by Leanne Banks
“Fine with me,” he said reluctantly, and realized his one-day stay had just been extended.
* * *
Three days later, after several tours of the island, Max was escorted to the office of Crown Prince Stefan Devereaux. Now, pacing the office as he waited for his half brother, Prince Stefan, he felt the hard gaze of the palace security tracking every move he made. If the Devereauxes were so insistent that he join them, then why did they look at him as if he were a potential assassin?
One moment later, a man stepped inside the room. “His Royal Highness, Prince Stefan,” the man announced.
A dark-haired man wearing a black suit strode toward him and nodded. “Maxwell Carter?”
Max nodded. “Yes. Max. And what shall I call you? Your highness or Prince Stefan?”
Prince Stefan lifted his left eyebrow. “Stefan will do.”
Max nodded again. “Stefan it is.”
Stefan waved his hand to a chair facing the desk and then sank into the large chair behind the desk. “I appreciate that you have made an effort to come to Coco Jordan’s wedding. Coco has made a huge effort to meet us...and now to meet you.”
Max shrugged, uncomfortable with Stefan’s gratitude. He’d expected the man to be more cold and pompous. “I haven’t met any members of the family before now.”
“You will before and after the ceremony,” Stefan promised, glancing at his watch. “In fact, the girls should be stopping by any minute. My sisters have been fussing over Coco for the last few days. I’m sure you’re curious to meet her.”
“I suppose,” Max said. “I have no idea what kind of person she is even though we share the same blood.”
“Well, she’s delightful,” Stefan said. “Kind and compassionate. The kind of woman you would want as a sister.”
“I’m impressed that you can say that after you have four sisters.”
Stefan laughed. “Good point. My sisters do their best to keep me in line.”
“And you?” Max asked.
“I do my best to keep them out of the equation,” Stefan said. “I’m told you’ve had a chance to tour the island?”
Max nodded. “I have,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place, and because of my profession I notice the infrastructure. Most of the roads and bridges are in good condition except the north end of the island.”
“I was going to ask you about that,” Stefan said. “One of my brothers-in-law has expressed an interest in building a green retreat with an emphasis on the nature areas on that part of the island, but he and I agree that the roads currently can’t sustain the possibility. We’d like to improve the roads, but keep the costs down.”
“Isn’t this something your government would pursue? I wouldn’t have expected a royal to have interest in roads.”
Stefan gave a shark-like smile. “Then you wouldn’t be familiar with the current generation of Devereauxes. All of us are interested about improving our country and the life of our citizens.”
“Unlike previous generations?” he asked, thinking of his biological father, who, from everything he’d read, was a shameless playboy.
Stefan’s facial expression closed. “Every generation has their emphasis. We can either be inspired by what they did or didn’t do or spend our lives complaining about it. I sense that you’re a man of action rather than the kind to sit around grumbling. Perhaps we have that in common.”
A knock sounded on the door and Stefan’s assistant opened it. Three women stepped inside the room. Two of them were very pregnant. The one who was not pregnant stepped toward him. “Oh, you must be Maxwell Carter. We’re so thrilled you could make it for Coco’s wedding. She’ll be so excited.”
“This is my sister Bridget,” Stefan said. “She loves to create surprises for family members.”
One of the pregnant women with wild hair laughed lightly and extended her hand. “Very true. I’m Phillipa and very pleased to meet you. Thank you for coming.”
Stefan slid his arm around the back of the other very pregnant woman. “This is my wife. Princess Eve.”
Not exactly sure how to address the roomful of royals, Max nodded. “Your highnesses,” he said.
Eve extended her hand. “Titles are unnecessary,” she said with a hint of a twang that made Max recall she was from the States. “As everyone has said, we’re just very pleased that you were able to come.”
He found it odd how protective the Devereauxes were of their father’s illegitimate child, Coco. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you haven’t known Coco very long. It’s surprising how attached you seem to be to her,” he said.
Eve smiled gently. “Ah, well, you’ll understand when you meet her. She is such a kind soul.”
“Wouldn’t take advantage of anyone,” Bridget added.
“Very sweet and so alone in the world since her mother died,” Phillipa said.
“Except now she has her husband and his daughter,” Bridget pointed out.
“Family means so much to her, and she really had none,” Eve said. “We couldn’t resist her after we met her.”
“We don’t have much time,” Bridget said. “Apologies, but we do have a plan for when we’d like to introduce you at the reception. We’ll have you sit in the back of the chapel so you won’t miss the wedding.”
“Because every man loves a wedding,” Stefan muttered dryly.
Both Bridget and Phillipa scowled at their brother, and at that moment, Max felt a strange kinship with Stefan.
Stefan shrugged. “What? It’s not as if a wedding is like a soccer match.”
* * *
An hour later, Max sat in the back of the chapel feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He watched as his full-blooded sister met her groom and both of them pronounced their vows. The Devereaux sisters crowded around the couple, and Max felt a strange twist in his chest. His sister’s voice touched something deep inside him. The Devereauxes were kinder than he’d expected. Why had the royals decided Coco belonged to him? Why had Coco pursued both the Devereauxes and him?
