by Susan Meier
He buttoned his jeans, telling himself to leave his other clothes for later. But at the door he took a breath and turned to face her.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore, Lucy. It’s tearing me apart. I can’t be tempted day after day and not expect to succumb like I did last night. But if this goes on, I’m going to end up falling in love with you, and if I fall in love with you, there’s no one to protect Owen.”
“Seth, that’s not…”
“I mean it! Owen is the most important responsibility I’ve ever had. I will not blow this one! I cannot be involved with you. In fact, I want you to start thinking about Owen. If you and I don’t have a relationship, where do you want him raised, really? Here in Porter or on Xavier Island.”
She opened her mouth to answer, but Seth stopped her. “Don’t say a word right now. Just think about it. Really think about it.”
With that, he left the room. Though he had told Lucy he would see to breakfast, he walked into the spare bedroom he was using, dressed and went to work. It was Saturday, but he finally understood that only keeping his distance from Lucy would save him.
That evening, Seth heard his doorbell ring. He had called his housekeeper, Belle, that morning and told her to come back to work, if only to make sure there was another person in the house to keep him and Lucy apart. He knew Belle would answer the door, but he needed a break from his work. He rose from the seat behind his desk in the den and started up the hall. Before he reached the end of the corridor, though, Belle appeared at the front door.
With her pink maid’s uniform hugging her generous body and her red hair pulled into a bun, she looked the picture of an unflappable domestic. When she opened the door two men stepped inside without being invited, she jumped back with a gasp.
“Who the heck are you?” she asked, but Seth knew who they were. He’d even met them before because at one time each had been assigned to guard Lucy.
After a quick visual inspection of Seth’s foyer, they stepped away from the door and a tall, dark-haired man who looked to be in his midforties entered. Wearing an overcoat atop a navy blue suit, white shirt and tie, he could have been an American businessman, but since so few businessmen had bodyguards who checked the house they were about to enter, Seth knew he was looking at Lucy’s dad—King Alfredo of Xavier Island.
The big man faced Seth, smiled and shook his head. “So, you’ve stolen my daughter again.”
Feeling more like a highwayman or a pirate than the man who had been seduced by King Alfredo’s daughter the night before, Seth said, “No one steals Lucy.”
“No one tells Lucy what to do, that’s for sure,” the king agreed, handing his overcoat to one of his bodyguards. “Can I see my daughter?”
Seth nodded. “Belle, show King Alfredo and his bodyguards into the living room.”
With eyes as wide as dinner plates, Belle faced Seth. “This is Princess Lucy’s father?”
“Yeah, Belle, and in his country servants don’t talk, so just skip on into the living room with him and get him some coffee or something.”
“Brandy would be better,” the king said with another smile, good-naturedly accepting that he wasn’t in Xavier anymore.
Seth felt himself relax a little, but he wasn’t foolish enough to relax completely, no matter how polite King Alfredo was. From the way this man had ruined Seth’s life, Seth had expected to meet a guy with two horns, a tail and a pitchfork. At the very least, he thought the king would have a moustache that would give him a dark, sinister appearance. Instead, the king looked more like someone who should be posing for GQ or maybe modeling for Armani.
“I’ll get Lucy.”
Seth turned and began walking up the steps as Belle led the king and company through the dining room into the living room. Seth realized belatedly that he should have told Belle to guide the king to the living room through the corridors and not drag him through the dining room, but this was America. And protocol wasn’t on his or Belle’s daily agenda.
Reaching the master bedroom, he drew a quick breath, then opened the door. Lucy sat on the rocker, feeding Owen his last bottle before bed.
She smiled. Though he’d told her that morning that they couldn’t have a relationship, from the expression on her face, it was clear she thought he’d come into the master bedroom because he wanted to sleep with her again. The hopeful look in her eyes nearly did him in.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Seth said, then sat on the bed. “Look, I’m not sure if this is good news or bad news, but King Dad is in my living room.”
He watched Lucy’s hopeful look crumble.
Seth became instantly alert. “Are you afraid of him?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Hey, Luce, this is me. If I find out you’re afraid of your dad and you didn’t tell me, there will be hell to pay.”
“No.” She smiled. “I’m not afraid. I guess I was hoping the legislative session would last a while longer. Don’t read into my expressions, Seth. My dad is a good man. And in spite of his faults, I love him. I’m just not quite ready for him yet.”
