Once Upon a Royal Christmas

by Robin Bielman

  Chapter Six

  Rowan’s fever lasted twenty-four more hours, which meant she spent Sunday cooped up at home rather than painting. Losing the entire weekend put her way behind schedule, which was why she stood in the main hallway of the pediatric wing of Marietta Regional Hospital at eight o’clock at night, bone tired from working on the mural all day, but determined to get a little more done before she left.

  She’d promised to have it finished by the fifteenth—three days from now—and she never broke a promise. Not that she was worried. But she wanted it to be perfect and that meant leaving time to take a step back and give her imagination a rest, then returning to look at the mural from a distance to keep in touch with the bigger picture. This helped her to see if anything looked wonky.

  Arms at her side, a drop cloth under her feet, a sponge in her hand, she let out a deep breath. It’s almost there.

  Deer in ballet slippers, dogs decked out in football jerseys, horses wearing cowboy hats, and happy little children all danced across the wall. A sun wore a mustache. Clouds shaped like airplanes dotted a royal-blue sky.

  The goal was to boost the spirits of the young patients in the twelve-bed unit and to put a smile on their faces. Rowan had been beyond pleased when her drawing was approved and the hospital administrators had been eager for her to start.

  And despite the long day, she’d loved every minute of it. Painting, sponging, and stippling brought out a special energy inside her. She lost herself in the whimsy of her creation and forgot about everything else on her mind. Her hours at the hospital were an escape. Not very many people knew about the project. She’d asked to keep it quiet. This mural was as much a gift to herself as it was to the hospital and the children.

  “Thought you might need this,” someone with a deep voice said to her left.

  She turned to find an attractive man maybe a few years older than her handing her a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. He’d been here as long as she had today, nodding or giving a small smile to her when he walked by. Rowan guessed he had a child in one of the rooms, and her heart hurt for him.

  “Thank you.” She took the offered drink. “It has been a long day.” For both of us.

  “This looks amazing,” the man said, his attention moving to the mural.

  “Think it’s lively and uplifting enough to entice kids out of bed?” Rowan hoped beyond hope that she’d succeeded in that. Hospitals were miserable, sterile, scary, and devoid of color. But not this unit. Not anymore.

  “Absolutely. I think it will definitely perk up even the most sullen or grumpy child.”

  Was his son or daughter feeling like that? She wanted to ask about his situation, but stopped herself. Sometimes just a simple conversation with a stranger was what a person needed.

  “That’s our hope.”

  “Hope no more. You’ve succeeded.”

  Rowan smiled. His compliment landed in the back of her throat and it took her a minute to respond. “Thanks. The children who saw it today did seem pleased, but once I’m finished and get this mess cleaned up, that will be the true test.”

  He cast his nice, but worried dark eyes back on her. God, she could only imagine how painful it must be to have a child sick or seriously injured. “You’re very talented…”

  “Rowan,” she supplied to his trailing off.

  “Rowan. I don’t think you need to worry. Besides, kids aren’t too critical, especially in a place like this.”

  “Sometimes it’s the little things, right?” She took a sip of her coffee. She very much appreciated his small gesture.

  “Exactly.” He glanced back at the mural. “Nice choice in animals. My daughter loves horses.”

  They stood side by side and stared at the wall in silence until Rowan said, “What’s your daughter’s name?”

  “Annabelle.”

  “I’ll keep Annabelle in my thoughts.”

  “I’d appreciate that. Goodnight.” He walked away with his shoulders slightly hunched and his gait heavy, as if exhaustion lived in his bones.

  Rowan closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer for him and his daughter. Then she gave thanks to the blessings in her life, including a prince named Theo.

  *

  How many dog walkers did it take to walk four dogs and a goat? More than one, Rowan thought to herself while being pulled in different directions the next morning. Seriously, what had made her think adding Pepper to the mix was a good idea? The goat was sweet as could be, but had no idea how to stay in the group. Worse, whenever Oliver got the chance, he tried to get frisky with Pepper… and that was a sight Ro wished could be bleached from her memory.

