The Prince's Texas Bride / The Reluctant Princess

Taking a breath, she stepped back and pulled her hand from his. “If you can let me know by 8:00 p.m. on the nights you’ll be riding him, that would help me,” she said.

“Waiting till that late will tie up most of your evenings,” he said.

“I don’t have anything else on my calendar. You see, I have to get ready for this parade my boss neglected to tell me about,” she said in a confiding tone.

“That’s why I required you to come to Chantaine within two weeks,” Stefan said, mildly amused.

“It would have been nice of you to let me know ahead of time,” she said.

“I’m not that nice,” he said. “Would it have made a difference?”

“I guess not,” she said. “I just wouldn’t have sat through any of those orientation sessions,” she said.

“I was told you skipped the afternoon session,” Stefan said.

“That’s true,” she said. “As soon as Princess Bridget told me there was going to be a parade with some kook waving a whip, I was outta there.”

“Count Christo is eccentric, but I wouldn’t call him a kook,” Stefan said.

“You don’t have to,” Eve said. “And I’ll tell you now, he won’t be carrying a whip when he’s riding one of your horses.”

“Eve,” Stefan said. “The count is an important and revered member of Chantaine society.”

“He won’t even miss that whip, I promise,” she said.

“Eve,” he said again.

She waved her hand in dismissal. “That’s a week and a half away. No worries Your Highlyness,” she said with a sparkle in her eye.

“Highlyness?” he echoed.

“That’s what my aunt Hildie calls Tina every now and then.”

The tidbit amused him. “I bet Tina loved that.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” she said and gave a pretty little salute with her right hand. “I should hit the sack, Your Highlyness. I rise early these days. Sweet dreams.”

The next day as Eve was grabbing a sandwich at her office in the stables, she mulled over the possibility of providing Black with a companion. The stallion led such a solitary life he might be more content with a gelding as a friend, or perhaps a goat.

“There you are,” Bridget, wearing a dress and heels, said from the doorway. She walked inside the small office without invitation, wagging her finger in disapproval. “You’ve been invisible during the last week. I was certain you’d flown back to Texas until I overheard one of the staff discussing how early you leave your quarters in the morning and how late you return at night. You’re going to exhaust yourself before you’ve even been here a month, and Tina will have all our heads. This must stop.”

Despite Bridget’s propensity for exaggeration, Eve felt a little less alone by her presence. She’d been so busy with the horses that she hadn’t had time to think about anything else except late at night before she fell asleep. She would die before she admitted it, but she was a little homesick.

“I’m fine,” Eve insisted and set down her sandwich. “I just needed to jump in with both feet with the parade coming around the corner.”

“Well, it’s simply not acceptable,” Bridget said. “I’m sure you haven’t even taken off one day since you arrived. Therefore, you shall go shopping with me this afternoon,” she said in full princess mode.

Eve shook her head. “It’s sweet of you to ask, and I’m honored, but I can’t. It would just put me behind. I have to start scheduling appointments with the riders so everything will go smoothly during the parade.”

Bridget wrinkled her brow in confusion. “We’ve never had appointments before. We just show up on parade day, mount the horse and ride.”

“How did that work out?” Eve asked, already knowing the answer.

“Fine with me. There have been a few little problems. One of the mares bucked her rider and took off through the crowd. One of the geldings stopped halfway through and refused to go any farther.”

“And what about that year when one of the horses reared up and a half dozen of them went to the beach? Not just to the beach,” Eve said. “But in the water.”

Bridget winced. “Oh, yes. I couldn’t really blame them. It was a very hot day and the master of ceremonies was long-winded, which meant we had to wait forever to get started. I guess you’re right. Good luck getting some of the old guys to agree to the appointments, though.”

“Thank you,” Eve said in a long-suffering voice.

Bridget sighed. “Well, if you won’t go shopping with me, then you must join us for dinner tonight. It’s family night. Stefan requires us to have dinner together every week since Jacques is on break from college. He’ll be there as well as Phillipa.”

Eve immediately began to shake her head. “I’m not family. I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she said, also confident that she would feel totally out of place at a table full of royals.

“No intrusion,” Bridget said. “Besides, you’re like family because of your association with Tina.”