“Well, I can probably give you another minute to get ready, then you’ve got to come downstairs. The king and I don’t exactly have a lot to talk about.”
Lucy shook her head. “Not true. You have Owen.”
“Yeah. I have Owen for another…maybe…two hours before your dad spirits him away in a private plane.” At which point Seth would call Pete Hauser and tell him to file for custody and the fight would begin.
“Then, perhaps you’d like to hold him while I speak with my father alone.”
Seth shook his head. “No way in hell! We’re going in together.”
“With Owen?”
“I can’t think of a more perfect buffer.”
Lucy laughed and Seth took Owen from her hands. “Are you going to change?”
She glanced at her own blue jeans and T-shirt and shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Linking her arm through Seth’s, Lucy walked along with him to the door, which she opened. In only a few seconds, she was standing on the threshold of the living room, looking at her dad.
“Daddy?” she said and he turned to face her.
“Lucy!” The king’s long strides ate up the space of the living room and he grabbed her and hugged her.
Seth stood off to the side, holding Owen. He didn’t have to wonder why King Alfredo had used all the power at his disposal to get his daughter back when she’d married Seth. He loved her. The warmth of his affection shone through his eyes as he hugged her fiercely.
But Seth also didn’t have to wonder why Lucy had run home when her father beckoned. Her love was every bit as clear as she hugged her dad. The way she called him Daddy—not Your Majesty, not Father, not even Dad—said more than Lucy could ever put into words.
“And this must be Owen,” King Alfredo said, stepping away from his daughter, though he didn’t totally release her. Again, Seth saw the significance of the body language. He had no intention of letting Lucy go.
But Lucy also did not release her father. With one arm slid casually around his waist, she watched as the king took Owen from Seth’s arms.
“Oh, my,” he said, and tears filled his eyes. “Oh, Lucy.”
“Isn’t he wonderful, Dad?”
“He’s—” the king blinked back tears “—he’s perfect.”
His feelings a jumble, Seth took a step back. He’d expected Lucy’s dad to have horns, a tail and a pitchfork. He thought for sure he’d see a surge of anger from Lucy. Instead, he was witnessing a loving reunion.
And something became patently clear. Lucy couldn’t choose Seth over everything else. Not merely because she was a princess who had duties and a life beyond anything Seth could give her, but also because she loved her dad. Choosing Seth would mean living in America. Choosing Seth would mean more than giving up a throne. It would mean living away from her dad.
He drew a quick breath. The king glance
d at him. “My sources tell me you actually delivered this child.”
“I called for help. No one came.”
The king laughed. “No need to be defensive. I was complimenting you.”
Seth relaxed, but he said, “I think I’ll go check on Belle.”
“No need,” King Alfredo said. “At the last second, I declined the brandy.”
Seth said, “Okay.”
“But I do have a favor to ask.”
Not knowing what else to say, Seth said, “What?”
“I would like to spend the night here so I can catch up with Lucy and visit with Owen.”
“I don’t have any bodyguards.”
“There have been bodyguards watching your house since Lucy moved in. But to accommodate my presence, Jason,” the king said, nodding at the older of the two men he’d brought inside with him, “has also arranged six men on your property.”
“Oh, my neighbors are going to have a field day with this.”
“Your neighbors won’t know,” Jason quietly assured Seth.
Not able to argue that, and not really wanting to hear details, Seth nodded. “Great.”
“So, how about if we all sit down,” King Alfredo suggested.
“That sounds great, Dad, but it’s Owen’s bedtime. Give me a few minutes to put him down for the night and I’ll be back.”
King Alfredo handed his grandson to his daughter. “That’s fine. I think Seth and I should take a minute to get to know each other anyway.”
Lucy cuddled Owen to her. “Okay,” she said and walked out of the room.
King Alfredo motioned for Seth to take a seat on his own sofa and Seth’s nerves began to pop. Only a man accustomed to being the leader of the pack would ask a man to sit in his own home.
“How long does it usually take for Lucy to put Owen to bed?” the king asked without preamble.
“Since he’s already been bathed and fed, not long,” Seth said, ungodly grateful for that.
“Then I’ll get right to the point. You know, of course, that Owen must be raised in Xavier.”
“Actually, I don’t know anything of the sort. My lawyer feels he can be ‘raised’ anywhere. He also has a right to renounce his throne.”
“To do what? Live in America? You Americans astound me with your arrogance. Not everyone wants to live here, and a king certainly wouldn’t give up his throne to run a construction company.”