Max watched as the groom kissed his so-called sister and felt another bizarre clench in his gut. Why did this sight affect him? Why did he care?
After the couple kissed, Max was led to a reception in the ballroom. Then Bridget offered him a drink. “I hope whiskey is okay,” she said. “I never know what you Yanks want.”
Max downed the drink. “Whiskey’s fine. What’s the plan?”
“Just tell Coco how glad you are to meet her and how special she is. If you knew her, it wouldn’t be difficult,” she said.
“As you wish, your highness,” he said and put his empty glass on a tray.
“You’re missing out,” Bridget said. “But you’ll have to learn that on your own. Come along.”
She led him to the bride and groom. He stared into his sister’s face. He kept trying to tell himself that Coco wasn’t his real sister, but he felt a sense of connection with her.
She stared at him. “You’re my brother, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and you’re my sister. Maxwell Carter at your service, your highness,” he said in a wry voice.
She laughed out loud. “Yes, just as you are a prince, your highness.”
“Not me,” he said, shaking his head, feeling regret steep through him. “I wish I’d known you before.”
He saw the same wisp of loss he felt slide through her. “You know me now and I’ll be your pain in the butt sister for the rest of your life.”
“Why do I feel like I won the genetic lottery?” Max asked.
Her groom, Benjamin, stepped forward. “Because you did, in every way.” And then he took Coco’s mouth in a kiss.
* * *
Arriving back for a holiday visit in Northern Virginia, at her mother’s home, Sophie braced herself for her mother’
s usual inquisition. This time, however, her mother seemed to have given up on nagging Sophie to get married. Her mother was far more relaxed than Sophie could remember. As a single parent, Katherine Taylor had spent most of Sophie’s growing-up years in fear of losing her job and subsequently being unable to care for Sophie. It had taken years for Katherine to trust Sophie to be able to take care of herself, but now it appeared her mother believed.
Sophie did her best to push Max and his situation from her mind. She needed some downtime. Even with the rush of decorating and baking, she found herself easing into a routine and taunting herself with advertisements for dogs.
After roaming the globe with Max for years, she wondered if she was ready for a different job. Although being away from Max was less exciting, she found herself much more calm and at peace. Maybe it was time to find a place of her own where she could stay for more than a few weeks at a time. The possibility was seductive, but something kept her from calling the engineering firm that employed her.
On New Year’s Day, she began composing a list of resolutions. The first was that she was going to start having a life, wherever she lived. As she recalled her list, her cell phone rang and she saw the caller ID. Max. Her stomach danced with stupid anticipation. She pressed the answer button. “Yes, Sophie.”
“Okay, I met my sister. She was nice. You were right. But I ended up staying a lot longer than one day. This Prince Stefan guy is a shark. That said, he needs a road fixed. Our company loves the idea of fixing the roads of an exotic island country, so we have our new assignment. I want you to come to Chantaine.”
“What? I thought I was going to get some vacation time,” she said.
“I’ll give you some time off when you’re here in Chantaine. You’ll like it here,” he said.
Sophie sighed, wondering if this was when she should finally say no to Max. It had been a fun ride traveling to exotic places to work with him, but she was longing for a home of her own. She was tired of feeling unsettled. “When would you need me?” she asked.
“Yesterday. Sophie, come on. You know what a great team we are. We always get the job done ahead of time and under budget when we’re working together. There’s no one I can count on the same way I can count on you.”
Sophie took a deep breath and said what she always said to Max. “Okay.” But this was going to be the last time. Really.
* * *
Two days later, Sophie gaped out the window of the jet as it neared the island. She couldn’t believe how beautiful the island of Chantaine was. White sandy beach on one side, rocky mountains on the other with azure ocean surrounding it all. Australia had been amazing. She’d been lucky enough to steal a long weekend over to New Zealand and absorb the lush gorgeousness of that island. But this, she thought, this was incredible. Paradise. She couldn’t wait to see it on the ground. Within moments, the plane landed. She grabbed her carry-on from the overhead compartment and waited her turn to exit the plane.
Her checked luggage arrived without a hitch. Nice change, given how many times the airlines had lost it in the past. She walked outside the terminal to what felt like a perfect combination of temperature and humidity and thought she would never want to leave this place.
A Mercedes slid in front of her. The driver and Max exited at the same time. “Miss,” the driver said.
“Sophie,” Max said. “We’ve got work to do.”
“I expected that. But you mentioned vacation days.”
“You’ll get a break. Just not right away.”
“Great,” she muttered under her breath. After the long flight, she didn’t have the energy to put up a fight.
The driver relieved her of her luggage and opened the car door for her. Sophie was grateful for the consideration. “Thank you,” she said, climbing into the car.
“The island is so beautiful,” she said to Max as he followed her.
