The Anti-Cinderella Conquers the World

by Tawdra Kandle

  My heart was thudding painfully against my chest. Slowly, I nodded. “Thank you, Rick. I appreciate that. I’m very grateful that you’ve told me all of this now. It’s helpful.” I lifted my phone. “I’d like to call in my security officers, so that you can tell them everything you told me. Would that be all right?”

  Rick closed his eyes. “Yes. I expected this.” His eyelids opened suddenly, and he smiled at me. “But ma’am, for some reason, I feel much lighter and better now. I know I’ve done wrong. I know I was in with the wrong crowd, and I deserve to pay for that. But for the first time in months, I’m free.”

  Somehow, I knew exactly what he meant.

  “I still can’t believe that man was there, working in your office, with access to you nearly every day.” Sitting across from me at our table, Nicky glared in my general direction. “That’s just preposterous.”

  “Hey.” I lifted my hands. “Don’t blame me. I didn’t hire him. The people who did hire him vetted him, and so did the Palace security. He slipped through the cracks.” I paused. “But in the long run, he may be instrumental in helping to bring down this group once and for all. Between Gorman and Rick Lester, Scotland Yard has tons more information now than they did a month ago. They’ve warned us not to expect everything wrapped up in a perfect ribbon any time soon—but this is a start.”

  “True,” Nicky admitted. “Still, when I think about what could have happened . . .”

  “But it didn’t.” I got up and moved over to sit on his lap, winding my hands around his neck. “It didn’t happen, and here you are, and here I am . . .” I lifted his hand and flattened it against my rounded stomach. “And here is the best of both of us. If you sit quietly and still, he or she just might kick you . . .”

  Nicky smiled and leaned his forehead against mine. “It’s still fairly miraculous to me that you’re carrying a human inside of you. I’m not sure I can wrap my mind around it.”

  At that moment, that human being chose to move or kick—whatever it was at this early stage—and Nicky’s eyes went wide. “Was that really him? Her?”

  “One or the other,” I laughed. “Yes. He or she wants to remind you that there is indeed a human in here, and that human expects to be born into a family that is calm and loving—and living in its new home.” I brushed a kiss over Nicky’s lips. “That’s my subtle way of segueing into a discussion about when we’re planning to move. Right now, I’m feeling feisty and energetic, but those wiser than me have advised that I will want to be settled before I’m nine months along.”

  “I checked into it today. Renovations are moving well, and we should be set to move by late July, which will give us six weeks to be happily ensconced in our new digs before baby Kendal joins us. How does that sound?”

  I snuggled against him. “Wonderful. Absolutely brilliant.”

  “Just like your husband?” Nicky teased, his fingers moving over my ribs.

  “Exactly that,” I giggled. “Wonderful. Brilliant. Handsome. Sexy. Hot. Talented. Smart.” I peeked at him from one eye. “Strong enough to carry his preggo wife upstairs and give her hours of lovin’?”

  Nicky threw back his head. “That was a challenge, my love, and it’s one that I’m more than up to accepting.” Standing, he scooped me against his chest. “With pleasure.”

  “JUST HOW DO YOU THINK we’re going to get all of that baby stuff across the ocean to Chiswick Hall?”

  Nicky cocked an eyebrow at me, challenge and humor mixed in his eyes as he waited for me to answer his question.

  I wasn’t in any hurry to respond. The late-afternoon Florida sunshine was bathing me in warmth, while a cooler sea breeze danced off the ocean to counter the sun’s effects. Chilly ocean water rushed over our bare feet every few moments. We were wandering here on the beach, hand in hand, completely alone.

  It was perfection.

  We’d arrived in Florida five days before for our last hoorah prior to the baby’s arrival. Yesterday, my grandmother, my mother and my sisters had all thrown me a huge baby shower, and our friends and family had been extremely generous in their gifts for this yet-to-be born little one. Our nursery would be completely outfitted.

  Which brought me back to my husband’s question.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “The same way we got all of my stuff across the ocean when I moved in with you? It shouldn’t be that difficult. You’re a freakin’ prince, after all.” I waved my hand. “Summon your minions.”

  “My minions.” Nicky shook his head. “We’ve been married for over a year, and you still believe I have minions? Do you think I’m hiding them from you somewhere, Ky?”

  “You could be,” I remarked darkly. “You could be holding out on me.”

  “Never,” he vowed. “Remember? I promised to share everything with you—good, bad, sad or fun, and everything in between. I’m not hiding anything. Including minions.”

  “That’s a disappointment,” I sighed. “Well, then, I guess we’ll contact the palace staff and get them to organize this. It’s their job, after all. They don’t exist simply to make my life miserable.”

  “True,” Nicky laughed. He used the hand linked with mine to tug me forward until I fell against his body, my huge stomach coming between us. “But tell me, sweetheart. Your life isn’t miserable, is it? Not really.”