  If she made it through this walk without her arms being pulled out of their sockets, she’d count it as a win. “Sit,” she commanded, a little out of breath. The dogs sat. The goat twirled in a circle.

  Rowan cracked up.

  Which the dogs decided meant, “stand up” because they got to their feet and started down the shoveled sidewalk again.

  Pepper looked a little dizzy and actually walked in the opposite direction. This only made Rowan laugh harder. She got tangled in the long leashes and her grip started to slip on the three leashes in her right hand when the sexy voice from her dreams last night said, “Looks like you could use some help.”

  Her eyes caught on twin shades of tropical blue that never failed to quicken her pulse. “No. I’m good!” she said in between chuckles. “I’ve got this totally under control.”

  “Is that…a goat?” Theo asked with surprise and confusion.

  “You say that like you’ve never seen one before.” Rowan struggled a bit with the leashes but since Theo’s arrival, the dogs had stopped pulling and chosen to sniff and lick his hands as he pulled off his gloves to pet them.

  “Not on a leash.”

  “Count that as another Marietta first.”

  “I will.”

  Intrigued by the handsome stranger who had the dogs strangely calmer, Pepper nudged her shoulders between Oliver and Twist to see what the fuss was about.

  What the heck? His Royal Highness hadn’t demonstrated any of these dog whisperer skills the first time they’d met. Rowan’s jaw dropped as Theo bent over to rub the top of the dogs’ heads, and they sat there perfectly behaved like he was the master of the universe.

  “I’ve never petted a goat before. What’s his name?”

  “Her name is Pepper.”

  “Hello, Pepper.” He scratched the top of Pepper’s head.

  “What’s with the mad animal skills all of a sudden?” Rowan asked as she took advantage of Theo’s calming effect on her charges and organized their leashes.

  Theo straightened and his grin showed off very nice teeth that gleamed whiter than the snow around them. “It’s called dog treats.” He slipped his hand in the front pocket of his pants and pulled out a handful of the soft beef jerky treats dogs loved. “I thought I’d be better prepared today.”

  How was it the man could look so polished and sophisticated one minute and boy-next-door adorable the next? Both were undeniably sexy and made it difficult to look at him sometimes.

  “Good thinking,” she said.

  “It’s a known fact I’m not all good looks.”

  She rolled her eyes and handed him two leashes. “Well, Smarty McFarly, I guess you can make yourself useful then.” In her head, it wasn’t leashes she handed him, but her clothes as she suggested much better ways to use him. And let him use her.

  Her brain needed a serious time out.

  Or maybe she needed to jump back in the saddle and give the dating thing another try. All her ex’s had been good at using her.

  Then deciding she was too smart, too pretty, too creative, or too family oriented for them to deal with. She wasn’t sure what that said about the guys she’d been with, so until she figured it out, she’d been on a boy break.

  Men suck.

  Besides, her job and reputation needed all her attention right now.

  “Every one of
them?” Theo asked from beside her, the dogs and Pepper walking almost in straight lines in front of them.

  Crap. She’d said that out loud. “No, not all of them.”

  “Phew. I thought I was going to have to slay a few dragons for you while I was here.”

  “I’m no damsel in distress, Your Highness. I can take care of myself.”

  The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, chasing away the frigid morning air and raising the temperature a couple of degrees. Or maybe it was a hint of anger brewing under her skin. She didn’t need a man. She wanted one.

  “I’ve no doubt of that, but sometimes a prince likes to toss out a quip in hopes of making someone smile. Especially when he’s not around other royals who would find his overused joke stupid rather than amusing.”

  Rowan bumped him with her shoulder. “You amuse me very much, Prince Theodore.”

  Theo laughed. “Touché, Miss Palotay.”

  “Are you still up for some adventure today?” She planned to take Theo for the pizza she’d promised and show him some of Marietta before heading back to the hospital to work on the mural tonight.