“Oh, no, thank you, but—”

“I won’t take no for an answer. You must eat. You may as well eat with us. The food will be better than that sandwich,” she said, waving her hand in disgust at Eve’s lunch. “If you don’t come, then I’ll have to tell Tina, and she’ll fuss at Stefan and me. Trust me, it will get messy.”

Eve sighed, realizing it would be easier to give in to Bridget’s invitation and beg off early. She could pretend to be a fly on the wall and resolved to keep her mouth shut. “If you insist,” she said.

“I do,” Bridget said, smiling broadly. “We’ll dine at seven on the third floor. It’s a bit smaller and more intimate. I’m delighted you’ll join us. Ta-ta,” she said and turned to leave.

“Bridget,” Eve said before the woman vanished. Geez, that woman could move like the wind despite the fact that she was wearing high heels. “What should I wear?”

Bridget glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, it’s not formal. Just a dress will do.”

Eve had brought only a few dresses with her since she figured she would be spending most of her time with the horses. Her choices were black, brown and black. She decided on black and pulled her hair out of her braid. For her corporate job back in the States, she’d always dressed in a conservative, businesslike manner, with careful attention to grooming.

Looking in the mirror made her wince. She’d been so focused on getting the horses ready for the parade that she’d done the bare minimum in the grooming department. Her fingernails were all broken down to the quick, her hair was out of control, her lips were chapped and smudges of violet rimmed her brown eyes.

“Thank goodness for concealer,” she muttered under her breath, then got to work. Nerves danced in her belly and she chastised herself. She shouldn’t be nervous. Although she’d never shared a meal with a roomful of royals, she knew which fork to use and when. Her aunt Hildie had made sure she knew her manners. Eve felt a jab of homesickness take her by surprise, then pushed it down. It wasn’t as if she were being sent away from her parents when she’d become a teenager. She’d made this choice of her own volition. She was here for her dream job.

The prospect of interacting with Stefan on a semisocial level still made her uncomfortable. She was at ease dealing with him over matters concerning the horses, but beyond that, she found the man unsettling. After hearing his sister Tina talk about how overbearing he was, she’d been certain she’d find him a selfish chauvinist. But she was beginning to see that he was far more complex than she’d first thought. He had a lot on his shoulders and he didn’t shift one bit under his responsibilities. To her, it appeared that he was trying to bring the siblings together for the sake of Chantaine, and the independent-minded Devereaux weren’t making it easy.

Eve finished getting dressed and walked from the staff quarters to the palace. A guard allowed her entrance, and she climbed the marble steps to the third floor and wandered down the long hallway to an open doorway from where she heard voices—Bridget’s in particular.

Eve peeked around the corner and caught her first glimpse of the lavish dining room. With a different table, the room could have easily held twenty people. Instead, a round table dressed in a crisp white cloth and set with crystal glasses, sterling silver and bone china sat in the center of the room.

The elegance and luxury of the room reminded her of the differences between her background and that of the Devereaux family. Her parents had moved frequently to stay a step ahead of the debt collectors, which meant she’d never stayed in one school very long. A flood of memories washed over her of walking into school, wearing clothes with holes in them, suffering the stares of her classmates and feeling completely out of place.

Her stomach knotted. What was she doing here? She took a deep breath and told herself this was a different time, a different situation. The siblings distracted her from her panic.

Bridget, Phillipa and Jacques stood beside the table.

“The goal for this evening’s meal is to get Stefan to cut me some slack,” Bridget said. “I need a vacation in Italy. Phillipa, you can cover for me for just a couple weeks—”

Phillipa shook her head. “You know I’m in the middle of my dissertation. I can’t take off for two weeks.”

Bridget sighed. “Maybe we could cut down some of the appearances.” She glanced at Jacques, who bore a striking resemblance to Stefan. “And you could help.”

Jacques looked appalled. “Me? I’m playing in a soccer match in Spain this weekend.”

“Well, I can’t keep doing all this on my own. Lord knows how Tina managed it,” Bridget said.

Eve strongly considered turning around and leaving at that point, but Jacques glanced up and looked at her as if she were a lifeline. “Please do come in. Eve Jackson?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she said. “I’m surprised you remember since we met so briefly last month.”

