Enchanting Sebastian (Big Sky Royal Book 1)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Enchanting Sebastian
Glossary
Note from the Author
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
Cunningham Falls Map
About Kristen Proby
Other Books by Kristen Proby
ENCHANTING SEBASTIAN
A Big Sky Royal Novel
Kristen Proby
Copyright © 2019 by Kristen Proby
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect are appreciated. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover Design: By Hang Le
Cover photo: Perrywinkle Photography
Published by Ampersand Publishing, Inc.
Glossary
Please know this may contain spoilers for anyone new to the series. The books each couple stars in is noted next to their description.
The King Family:
Jeff and Nancy King – Retired owners of the Lazy K Ranch. Parents of Josh and Zack King.
Josh King – Partner of Lazy K Ranch. Married to Cara Donovan. {Loving Cara}
Zack King – Partner of Lazy K Ranch. Married to Jillian Sullivan (Jillian is the sister of Ty Sullivan). Parents to Seth, Miles and Sarah. {Falling for Jillian}
Doug and Susan King – Doug is Jeff’s brother. They live mostly in Arizona, but come to Montana in the summer. Parents of Noah and Grayson.
Noah King – Owner of Wild Wings Bird Sanctuary. Married to Fallon McCarthy, a yoga instructor and owner of Asana Yoga Studio. {Soaring With Fallon}
Grayson King – Ski Instructor on Whitetail Ski Resort. Married to Autumn O’Dea, a Pop music sensation. {Hold On, A Crossover Novella by Samantha Young}
The Sullivan Family:
Ty Sullivan – Attorney. Brother of Jillian. Married to Lauren Cunningham, a bestselling author, whose great grandfather first settled Cunningham Falls. Parents to Layla. {Seducing Lauren}
The Hull Family:
Brad Hull – Chief of Police. Married to Hannah Malone, an OB/GYN. {Charming Hannah}
Jenna Hull – Owner of Snow Wolf Lodge. Married to actor and superstar, Christian Wolfe. {Kissing Jenna}
Max Hull – Self-made billionaire. Married to Willa Monroe (Sister to Jesse Anderson), owner of Dress It Up. Parents to Alex Monroe. {Waiting for Willa}
The Henderson Family:
Brooke Henderson – Owner of Brooke’s Blooms. Married to Brody Chabot, architect. {Tempting Brooke, a 1001 Dark Nights Novella}
Maisey Henderson – Owner of Cake Nation. Married to Tucker McCloud, pro football player. {Nothing Without You, A Crossover Novella by Monica Murphy}
The Royal Family:
Prince Sebastian Wakefield – The Duke of Somerset. Married to Nina Wolfe (sister to Christian). {Enchanting Sebastian}
Prince Frederick Wakefield – Brother to Sebastian. Married to Catherine. No book belongs to this couple, as they are already married when introduced.
Prince Callum – Brother to Sebastian.
Princess Eleanor – Sister to Sebastian.
Jacob Baxter – Sebastian’s best friend. Owner of Whitetail Mountain, along with several local businesses, including the restaurant Ciao. Married to Grace Douglas.
Liam Cunningham – Head of Montana security, and personal bodyguard to Sebastian. Cousin to Lauren Cunningham.
Nick Ferguson – Personal bodyguard to Nina Wolfe.
Miscellaneous and important characters:
Jesse Anderson - Former Navy deep-sea diver. Married to Tara Hunter. {Worth Fighting For, A Crossover Collection Novella by Laura Kaye}
Joslyn Meyers – Pop star. Married to Kynan McGrath. {Wicked Force, A Crossover Collection Novella by Sawyer Bennett}
Dr. Drake Merritt – Surgeon. Married to Abigail Darwin. Both characters are best friends of Hannah Malone. {Crazy Imperfect Love, A Crossover Collection Novella by K. L. Grayson}
Penelope (Penny) – Former teacher. Married to Trevor Wood, Drummer for the rock band, Adrenaline. {All Stars Fall, A Crossover Collection Novella by Rachel Van Dyken}
Aspen Calhoun – New owner of Drips & Sips.
Sam Waters – EMT.
Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in love with the royal family since I was a small girl, and I woke up in the middle of the night to watch Princess Diana marry Prince Charles with my mother. Everything about that wedding enthralled me, and I can honestly say, I’ve never missed a televised royal wedding since that day.
I’ve wanted to write a royal book for a long time, but it always seemed intimidating to me. And then Prince Sebastian took up residence in my head, and he just would not shut up.
Bringing royals to Big Sky was a great joy for me. Sebastian and Nina’s story is, of course, a work of fiction. I took many liberties with the royal family, so much so that what I’ve written is not at all how the real royal family works. At least, not to my knowledge.
Then again, I don’t spend any time with the monarchy.