  “Not at all,” I responded, kissing his jaw. “I have everything I’ve ever dreamed of having. A home where I’m safe and warm, a family who loves me, a baby on the way . . . and the hottest, handsomest husband in the entire realm. No, wait, the entire world,” I amended quickly. “What more could a woman need?”

  “Actually, I might have an answer to that.” Turning me in his embrace, he wrapped his arms around me, linking his hands beneath my stomach as we faced his grandmother’s house. “I was thinking over past few months—about a lot of things. One was that being together on the beach—any beach—is good for us. It renews us, invigorates us . . . and we need that.”

  “So true.” I nodded. “But it won’t be so easy to whisk us off to the island when we have a baby in tow. Just thinking of that fourteen hour plane ride with an infant makes me want to cry.”

  “Exactly,” he agreed. “However, we have a beach right here. I spoke to my mother a few weeks ago. You might remember that my grandmother—her mother—left this property to my mother. I asked about the possibility of buying it from her, so that our family—you and me and whoever else comes along—would have our own place here, on this beach, for us to use whenever we like.”

  “Really?” Joy surged within me. “That’s a wonderful idea, Nicky. I love it.” I arched my neck back to kiss his cheek. “I love you.”

  “Well, that’s handy as I happen to love you beyond words.” His hands wandered up to span my stomach, and as if in response, the baby within me kicked happily. “I want us to be happy always, Ky. We started here on this beach, you and I.” He tilted my head up until his lips could reach mine. “We shared our first kiss right here in this sand.” His mouth took mine, shaping my lips until I opened for him with a small moan of pleasure. “And we made love for the first time in my room in that house.” This time when he kissed me, there was nothing but heat and need, as his hands traveled higher to cup my full breasts.

  After a moment, he spoke again, his words soft against me. “It was here that you agreed to be my wife. I want our children to play in this sand, in this water. I want them to know the freedom of running and playing here, of spending cool nights roasting marshmallows in the fire as we did when we were kids. I want them to have the security of knowing their family—both sets—lives in these two houses.”

  “Just as we did,” I murmured. In my head, visions danced of Honey holding our baby, my dad teaching a toddler to find shells, my mother playing in the surf with a small child, and my sisters with their little ones joining us in long summer days.

  It was everything I’d ever wanted. And more.

  “A full circle.” Nicky tucked a strand of my hair
back behind my ear. “From those two children, best friends, who finally shared a kiss at the end of one magical summer . . .”

  “ . . . to those same best friends, who found each other again. Who learned to love together. Who promised forever, and who will never break those vows.” I tucked my head beneath my husband’s chin.

  For a long, beautiful moment, we stood at the water’s edge, staring across the beach, lost in each other.

  “Do something for me, Nicky?” I whispered.

  “Anything,” he answered.

  “Build a sandcastle with me?” I leaned far enough away that I could see his face. “This time, we’ll build it together. No competition. No ribbons or awards. Just the two of us, making it perfectly ours.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “Only you would find a way to bring that up again. Only you, my Ky.” He released me and began pulling me up toward the dryer sand. “All right, then. Let’s do it.”

  As the sun set on a perfect day in an imperfect world, two people who had found love with each other, who had hurt and lost and yet somehow loved even stronger now, sat in the warm, soft sand and began to build the next part of their dream come true.

  Together . . . always.

  And they lived happily ever after.

  It is with great pleasure that the Duke and Duchess of Kendal announce that they have welcomed their first child, a daughter, this morning at 08:32. The birth took place at the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital, London. The Duke was at the side of the Duchess throughout the labor and birth of their child, who weighed eight pounds, ten ounces.

  The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Westhampton and members of the Duncan family, have all been informed and are delighted by the news.

  The Duchess and the baby are both in good health.

  And three days later . . .

  The Duke and Duchess of Kendal are pleased to announce the name of their daughter: Alice Elizabeth Calla Mountbatten-Windsor.

  The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met the new baby this morning, and this afternoon, Princesses Alexandra and Daisy were introduced to their niece. The Duchess expects the arrival of her family within the next week, as well.

  The Duke and Duchess thank the public for their love and shared joy in this special time.

  MY FINGERS WERE SHAKING AS I dialed the phone. My body ached all over, and my eyes were gritty from tears. My apartment, the tiny space I always kept neat and clean and in order, was in shambles, with piles of clothes on the floor, dishes in the sink and broken glass in more than one spot.

  I couldn’t think about that right now.

  I wondered if she’d answer the call. I’d been a shitty friend for the last year; there was no doubt about that. She’d reached out to me in the aftermath of that horrible bombing that had nearly killed her beloved husband, and I’d done nothing. She’d called me to share her baby news before the rest of the world knew, and I hadn’t responded. I’d even ignored the invitation to the huge baby shower her family had thrown her in July.

  If she ignored my call or hung up on me, I’d deserve it. God knew I did. I deserved every terrible, crappy thing that had happened to me in the past months.