Jacques’s lips lifted in a flirtatious grin. “Please call me Jacques, and I make a habit of never forgetting the name of a beautiful woman.”

Eve couldn’t resist smiling in return. She could tell Jacques was on the road to be a class-one heartbreaker. “Thank you, Jacques. I appreciate the flattery, especially since I haven’t spent much time outside the barn since I arrived.”

“I’m determined to change that,” Bridget said. “Just because your position requires you to work with the horses doesn’t mean you’re married to them. Tomorrow you can join me for a day at the beach.”

Eve shook her head. “No beach for me until after the parade.”

Bridget scowled. “Tina is going to—” She broke off as Stefan walked into the room. “Welcome, Stefan. I persuaded Eve to join us tonight. She’s been cooped up in the barn far too long. I’m sure you don’t mind.”

Eve blinked at that last remark, feeling a stab of chagrin. She’d assumed Stefan had already been informed and approved of her presence at the meal.

Stefan looked at her, his gaze falling over her from head to toe and back up again. “Of course not. I’m glad you thought of it, Bridget,” he said, his gaze not straying from Eve’s. “Our pleasure, Eve.”

“Thank you, Your High—” she started, but stopped when he sliced his hand through the air.

“Stefan, please. Shall we sit?”

As if on cue, three staff members immediately entered the room.

“I chose Chateaubriand for the menu tonight,” Bridget said. “I asked the chef to choose everything else … well, aside from the chocolate mousse torte. Do you like chocolate, Eve?”

Still self-conscious, Eve fidgeted with her hands in her lap. “Like is an understatement. I’ve been known to make dessert the main course when it’s chocolate.”

Bridget laughed in approval. “Well, you won’t want to skip any of the courses tonight. Our newest chef is fabulous.”

“Here, here,” Jacques said. “Much improved over food at the university.”

Eve lifted her water glass and took a swallow. “Newest,” she echoed. “How new is he?”

Bridget glanced at Stefan. “Three months, would you say? The employment director had to replace the former chef.”

Hiding a grin of amusement behind her glass, Eve took another sip and met Stefan’s gaze. “Is that so?”

He raised a dark eyebrow as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. “The employment director made that decision. I had nothing to do with it.”

“Oh, I know why he was dismissed,” Phillipa said. “He was coming to work later and later due to a drinking problem. The employment director set him up with a special rehabilitation program.”

Stefan lifted his glass of wine, his lips twitching in amusement before he took a sip. “Eve seems to be under the misguided impression that I fire so many staff members we may as well have a revolving door for them.”

All four Devereaux stared at her with questions in their eyes. Eve coughed as her water went down the wrong way.

“What on earth made you think that?” Phillipa asked. “Stefan delegates almost all of the hiring to the employment director.”

“I never said that. I—” The gleam in his eyes told her he was enjoying her discomfort far too much. Eve frowned at Stefan, rising to the challenge. She was a Texan, for Pete’s sake, and she refused to be intimidated. “How many horse managers have you gone through? How long did my predecessor last before you bumped him off?”

Shocked silence followed, and Eve lifted her chin even as she felt herself being stared down by everyone in the room.

Stefan’s bark of laughter broke the silence and the tension. “To Americans,” he said and lifted his glass. “You don’t take crap from anyone.”

Stefan’s siblings gaped at her in surprise. Bridget recovered first, lifting her glass in salute. “We can learn by her example.”

Stefan lifted his hand in disagreement. “There’s a difference between defending oneself and constantly quarreling.”

“But, Stefan—”

“Enough, Bridget,” he said and turned to Phillipa. “How are your studies progressing?”

Stefan held her attention with how he conducted himself. He exhibited a magnetism that combined power, intelligence and complete masculinity. She’d never met a man who possessed such a combination. She was accustomed to sly cowboys and corporate managers with egos bigger than their paychecks.

She studied his hands as he cut his beef and lifted his glass of wine to his lips. His fingers were long, and she remembered feeling the faintest bit of a callous in his palms when he’d shaken her hand. She’d liked that about him.

Now, as she watched him talking to his siblings, she liked the way he focused on them instead of himself. She wondered if he kept his concerns and worries from his siblings. She wondered if he’d protected them a bit too much.

