Who? What? An accomplice, coming to meet the bandits and help them get away?
Whoever it was, Galen didn’t care. Given the boat’s angle of approach, the Verrettis had no choice but to steer closer to the island.
And the sandbars.
Galen bore down on them, increasing his speed in one last desperate attempt to get ahead of them and cut them off. Roxanne had slowed ever-so-slightly when she’d spotted the cigarette boat approaching.
Why? Because she was planning to come alongside them and board? Or because the other boat bore down on them as though unafraid of the island or any other threat that might lay hidden below the low tide waters?
“I’ve got one fire extinguisher,” Ruby had crept forward again and stood near his ear to talk without shouting. “Tell me when you want me to use it.”
Still unsure what the cig boat was doing or whether he ought to fear the black craft, Galen gunned hard, straightening only slightly as he prepared for an abrupt swerve.
“Ready. Aim.” Pale shadows stretched like fingers just beneath the waves ahead.
Vincent saw, pointed, opened his mouth to warn his mother.
“Fire.” Galen swerved at the bandits.
White spray caught Vince full in the face, choking him, blinding Roxanne from seeing the sandbar. The speedboat plowed toward the strip of sand.
Galen eased away, pulling ahead of the bandits as the disoriented driver slowed the boat.
The Verrettis hit the first sandbar head-on, bouncing high, slamming down, curses and the barking of bulldogs filling the night air as Ruby’s fire extinguisher spent its spray.
“Sandbar!” Vincent screamed between curses.
Roxanne jerked the wheel toward Galen. The boat tore through the water, hitting the next sandbar at an angle, launching sideways through the air.
Galen turned the wheel to the side as the airborne boat sailed toward them almost on its side now. “Ruby, watch out!”
Behind him, Ruby scrambled across the slippery deck to starboard as the Verrettis’ speedboat shot toward them, careening sideways, then slammed into the side of the royal guard boat.
The body armor on Galen’s chest hit the steering wheel, knocking the breath from his lungs, the pain so intense it shot across his field of vision as a white streak of light. He raised his head slowly, blinking, losing speed as the wounded boat took on water.
“Ruby!” He gasped as soon as his lungs found air.
“Here. I’m here.” Her hands swept down his arm, her fingers linking with his, cold as the night air, trembling.
Galen raised his head, the pain too fierce to allow him to turn to the side. Dead ahead the Verrettis boat bounced and settled as it hit the water, righted by its encounter with the guard boat, severely dented but clearly not too injured to flee.
Roxanne cackled happily as her sons let out a triumphant whoop and she accelerated, swerving away from the sandbars again.
Galen tried to punch the throttle, but the engine choked and sputtered as they shifted lower, taking on water faster now. There was no way they were going to stop the Verrettis. The boat wouldn’t go anywhere but down.
That high-pitched whine rent the night as the cigarette boat bore down on the Verrettis, its black color blending with the night. Galen could hardly see it against the dark waves, but given how quickly Roxanne had turned again toward the sandbars, it must have been nearly upon them.
The bandits’ boat hit the next sandbar hard enough to go airborne again, this time flying flat enough to slam into the sea and keep going, except that the sea gave way to a wider sandbar. Their boat hit the submerged island with a sickening crunch, skidded across the thin film of water, shedding speed as it came to rest high on the beach of the island itself.
The cig boat sailed past, slowed, whipped around in the open sea and turned back.
Ruby tucked her arm around his waist as their shattered craft sank lower in the water. The sandbar was still one long swim away. “Can you swim for it? We’re almost sunk.”
Galen cringed at the thought but knew he wouldn’t have any choice. The three helicopters had landed encircling the Verrettis’ boat, and from the sounds of it, the swarm of soldiers had quickly apprehended them all.
“Need a hand?” A voice called over the hum of a boat motor.
It took Galen just a moment to recognize Rocco’s accent. In that time the bounty hunter pulled the cigarette boat even with the sinking vessel, stilling to a stop and stretching out a beefy hand toward them.
“Oh, thank God.” Ruby’s teeth stopped chattering just long enough for her to whisper the grateful prayer.
“Thank God, indeed.” Rocco grinned as he helped her aboard, gesturing with his other hand toward the sky, to God in heaven, who had helped them. “Thank God for the helicopter or I wouldn’t have found you, and thank God I caught up to you when I did.” He hoisted Galen onto his boat—a painful process, but Galen wasn’t about to complain.
“You’re a Christian?” he asked the bounty hunter, surprised.
“Why else do you think I attended worship at the cathedral on Sunday?” Rocco left the two of them shivering on the bench seat as he trolled toward the beach, dropped an anchor and hopped out onto the sand.
The moonlight spilled across the white sand, creating a silvery backdrop for the chaos surrounding the boat. To Galen’s relief, the soldiers loaded the cuffed Verrettis onto helicopters while two bulldogs scampered around their feet, barking madly but otherwise appearing unharmed.
A soldier pulled a bulky bag from a storage compartment. Galen recognized the man from his days in the army—Titus, who he’d heard Prince Alec thank for saving his life earlier that summer. Titus opened the bag and his eyes widened as he pulled out a tiara, which glittered in the moonlight. He gasped, marveled for a moment at what he’d found, then put it right back in the bag and carried the whole thing over to the awaiting helicopter.