This is one hundred percent my take on the what ifs of the royal family. Nothing more. So, sit back, put your feet up, grab yourself a snack, and let me tell you a fairy tale…
xoxo,
Kristen
Prologue
Sebastian
“RUNNING AWAY WON’T change anything.”
“I’m not running away.”
I’m running. Mum isn’t wrong. I’m a few months away from my thirty-fifth birthday, unwed, and on the precipice of having a marriage arranged for me, thanks to British law.
I’m the heir to the throne.
I need to be married by thirty-five, or a suitable wife will be found for me.
It’s bloody ridiculous.
“Sebastian, you have duties—”
“I love you, Mum. And trust me when I say, I’m well aware of my duty. It’s been drilled into me since I was in nappies. I’m not running, I’m taking a holiday.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“Sebastian.”
I turn to find my mother’s disapproving gaze on me. As the Queen,, my mother is stern, regal, and formal.
But in private, she’s kind, happy, and an amazing mum. Her four children adore her.
“Your father will be livid if you leave the country now.”
“Father is usually angry about something.”
Stiff, distant, and imposing, the king is a force to be reckoned with; it doesn’t matter whether you’re a member of state or his child.
I respect him as my king, but as a father…I barely know him.
“At
least tell me what your plans are,” Mum says, laying her hand on my arm. “Tell me you’ll be home by your birthday.”
“I will,” I assure her. “And I’ll be married.”
“Sebastian.”
“I will not have my wife chosen for me. I don’t care what the law says.”
“If you marry someone who is not a citizen—”
“I’ll have to abdicate,” I finish for her. As the eldest son of a king, I’ve been groomed to take over the throne. But I don’t want it.
I never did.
“We need to discuss this.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.” I set my bag aside and place my hands on her shoulders, smiling down at her gently. “I love you, Mum. Everything’s going to be fine, I promise.”
“Tell me where you’re going.”
“Montana.”
She gapes at me. “The United States?”
“That’s where Montana is, yes.”
“You just returned from there.”
“Several months ago,” I remind her. “I’ve always been the traveler of the family. This isn’t really that unusual for me.”
“Oh, Sebastian. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I kiss her cheek, pick up my bag, and walk out of my flat in the palace, heading down the hall in the direction of where a car is waiting to take me to my plane.
I hope I know what I’m doing, as well.
Chapter One
Nina
“I’M NEVER GETTING married.”
Silence. I’m sitting at a table with three of my closest friends, and all I get for my announcement is blank stares.
“Never say never,” Jenna says. “I didn’t think I’d get married either.”
“Same,” Willa adds and sips her coffee.
“You’ve been married twice,” I remind her.
“I’m just saying,” Willa continues, “that after my first husband was killed, I didn’t think I’d ever get married again.”
“I definitely didn’t plan to get married,” Fallon agrees. “But then I met Noah, and have you seen him?”
I sit and stare at my friends. Jenna’s married to my brother, making her my sister-in-law. And despite the fact that I initially—and erroneously—thought she wasn’t right for him, she’s the best ever. I can’t imagine our lives without her.
Willa is married to Jenna’s brother, Max.
As my yoga instructor, I see Fallon more than anyone else, and she’s quickly become one of my closest friends.
We’re just one big—very big—happy family.
“Why don’t you think you’ll get married?” Jenna asks before taking a bite of a delicious huckleberry scone. I know it’s delicious because I just devoured one myself and am thinking about going back for another.
Drips & Sips does two things very well: coffee and scones.
“It’s just a lot of pomp and circumstance for a legal contract. Also, what if it turns out he’s an asshole? Or he can’t stand me? Then we have to pay a bunch of money for a divorce. It all just sounds expensive and annoying.”
“You’re such a romantic,” Willa says with a snort.
“I’m really not,” I say, shaking my head. “I know most girls love the romance stuff. But not me.”
“You don’t like it when a man brings you flowers?” Jenna demands.
“Or surprises you with fun things?” Willa adds.
“Or, you know, has sweet, slow sex with you?” Fallon asks.
I wouldn’t know.
No one’s ever done those things for me.
And I’ve done just fine without them in my thirty-one years on this planet, thank you very much.
“It’s all a front,” I say at last. “It’s window coverings. I just want to get to the nitty-gritty and then get on with my life.”
“So not a romantic,” Willa mutters and finishes her coffee. “And that’s okay. Not everyone is. But you never know, someone might eventually come along and give you butterflies and thoughts of happily ever after.”
I cock an eyebrow. “I doubt it.”
“She’s a lost cause when it comes to love,” Jenna informs her. “But that’s okay. We’ll keep her around.”
“Thanks.” I laugh and decide to forgo the extra scone. I’ve been slacking on the exercise front and need to get myself under control. “What are you guys up to the rest of the day?”