  But she was the only one I could call now . . . the only one I could trust to help me.

  After two rings, I heard a click and a soft voice spoke.

  “Hello?”

  “Kyra?” The tears I’d been holding back burst forth, and I spoke on the wave of a sob. “It’s Shelby. I need you.”

  A Dozen Dreams, Shelby’s story, will be coming in 2020! Stay tuned for this and other books in the Anti-Cinderella Chronicles: Sort of Sleeping Beauty (Alexandra’s story) and Slightly Snow White (Daisy’s story).

  The Anti-Cinderella Conquers the World Play List

  Give Me Love—Ed Sheeran

  Friday I’m in Love—The Cure

  Lady Like—Ingrid Andress

  Dive—Ed Sheeran

  Never Tear Us Apart—INXS

  Love My Way—The Psychadelic Furs

  I Don’t Care—Ed Sheeran with Justin Bierber

  And so we’ve come to the end of Kyra and Nicky’s story. Or have we? I think we’ve left them in a good place . . . for now. But we’ll certainly see more of this couple in all of the other installments of The Anti-Cinderella Chronicles.

  As I finished this book, I was in Maine to celebrate my daughter Cate’s graduation from Unity College. We were so impressed by her time here, at what is known as America’s Environmental College, and certainly, the school has given me inspiration and information for Nicky and Kyra’s story, informing their joint passion for nature, for sustainable food sourcing and for the building of new communities.

  Thank you to Jasper, whose human Isabella lived next door to Cate during her years at Unity. Jasper sat on my lap and may even have typed a few words here and there as he lent his feline wisdom to this story. Any mistakes, of course, are only my own, as we all know that cats don’t make errors.

  Speaking of mistakes . . . I did take some liberties with geography in this book. In Wales, the Prince of Wales’ home is actually not so convenient to Monmouthshire, but we needed a safe place for Kyra and Nicky, so we shall pretend that it is.

  Thank you as well to Meg Murrey for the third amazing cover in this series, and to Stacey Blake for the interior design. You ladies are so talented and wonderful. Much appreciation.

  And thank you to my Temptresses for their unflagging support and love.

  In case you’re wondering, there will be some spin-off books in The Anti-Cinderella Chronicles. Daisy will have her own book (Slightly Snow White), as will Alex (Sort of Sleeping Beauty), even though we already know she’s found her happy ending. Kyra’s friend Shelby will also have her own book (A Dozen Dreams).

  And my short story Hot Off The Press, which is currently available only in the anthology It Was Always You, will be expanded and re-released very shortly, so you’ll have more details about Sophie and Garrett, who are mentioned in this book, too.

  If you’ve enjoyed this book, please consider joining my private reader group The Temptresses and/or subscribing to my newsletter. Both are wonderful ways to keep in touch.

  Until next time . . .

  Notes on Royalty, Titles and Sustainability

  Despite the fact that the press (and others) continue to refer to the late Princess of Wales as Princess Diana, this is not correct. As Kyra points out, only a woman born into the title can be styled as a princess, even though the occupation of a woman who married a prince of the realm would be listed as princess.

  George V, grandfather of the current Queen, issued a Letters Patent in 1917, decreeing that the children of the reigning monarch would be styled as Royal Highnesses (Princes and Princesses) as would the children of the sons of the reigning monarch and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.

  Whew!

  However, in 2012, Her Majesty issued a new Letters Patent that decreed that all of the children of Prince William would be styled as HRH. That’s why Prince William’s three children are all princes and princesses.

  We have also seen in the last century and this one that the preferences and wishes of the individual family members influence titles and stylings, too. For instance, Prince Andrew’s daughters are both styled as princesses. Both are Royal Highnesses. But Prince Edward’s two children are not. While both Andrew and Edward are sons of a reigning monarch, Prince Edward and his wife preferred that their children not bear royal titles.

  On another topic altogether, all of the books in The Anti-Cinderella Chronicles include references to agricultural and food sourcing sustainability. This is a subject dear to my heart, as you might have guessed. While my family has always tried to be responsible when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint, littering and making good choices about recycling, what we’ve learned in the past five years has made us much more intentional about doing everything we can to help save our world.

  This
is something about which I’ll happily step onto my soapbox. Please, if you haven’t already, educate yourself about the effect of plastic bags, plastic straws and other disposable items that end up in landfills and oceans. Consider using fabric bags when you can, invest in reusable straws (or skip a straw altogether!) and do whatever you can to protect our fragile planet.

  There are so many small steps each of us can make that could drastically change the future of our earth. Thank you for being part of the solution!

  Photo by Heather Batchelder

  Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books include new adult and adult contemporary romance; under the pen name Tamara Kendall, she writes paranormal romance, and under the pen name Tessa Kent, she writes erotic romance. Tawdra lives in central Florida with her husband, two sweet pupss and too many cats. Assorted grown children and a perfect granddaughter live nearby. And yeah, she rocks purple hair.