Rocco leaped off the boat as two soldiers carried away two more bags. A moment later the bounty hunter hurried back toward his boat with something tucked under his arm.
He grinned as he boarded, extending the laptop computer he’d retrieved toward them. “Don’t want to get this wet, but you’ll want to keep it, Ruby.”
“The evidence.” Ruby’s voice cracked as though she might weep. “It will prove the Verrettis sabotaged Tate Jewelry.”
“Don’t know that it will change their punishment any—they should all get multiple life sentences for all the guards they’ve shot in their heists—but your folks can sue for damages. The Verrettis can afford to pay.”
“Thank you.” Ruby began to cry in earnest, still shivering as she huddled close in Galen’s arms. “Keep it dry.”
“That I will. Let’s get you both back to the mainland, shall we?” Rocco lifted the seat in front of them, pulled out a folded bundle, tucked the laptop securely in the space and closed the seat. He tossed them the blanket. “Only one I’ve got, sorry. You’ll have to share.”
While the bounty hunter got the boat turned around, Ruby unfurled the blanket and tucked it around them.
“Are you doing okay? I know you’ve got to be in pain.”
While he couldn’t deny that his injuries were furious about the jarring boat ride, the crash and the cold, Galen honestly didn’t mind. “I’m with you. We recovered the crown jewels. Everything is good.” Still, he winced as Rocco accelerated, the force aggravating the throbbing muscles in his back.
“You’re in pain.” Ruby called his bluff. “What can I do to help you?”
Galen didn’t have to think very long. “Kiss me?”
She did—a sweet, tender kiss that made his pain seem even less important.
“Better?” she asked as she met his eyes.
He grimaced as the boat slammed into a series of waves.
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“Sorry,” Rocco called back.
“What else can I do?” she whispered.
“Stay in Lydia?”
* * *
As the boat picked up speed and sped through the night, Ruby closed her eyes as Galen spoke the question she’d feared he might ask her. She was supposed to return to the U.S. and help her parents run the stores. But with the evidence on the laptop, and the Verrettis behind bars, her parents wouldn’t need her help. In fact, if the wedding jewelry replicas continued to sell as well as the numbers she’d glimpsed on Vince’s laptop, her parents would be able to retire comfortably. Although, without the meddling Verrettis making their business the bane of their lives, her parents might find they’d enjoy running the stores again.
Either way, Ruby no longer had to fear the temptation to stay in Lydia with the man she loved. Except for the captain’s warning that if Galen became involved with her, he’d lose his job.
She nuzzled close to him so he could hear her clearly over the roar of the powerful boat motor.
“What about your job? Captain Selini said—”
“Selini said that if I kept the crown jewels safe, I wouldn’t have to worry about my job.”
“Does that mean—” Hope rose inside her.
He turned slightly and met her eyes. “I love you, Ruby. I’ve loved you since that very first summer.”
Happiness welled up inside of her. “I’ve loved you that long, too, Galen.”
“I love you more and more every minute. Marry me?”
“You mean it?”
His eyebrows knit in the middle, the infinitely cute expression she could never resist. “I don’t have a ring like the jewelry you’re used to—”
“I don’t care. It’s just jewelry, Galen. When the Verrettis were ready to shoot us, all I could think was that none of those jewels, not even all the crown jewels together, were worth your life. I don’t want a ring, Galen.”
“You don’t?” He looked slightly concerned.
She hurried to clarify. “I want you.”
“You’ll marry me, even if it means staying in Lydia?”
“Especially if it means staying in Lydia. I love this kingdom, I love the people here. I hated leaving every summer. It almost made me scared to come back again, because I knew how much it would hurt to leave. But now I don’t have to leave to save the stores. The evidence against the Verrettis will do that. I’m free to stay.” She pulled closer to him, wanting so much to kiss him. But she had something she had to say first.
“So, you’ll marry me?” Galen’s eyes twinkled in the starlight.
“Yes.” She kissed him until the warmth in her heart had chased away the cold of the night. At the sound of helicopters above, she looked up in time to see two of the three army copters headed back to Sardis. The third, no doubt, had stayed behind to secure the scene of the wreck.
Ruby leaned back beside Galen as the copters disappeared in the direction of the city. She looked up at the sky. “Look at the stars twinkling like a billion jewels.”
“Isn’t it sad that the Verrettis hurt so many people stealing jewels, when God gives us the stars for free?” Galen mused beside her.
“It’s so sad,” Ruby agreed. “I love jewelry, but not even Stasi’s designs can compare with God’s handiwork.”
“You’ve got that right.” Galen cupped her cheek in his hand, gazing into her eyes and smiling. “You’re more precious to God than all the stars, more precious than all the jewelry in the world. I love you.”
Ruby snuggled close to Galen until the twinkling lights of Sardis spread before them like gems in a city of gold. The marina stretched out its fingers to welcome them home, and Ruby sat up straighter when she saw figures approaching down the dock.