“If everything works out, I may do an exchange course in Italy this summer. Florence,” Jacques said with a half grin. “My advisers say I’m spending enough time on soccer and they want me to be well-rounded.”

“Florence,” Bridget muttered and gave a low, barely audible growl. She cleared her throat. “Speaking of art, Eve and I were talking just a couple of weeks ago about the idea of building a children’s art museum in Chantaine.”

Eve cringed at being dragged into Bridget’s power struggle with Stefan.

“Bridget, you know the agreement about our family dinners,” Stefan said with a sigh. “No discussion about financial proposals or arguments about politics. This is a time for us to be family.”

“Well, it’s hard for me to be family when all I do is work, work, work,” she said. “Have you noticed that you haven’t asked me anything about my personal life? Why?” she demanded. “Because I have no personal life. If I can’t have a personal life, then I’d like to have a sense of satisfaction. Even Eve said being happy in your job is making sure you have a passion for what you’re doing.”

Eve felt Stefan’s hard glare. She felt stuck in the middle of a place she absolutely didn’t want to be. Lifting her glass of wine, she took a sip and latched onto the first thing that came to her mind. “Anyone here know how to play the game Chicken Scratch?”

Chapter Two

With the exception of Stefan, it had been like taking candy from a baby. Stefan had actually won the third game. Eve spread out her hands to collect the dominos. “Well, this has been fun, but I need to visit the barn one more time tonight.”

“No,” Jacques said. “I was just getting used to it.” “Me, too,” Bridget said. “I almost won the second game.”

“Afraid you’ll lose again?” Stefan challenged. Her stomach did a crazy tumble at the expression on his face. “Not at all,” she said. “I really do need to visit the barn again. If you liked the game, I’ll leave my dominoes here so you can practice.”

“Please do,” Phillipa murmured. “We need it.” Eve smiled at the brainy princess determined to master the game. “If we play again, I bet all of you will beat the pants off of me.”

“I’d like to see that,” Jacques said with a devilish look in his eyes.

“Jacques,” Stefan said with a frown. “Ms. Jackson is our guest while at dinner. She deserves our respect.”

“Exactly,” Eve agreed. “Your elders always deserve your respect.”

Jacques laughed. “If you’re my elder …“

“Jacques,” Stefan said again, this time a touch of amusement slid into his tone as he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

“Thank you all again for everything. Joining you for dinner was an—honor,” she said and smiled. “Good night and sweet dreams,” she said, turning to leave.

“Sweet dreams?” Phillipa echoed.

“It’s an expression,” Eve said. “I’m wishing you sweet dreams.”

“That’s lovely,” Bridget said. “Sweet dreams to you, too.”

“Thank you,” Eve said and felt Stefan studying her. She felt a quiver of something strange in her belly and pushed it aside. “Your Highnesses,” she said and walked away.

The family dinner had gone much better than usual due to Eve’s presence, Stefan thought as he paced his quarters. She’d amused him by the way she’d pushed back when he’d teased her. The sound of her Texas drawl slid over his nerve endings like a smooth brandy. Her little game had distracted his family from the usual squabbles and griping, and allowed them to enjoy their time together. He would make sure she was included again.

Glancing at the clock, he thought about his early meeting with dignitaries from Russia in the morning. It would serve him well to go to sleep, but he was too restless. Lately, he’d been even more restless than usual. Bumping up his exercise routine hadn’t helped. The advisers had been pressing him more than ever on a matter that he’d avoided like the plague. But he knew they were right. He couldn’t delay this part of his duty forever. He glanced out the French doors of his balcony and watched the clouds slide over the moon. Inhaling, he caught the scent of impending rain. The atmosphere felt moody. Like him, he thought with wry chagrin.

An impulse shot through him and he considered it for thirty seconds. As ruler, he’d learned early on he would have to be selective about giving in to impulses. This one would help him sleep and quiet his spirit. He changed his clothes and called his personal guard, Georg. “I’m going to ride Black.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Would you like me to arrange for the horse to be saddled before you get to the barn?”

“Not necessary. I’ll do it,” Stefan said.

“Enjoy your ride, sir,” the security guard said.