“I open the shop in about thirty minutes,” Willa says, checking the time. “I got some fun new dresses in. You should come and check them out.”
Willa owns Dress It Up, a fantastic clothing boutique in downtown Cunningham Falls. It’s one of the best stores I’ve been in, and I’ve shopped on Rodeo Drive.
“I’ll definitely come in. What about you, Jenna?”
“I’m working, too. I have guests coming into the treehouses today, so I need to meet them. And I have another rental to schedule a cleaning for.”
“I have a class in thirty minutes,” Fallon says. “What about you, Nina? How is the new business going?”
Now butterflies do set up residence in my belly. I’ve been talking about this business for months, and I’m hopeful it’ll be off the ground by the end of October.
It’s coming up fast. We’re already into September.
“It’s going well,” I reply with a nod. If I could get my supposed partners to call me back, it would be even better. But I don’t mention that little snafu. “I’m hoping to launch around Halloween.”
“Perfect. Just in time for the holidays,” Willa says with a smile. “Keep us posted.”
“Oh, I will.”
Except, I won’t. Because I just don’t confide in people like the others do. Not because I don’t care about my friends or trust them. I’ve just learned to keep my mouth shut.
Having a super celebrity as a brother, and being his manager and publicist, will do that to a girl.
Once we each finish our coffee, the other girls leave, presumably off to get to work. I make a pit stop in the restroom, wave to the barista behind the counter, and push through the glass door.
Plowing right into a hard chest.
“Easy there.” Strong arms steady me, and I lean back to look into the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
I know exactly whom they belong to.
“You’re like running into a brick wall,” I inform Sebastian Wakefield as I step away. We’ve never formally met, but every woman in the modern world knows who Prince Sebastian is, and I’ve seen him around town before. “A very pretty brick wall.”
“Excuse me,” he says formally. “Are you all right, then?”
With a sexy accent to match his sexy face.
“I’m fine. Sorry about that.”
I turn to walk away, but he calls after me, “Wait, I think I need your name and number.”
I turn and cock an eyebrow. “Why?”
“In case I have any damages later. Trauma.” He grins, and I can see he’s teasing me. Maybe even flirting.
It’s not every day a real-life prince flirts with a girl.
“We wouldn’t want you to have any trauma,” I say and give him my sweetest smile. “That would just be horrible for you. You might need comforting.”
“My thoughts exactly.” His shoulders relax as he retrieves his phone from his pocket.
“Of course, I’d never give my number to a stranger.”
His head pops up at that, and he frowns at me. “I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s unusual for you, as a prince, to be told no. But that’s what I’m telling you.” I soften my tone with a wink. “Have a good day.”
“But how will I find you?” It sounds like something out of a chick flick. It might even be a line from one of Christian’s movies.
“It’s a small town,” I toss over my shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll run into me.”
I walk away, immediately forgetting about Prince Sebastian when my phone rings in my hand.
Finally, Safron is returning my call from L
.A.
“It’s difficult to do business with you when you don’t return my calls,” I inform her when I pick up.
“It’s been busy here.” There’s no apology in her voice. “And some things came up. To be honest, Nina, I have some bad news.”
I sit in my car and close my eyes, dreading her next words.
“What’s up?”
“Well, Amanda and I have been talking,” she begins, and I know, right here and now, that I’m about to be dumped. Over the phone. “I’ve had some personal things come up recently. I met a guy, and he’s amazing, Nina. I just don’t think I can relocate to Montana right now.”
“And Amanda?”
“Cold feet,” she says simply. “I’m sorry. Really. I wish it were different, but at least we’re letting you know now before the business launches, and you’re saddled with a bunch of clients and stuff.”
“I can’t believe this.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We already had the attorney draw up the contracts. Paperwork was done. We filed the business name with the state. Basically, we’ve put out a lot of money for nothing to happen. Actually, let me rephrase. I’ve put out a lot of money.”
“I’m sorry,” she says again. Shortly after, she hangs up.
What the hell am I going to do now?
***
I don’t mind eating alone. Actually, I don’t mind doing most things alone. But going to a restaurant, getting a table, and eating by myself is actually something I enjoy.
I can people-watch. I get some thinking done. And I enjoy my own company.
Except tonight, because I’ve spent the entire day overthinking every aspect of my life.
I’m at the Snow Ghost Lodge restaurant at a table against the window, enjoying the sunset and the view. The lodge is on Whitetail Mountain, nestled in the ski resort village. Of course, it’s September, so there’s no skiing today, but the mountain boasts plenty of summer activities, as well. Hiking, downhill biking, zip-lining. You name it.
Thankfully, the summer rush of tourists is over. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’m from southern California.
This little town of roughly seven-thousand ballooned up to almost a hundred thousand at any given time. It was insane.