? You don’t want her to know.”

  His lips pressed together as he struggled to maintain his composure. “I especially don’t want Jacqueline Grace to know. Someday I’m sure she will, but that day won’t be anytime soon.”

  11

  When Christiana smiled a genuine smile, Jacqueline Grace knew they wouldn’t be leaving that evening.

  “Please. We’d love to have you stay and have dinner with us. It’s a small gathering with a dozen or so people. We’d love to have you.”

  Jacqueline Grace hesitated then nodded. “I’ll check with Dave and see what he says, but I don’t see why not.”

  “The girls will have friends to play with while we have dinner.”

  Another thought occurred to Jacqueline Grace. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything formal with me.”

  “I’m certain Yvette will have something you can use or would be more than willing to go shopping with you this afternoon.”

  Jacqueline Grace perked up at that thought. “That could be fun.”

  The queen’s phone rang. She apologized and answered it.

  Jacqueline Grace left her office and went to find Dave. She found him reading a book to the girls in the apartment they were using. Watching them as she leaned against the wall, she wondered what it would be like if this was her daily life. He was so good with the girls.

  As he turned the last page, Dave glanced up and smiled at her. When they finished the book, the girls ran off to their room.

  “What’s up?” he asked. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

  “Christiana asked us to stay for a dinner party tonight. I’d get to go shopping, which is always fun, but I know you’re not crazy about being around a bunch of people.”

  “Do you know who’s coming?”

  “She didn’t really say.”

  “Okay. But I don’t have anything to wear to a formal event either.”

  “I’d imagine the duke or his assistant could help you.”

  He nodded and started for the door. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

  Once he’d left, Jacqueline Grace found Yvette’s phone number and texted her about a shopping trip then went to play with the girls.

  When nap time rolled around, Jacqueline Grace met Yvette at the garrison. Tim and a member of the Ravenzarian security team drove the car to a nearby shopping center.

  “This is my favorite place for dresses for things like tonight,” Yvette explained as they walked in. “I called over this morning. Well, my assistant did after talking to your assistant. They should have some things in your size and styl
e ready to go.”

  The shop reminded Jacqueline Grace of one she frequented back home. Clearly designed for an upscale clientele, they were likely known for their discretion.

  An older woman, impeccably dressed in black, curtsied. “Good afternoon, Princess Yvette, Princess Jacqueline Grace. Thank you for coming to see us today.”

  Yvette grinned. “Where else would I go, Linda?”

  The woman smiled back. “I’m always glad to hear that. Now, I did receive a call earlier, so we have some choices already pulled, but we have a number of other options as well if you don’t find one that suits you.”

  Jacqueline Grace clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m sure the things you’ve chosen are lovely.”

  They followed the woman to a fitting area in the back of the store. Another member of the staff offered them champagne. When Jacqueline Grace declined, so did Yvette.

  Five dresses were on display for her to choose from. All were nice. Any of them would be acceptable. None screamed choose me at her. It was odd, because they would normally be exactly what she’d pick.

  She tried on all of them and decided to take all of them, not knowing which one she’d choose to wear that night.

  But then another one caught her eye. “What about that green one?”

  The green was so dark as to be almost black with dark navy accents.

  The shop owner reached for it, paused, then reached again. “It was purchased with someone else in mind, but that person hasn’t seen it yet.”

  Jacqueline Grace nodded. “I understand.”

  The owner smiled. “Actually, I don’t believe she even knows it exists. If you’d like to try it on, there’s no harm. If you want it, we won’t tell her. If you don’t, we’ll tell her about it next time she or her assistant comes in.”

  “If you’re sure...”

  The owner nodded. “Let’s get it on you.”

  Jacqueline Grace didn’t bother coming out of the dressing room to show it off. It was perfect. Not for tonight, but for an event sometime in the future. She didn’t know what yet.