“Thank you,” Stefan said and headed for the barn.

He heard her talking with Black before he looked inside the horse’s stall. Black nodded as Eve talked as if he understood exactly what she was saying. “So, how do you like the idea of a goat?” she asked. “I have a feeling you would do better with a pet than another horse.”

“A goat?” Stefan echoed and watched Eve whirl around in surprise. She adjusted her black Stetson. “Black would stomp the poor animal to smithereens.”

“Maybe not,” she disagreed, stroking the stallion in question. “By nature, horses aren’t solitary animals. He’s so restless. I think a pet might help him calm down.”

Stefan stroked his chin. “I’ll think about it,” he said and wryly wished a pet goat would solve his own restlessness. “Did you ride him this evening?”

She shook her head. “No. I just visited him because I had a feeling you might want a ride tonight.”

He appreciated her perception. “Family night can be an obstacle course, but I think it’s necessary.”

“I agree with you. Were you and your sisters and brother ever close?”

“That’s a good question,” he said as he entered the stall. Black immediately approached him, and Stefan felt a rush of pleasure at the way the horse responded to his presence. “We had different assignments, different nannies, even different advisers. Tina and I shared some similar training. I think that’s why we’re so close. Then Fredericka had her substance abuse issues and it became a priority to make sure that none of the other Devereaux went down that same road. If anyone was the glue between us all, it was Tina. When she left, it was a terrible blow.”

“Bet you’re still bummed about it,” Eve said, resting her hand on her hip as she studied him.

“Bummed, but mostly resigned. I’m glad she’s agreed to visits,” he said, feeling a pang of missing his sister.

Her lips twitched. “And now you get to deal with Bridget,” she said. “My aunt would say that should be a character-building experience for both of you.”

“Is this the same aunt who addressed Tina as ‘Your Highlyness’?”

“The one and only Hildie,” Eve said with soft smile. “She’s the best.”

“And you miss her,” he said, reading the combination of affection tempered with sadness on her face.

Eve glanced away then lifted her chin. “Probably more than I expected, but I’m too busy to spend much time feeling homesick. Speaking of time, I shouldn’t keep you from your ride. Your boy is ready for you,” she said, nodding toward the stallion.

He realized he’d just been dismissed and he wasn’t sure he liked it. A surge of strange feelings rumbled through him. Sympathy for Eve … curiosity … something else he couldn’t name. “Would you like to join me?”

Eve blinked in surprise. “Join you?” she echoed in disbelief.

“You can bring one of the geldings. It will be a short ride tonight since the weather is threatening,” he said. “If you think you’re up to it,” he added, deliberately challenging her.

“I’m up to it,” she retorted immediately. “I’ll get Gus and meet you out back.”

Moments later, she joined him and Black. “Where are we going?” she asked, leaning forward to give Gus a reassuring stroke on his neck.

“The beach,” Stefan said and, even in the darkness, he saw her face light up.

“I haven’t ridden there yet,” she said. “I’ve stuck to the trails on the palace grounds.”

“You won’t after you’ve ridden on the beach,” he said, urging Black into a fast trot. Leaving the confines of the stable yards behind, he led Eve on a winding path through dense woods. In the past, his security had wanted to ride with him and he’d always felt it was the worst kind of intrusion. He’d known forever that his life would never be totally his, but Stefan just wanted a few moments to breathe and escape. He’d never invited anyone with him on his night rides, but tonight he’d sensed the same combination of claustrophobia and loneliness in Eve that he often felt himself. Hers came from adjusting to living on an island and homesickness. A ride on the beach might offer her the same temporary cure it did him. He pulled his horse to a stop as they entered a clearing that offered a view of the beach below.

“It’s beautiful,” she said in a low, but awed voice.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “I wanted to warn you that the slope’s a little steep down this hill. Black could find his way down this hill blind, but Gus may need some extra time.”

“No problem. I wouldn’t do it any other way,” she said.

Just as Stefan had said, Black made it down the hill in no time. As soon as Black hit level ground with the beach mere yards away, Stefan could feel the stallion pulling on the reins. He knew what was coming. “Patience,” he said as the horse pranced. “She’ll be here in just a moment or two.”