“Stasi?” Ruby gasped when she saw her friend, her bridesmaid’s gown half covered by Kirk’s tuxedo jacket, concern on her face as she watched the approaching boat.
“Ruby? Are you okay?” the princess called out.
“We’re fine. What are you doing out here?”
“What am I doing? You guys recovered the crown jewels, you were nearly shot and drowned and—and something about a boat crash—”
Kirk chuckled and pulled his fiancée into a hug. “We talked to your brothers, Galen. They said you were quite the hero.”
Distracted, Ruby almost didn’t recognize the third figure until he stooped to grab the line Rocco tossed him, pulling the boat closer to shore.
“Good work, Harris.” Captain Selini seemed to bow as he bent to tie the boat securely to the pier. “All the crown jewels have been accounted for.”
“You’ve already gone through them?” Ruby felt amazed.
“They came in on the helicopter. I went through them myself.” Stasi beamed. “They’re all there—not one of them is missing.”
“I’m afraid I wrecked the boat,” Galen confessed, easing to stand up as Ruby helped him.
“From what the soldiers have told me, the Verrettis did that.” Captain Selini extended a hand and helped them step ashore. “The stolen jewels have been accounted for. You saved everything, including the reputation of the royal guard—and my job.”
Ruby’s heart swelled with pride.
“Sir.” Galen spoke in a steady voice. “You were worried about the royal guard getting a reputation. I might be making matters worse.” He turned from his superior officer and smiled at Ruby.
“Yes, that.” The captain cleared his throat. “I’ve been chatting with Her Royal Highness while we waited for you to arrive. She confessed to an attempt at matchmaking.”
Stasi giggled behind him. “Four years, you guys. It’s taken me four years trying to get you two together.”
“You what?” Ruby took a step back and nearly fell in the water, but Galen had a tight hold on her arm and saved her. “Matchmaking? On purpose? Why?”
“Because I saw the way you looked at each other.” Stasi grinned. “And because I figured, if you and Galen got together, even after we graduated and I moved back to Lydia, I wouldn’t have to say goodbye to my best friend.” Stasi reached out to hug her.
“I’m soaking wet.” Ruby shook her head.
Stasi looked down at her impeccable gown. “Fine, then. Hug Galen. He’s already wet.”
But Galen looked at his captain. “With your permission, sir.”
“The princess outranks me. She gave the order.”
Galen pulled Ruby into his arms and the captain continued. “And she insists I need to promote you. I told her it might be awkward if you rank above your brothers.”
“It might be awkward.” Galen grinned. “But I think I could get used to it.”
And then, to Ruby’s joy, he didn’t just hug her. He kissed her tenderly—and she happily kissed him back.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Lone Star Protector by Lenora Worth.
Dear Reader,
The decrees of the Lord...are more precious than gold.
—Psalm 19:9, 10
The crown jewels of Lydia are precious and infinitely valuable, but Galen Harris believes that a single Ruby is infinitely more valuable. Where does he get this wild notion? Isaiah chapter 40 tells us just how precious we are in God’s sight.
God calls forth the stars by name. Though there are billions of stars in the heavens, God knows not one of them is missing. Though nations rise and fall, and generations come and go, God’s love for His people never fails. In His unfathomable love, He considers us far more precious than the stars, more beloved than all the jewels of the earth.
Do you believe God loves you this much? He does. Hold tight to God’s love and let Him keep track of everything else. He holds the stars in their places. When God is the guardian o
f our lives, we find every detail is accounted for. Not one of them is missing.
I hope you enjoyed this story of love and suspense. The royal guards of Lydia have more adventures awaiting them. And as you may have guessed, the Lydian kingdom has a history rich with love and adventure. For more information on my other books set in Lydia, visit my website at www.rachellemccalla.com.
Blessings,
Rachelle
Questions for Discussion
Galen doesn’t hesitate to leave his post to save Ruby from her attacker, though his captain reprimands him for his decision. What do you think Galen should have done? Do you think Captain Selini was being unreasonable?
Ruby loves the kingdom of Lydia and finds it difficult to leave at the end of every summer. Leaving Galen is doubly hard. Do you agree with her initial plan to avoid him in order to prevent the pain of being separated from him again? Have you ever avoided someone or something you enjoyed so that you wouldn’t feel the loss later?
The betrayals of the former head of the royal guard have tarnished the guards’ reputation. Galen wants to put things right, but many obstacles block his efforts. How do you react to the hurdles between you and your goals? How does Galen respond?
Tate Jewelry has been having difficulties. Ruby feels it’s her duty to return to the United States to save her parents’ business, even though she longs to stay in Lydia. Do you agree with Ruby’s sense of obligation? What parts of your life do you stick to out of a sense of duty? Where does your heart call you to be? How can we know God’s plans?
Galen’s older brothers have always given him a hard time and he feels like he’ll never measure up to them. As you get to know his brothers, what do you learn about their relationship? Was Galen’s assessment accurate? How do his brothers really feel about Galen? Why do you think they treat him the way they do?
Do the Harris brothers’ interactions remind you of any relationships in your life? Do you treat anyone the way Galen’s brothers treat him? What things can you do or say to improve your relationships with those close to you?
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