  “I’m counting on it,” he said, sounding eager, before they fell into comfortable silence.

  It wasn’t until after Theo crossed the street back to the Bramble House and Rowan had gotten her four-legged friends to their homes that she realized the prince had sought her out this morning for no other reason than to be in her company.

  She wished that didn’t make everything inside her go haywire.

  *

  Theo pulled out Rowan’s chair before taking the seat across from her at the small back table in the Italian restaurant. She smelled like cinnamon and citrus and he’d never inhaled anything so…sexy. She unraveled the scarf from around her neck, unzipped her jacket, and hung both over the back of her chair. Her ivory wrap cardigan had a deep V neckline. Her hair fell in big waves around her shoulders and down her back. He followed suit and removed his jacket. It was that or lean over the table and run his tongue over her neck to see how her smooth skin tasted.

  Their eyes met over their menus and stayed fixed like they so often did. Something was most definitely going on between them. She felt the sparks like he did, but they both knew they shouldn’t—couldn’t—do anything about it.

  “Put your menu down. I’m ordering for us,” she said. Her voice was a killer combination of rock star and pin-up girl, and it was getting harder and harder for him to ignore the way it made him want to throw caution aside and use their mouths for things other than talking.

  He obliged her request and looked around the pizza parlor. Marietta had a charm he hadn’t counted on liking so much. Down to earth mixed with country and classic styles that could make even the most diehard city slicker feel at ease. Theo did miss the sleek, modern comforts of home, but this town—he glanced at Rowan—and the people in it, made him forget about being homesick.

  When their pizza arrived, Rowan placed a slice on each of their plates. “Ready to be blown away?” she asked.

  Her enthusiasm had him willing to like the pizza no matter what. “What am I looking at here?” He picked up his piece and blew on it.

  “Uh…” Her focus dipped to his mouth before she gave a small shake of her head and studied her own piece. “This is the sweet potato, bacon, and maple chipotle pizza. I know it might sound weird, but wait until you taste it. It’s my favorite pizza ever.”

  He was always game for anything, so took a big bite. Rowan watched him, waited. “Well?”

  “It’s good. Really good.” He took another bite.

  She wriggled her shoulders in satisfaction, then dove into her slice, finishing it quickly before grabbing another piece.

  “If you could only have one food with you on a deserted island, what would it be?” Rowan asked, licking some cheese off her finger.

  His gaze zeroed in on her mouth, he shifted in his seat. “That’s easy. Stocafi.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s cod fish cooked in a special tomato sauce and very popular where I’m from. What about you?”

  “Hmm. That’s not so easy for me.” She put her food down and leaned back in her chair. “I think I’ll go with Eggos.”

  “And those are?”

  “You’ve never had an Eggo? It’s only the best frozen waffle ever. I’ll make them for you one morning.” He raised his eyebrows. “Or evening,” she quickly amended. “They’re good any time of day. If you had to choose to live without one of your senses, which one would you give up?”

  Theo wiped his mouth with his napkin and relaxed in his seat. He’d play this game all day with Rowan if it gave him the opportunity to ask her the question in return. She was no doubt tucking away everything he told her. But so was he.

  “Hearing.”

  “Me, too. If you could bring one fictional character to life, who would it be?”

  “Are we talking books or film?”

  “Either.”

  “Harry Dresden.”

  “No way! You’ve read the Dresden Files books? Harry is who I would pick, too.” She bit the corner of her mouth. “We’re two for two. Okay, time travel to the future or the past?”

  Theo bit back a smile. He felt like a teenager, talking like this. It was refreshing. Hot. Rowan’s curiosity was genuine. The conversations they shared were unlike any others he’d had with women. “The past.”

  “Seriously?” She huffed. “I have never gone three for three with someone before.” She fiddled with the straw in her water glass. “Last one. Explore outer space or the deep sea?”