“Yes, but the north side is a mess. That’s where we’ll be working. Unstable roads. Rock slides. Not acceptable. Far too dangerous. Stefan thinks one of his brother-in-laws will want to build a resort there, but the roads will have to be improved.”
“Will they need a bridge?” she asked.
“I think we can just build up the road. It’s tricky because it’s hard to get materials the second you want them.”
“Which will drive you crazy,” she said. “Since you consider patience a vice.”
Max shrugged. “You know me,” he said while lowering his window so that the breeze flowed through the backseat. “My impatience is my strength and weakness. I try to direct it toward my strength as much as possible.”
Sophie nodded. “What do you think of your new relatives?”
He moved his head from side to side. “An interesting crew.”
“I’m surprised you agreed to direct this road construction for them,” she said.
“Why not? Plus, if I do this, I won’t feel obligated to do anything else.”
Surprised, she threw a questioning glance at him. “Obligated?” she echoed.
“It’s a weird situation,” he said. “I’m related to them, but I don’t feel like I am. I wouldn’t feel right just doing nothing.”
“Hmm,” she said. “So this is a guilt job?”
He shrugged. “An obligatory job,” he said. “And the good thing is that the company will pay for it.”
Sophie took a deep breath. “You mentioned that Prince Stefan is a shark. You sure sound like one at the moment.”
“I haven’t figured them out. Stefan has royal manners, but underneath, he can be a hard case. He married an American and she’s about to give birth. Come to think of it, she’s Texan and so are two of the sisters’ husbands. He seems to truly love his wife. The same for the other couples I met.”
“You sound astonished,” she said.
“I’m not used to it. My parents spent most of their time fighting when my dad was home. He spent most of the time on the road.”
Sophie studied him for a long moment. Although Max had alluded to the fact that his parents hadn’t shared a great relationship, he’d never come right out and said it until now. It was eye-opening.
“You know, some people actually do fall in love, get married and stay in love,” she said.
“Sounds like a fairy tale to me,” he said, staring out the window as the car rode past one of the most spectacular beaches Sophie had ever seen.
“I knew you were cynical about romance, but—”
“It’s not cynical,” he said. “It’s realistic. The reason men and women marry is for sex. Then children. Men want children for progeny’s sake. Ego. The focus temporarily turns to children. Then men need to feel young again and sex is key. Even with the help from the blue pill.”
She slid him a sideways glance. “Blue pill. What do you know about that?”
He chuckled. “I don’t need it yet.”
“You and I have never really discussed your attitude toward marriage. You’ve given little clues, but I’ve never heard your complete scientific view.”
“Scientific?” he echoed.
“You’re an engineer. It’s coming through in your opinion.”
“It’s not just an opinion,” he said. “It’s based on observation and scientific research,” he said.
“Uh-huh, then how do you explain the way Prince Stefan acts toward his wife?”
“It won’t last. They’re in the progeny stage.”
Sophie’s heart sank. After all these years, she was beginning to believe that there was no hope for Max. He truly didn’t believe in love.
Chapter Two
One jam-packed week later, Sophie felt a terrible dip in her stomach as she lifted her gaze to look at Max. “What do you mean? The Devereaux women want to meet me? Why?”
“The Devereaux women got cur
ious when I told them about you. The only way to satisfy their interest is for you to meet them,” Max told her almost apologetically as he looked around the working trailer.
Sophie narrowed her eyes. “What did you tell them about me?”
He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just that you’re the best assistant ever. And brilliant.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nothing you would ever say to my face, of course.”
“That’s not true. I told you that you were my best assistant ever.”
“Hmm,” she said. “When is this meeting supposed to take place?”
“Tomorrow,” he said.
Sophie thought about her hair and her wardrobe. She scowled. “How am I supposed to get ready for a meeting with royals in twenty-four hours?”
“It’s not a big deal. Just tea,” he said.
“Tea?” she repeatd. “Do you know what that involves?”
He shrugged. “It can’t be that much of a big deal,” he said.
“Did you promise that I would attend?”
Max almost squirmed. And he never squirmed. “Sure,” he said. “They were pressing and I thought you would like the break.”
“Break?” she said. “Do you really think meeting royalty for tea would be a break?”
“Well, it’s not like keeping the workers in line—”
Sophie lifted her hand to cut him off and shook her head. “Forget it,” she said. “I’m leaving for the day.”
“Now?” he asked, clearly surprised.
“Yes, now,” she said. “I’m meeting royalty tomorrow and I have nothing to wear.”
“But I wanted you to recheck the stats on—”
She shook her head. “Not happening today,” she said as she shut down her laptop. “See you the day after tomorrow.”
Sophie knew she wasn’t just frustrated about meeting the Deveraux family at short notice. She was also crazy out of her head that Max still didn’t see her as a woman, even in such a beautiful and romantic setting. During the last month, she had worked her butt off over twelve hours a day, side by side with Max, but he still hadn’t seemed to notice her.