  That she’d played this game with others shouldn’t bother him, but it did. He studied her. His answer didn’t matter as much to him now as hers did. Given they were in Montana, he took her for a girl who gazed at stars. He loved the ocean. Did he give an honest answer and break their streak or go for gold?

  “The deep sea.”

  “I thought you’d say that.”

  “And you’re an outer space girl.”

  “The sky’s the limit, right?”

  “Kiss and tell or never be kissed,” the waitress said as she refilled their water glasses. She put her palm to her mouth, then pulled it away and blew him a kiss before she strode out of eyesight.

  Rowan chuckled. “I’m surprised she was the first one to do something like that. Every female in here has had her eyes on you.”

  He hadn’t noticed. He only had eyes for Rowan. “Should we give them something to talk about?”

  Her normally expressive face went blank. “No. We shouldn’t,” she said determinedly, and he had a feeling he’d hit an uncomfortable chord with her.

  “I was teasing.” Not really.

  “I know. But…”

  “But what?”

  “I’m your reporter and that means behaving with the highest integrity,” she said, voice lowered. She took a sip of her water. Despite her wise statement, he found himself staring at her lips wrapped around the straw and thinking about where on his body he’d like to have that soft, full mouth.

  “You’ve done just that, no worries.”

  “Thanks. Let’s finish this pizza and get out of here.”

  They polished off lunch without further conversation, and twenty minutes later in the privacy of Rowan’s car, Theo said, “Kiss and tell.”

  “Obvs,” Rowan fired back. He was fairly certain that meant obviously.

  It also broke the tension between them and things returned to normal as she gave him a driving tour of snow-covered Marietta. She talked nonstop about the town, sharing the lowdown on landmarks, Christmas events, and where to grab the best hot chocolate. He closed his eyes. Enjoyed her prattle.

  “Montana is nicknamed Big Sky Country for its wide-open spaces,” she said. “Hey, are you listening? I’m sharing important things here.”

  He inwardly smiled before looking out the windshield. “And I’ve heard every word. Where are we headed next?” It looked like they were leaving town.


  “I thought I’d show you Miracle Lake. It’s really pretty this time of year, and we could go ice skating if you want.”

  It took Theo a moment to answer. His mom had told him about the special place Miracle Lake held in her heart. He’d planned to visit it on his own and set in motion her wish, but right now felt good, too. “I’d like that. My mom skated there as a kid and fished there with my grandfather during the summers.”

  “Did she tell you the reason for its name?”

  “She did. In fact, she had a miracle happen there.”

  Rowan glanced at him with surprise and a spark of curiosity in her eyes he’d come to take pleasure in. “Tell me.”

  “My grandfather never learned to swim, but loved being on the water. The first time he took my mom out to fish, she was six and while she knew how to swim, my grandfather told her she had to wear a life jacket. She agreed, but only if he wore one, too, something he didn’t normally do. That day, the boat tipped and they both landed in the water. If my grandfather hadn’t been wearing a life jacket, there was a good chance he would have drowned.”

  “Wow. I’ve heard about extraordinary things happening, going as far back as the 1890s, but no one remembers anything specific.”

  “Do you believe in miracles?” Theo asked.

  She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and his body tightened in response, catching him off guard. “Yes.”

  “Me, too,” he managed to say with a normal voice, his attention out the windshield. She continued to captivate him in ways that were getting harder and harder to pass over.

  There were no other cars on the road as they took their first blind curve. Rowan’s speed was on the conservative side, but she still didn’t have time to avoid the garbage can rolling toward them in the middle of the lane. It must have fallen off the pickup truck Theo saw up ahead.

  “Hold on!” She gripped the steering wheel with both hands and slammed on the brakes. The car skidded and despite her efforts, ran over the large rubber container. “Crap,” Rowan said, the trashcan staying lodged underneath their car and grinding them to a halt as she white knuckled the vehicle over to the shoulder. They stopped with an uncomfortable jolt.