Seth knew he shouldn’t have been surprised by how much the king knew about him, but the casual reference to his private life did hit a nerve. He suspected the king had intended that.
“Make no mistake, Seth. If you fight me,” King Alfredo said, “I will win. It would be a waste of time to file for custody. In fact, I had my barristers run through several scenarios of how this would probably turn out if our mutual legal actions were handled by American courts.”
The king faced Jason and Jason pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket.
“After running through all the possible ways this case could go, my barristers decided that Xavier Island’s claim to Owen would undoubtedly take precedence. However, we also believe a judge would give you very lenient visitation rights.”
Seth stared at the man. “How many scenarios did you run?”
Jason said, “Forty-one. Including one where Lucy died and one where Lucy stayed married to you.”
“Stayed married to me?”
The king smiled wryly. “You know that you’re still married.”
Seth nodded. “Yeah, I knew. I just didn’t think you knew I knew.”
“Even when Lucy is off Xavier Island, I know exactly what’s going on in her life. An hour after Owen was born, I knew. If I hadn’t believed the media would follow me if I left Xavier Island during the legislative session I would have been here the day after Owen’s birth and Lucy and Owen would be in Xavier with me right now.”
Seth sat back on the couch.
“But that’s beside the point,” the king said. “What is on point, however, is that should you choose to stay married to my daughter, this,” he said, handing the envelope to Seth, “is off the table.”
Seth looked up at the king.
“It’s an agreement between you and the monarchy of Xavier Island. Your son is our next king. We want him in our country. All the same, we recognize you have rights, so this agreement gives them to you.”
Seth looked at the envelope and laughed. “Don’t tell me you’ve drawn up a document that gives me every other Christmas and two other holidays to be named at a later date,” he said, making fun, because he was sure the king wasn’t anywhere near that generous.
The king smiled. “Actually, Seth, we’re giving you the entire school year until Owen is ten.”
Seth gasped. “What?”
“Our research has shown that in America, most of a child’s life revolves around going to school. You probably want your son to play…” He faced Jason. “What’s it called?”
“Little League,” Jason supplied.
“Yes,” King Alfredo said, facing Seth again. “You probably want Owen to play Little League.”
Stunned to his socks, Seth swallowed. “Yes, I do.”
“So, this agreement has Owen living with his mother on Xavier Island most of his first four years. You will have four two-week visits with him in that time. Then the balance shifts. He comes to live with you so you can enroll him in a preschool, and we get Owen through his summer vacation and for all royal affairs that he is required to attend. Until he’s ten. When he’s ten, we will negotiate again. In fact, if the deal works well, I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t extend it through high school. Even college. As long as Owen’s life here doesn’t interfere with the things he must do for our country, you could have your son most of his life.”
Astounded, Seth stared at King Alfredo. When he spoke, it was cautiously. “This is very generous.”
The king smiled. “Yes, it is. But think it through. Owen living away from the palace isn’t unusual. Most royal children go away to boarding school. That would even be the story the Xavier monarchy would release to the press. We could have a private school confirm that Owen is a student there if only to assure that no one looks for him. In fact, it’s the perfect way to protect him. We’d sort of be hiding him here with you.”
Seth stared at the papers in his hand for several minutes before he said, “The catch, though, is that I have to give up Lucy.”
King Alfredo smiled as if he had expected Seth to figure that out. “Yes, you do.”
“Why?”
“Because if she stays here with you, none of our stories will work. Owen will get no privacy. You will get no privacy. The bodyguards stationed in your yard right now will be small potatoes to what you will need.”
He stared at the king, then said, “So, this is about our privacy.”
“And Owen’s safety.”
Seth nodded his agreement, but he wasn’t a complete idiot, either. He hated the way the king seemed to hold all the cards. Particularly since he knew King Alfredo wasn’t being totally honest. “And it’s also about keeping a commoner out of your palace.”
The king had the good graces not to deny it. “You wouldn’t like it there, anyway.”
Chapter Eleven
Seth waited until he was sure everyone was asleep, then he sneaked out of his bedroom, down the hall and directly into the arms of a bodyguard who suddenly appeared at the top of the steps.
“Excuse me, sir.”
“You’re excused,” Seth said and tried to get around the man who had to be six foot four, probably two hundred and fifty pounds. When his beefy hand pressed against Seth’s chest, Seth also knew the guy was as strong as a bull. If he pressed any harder, Seth would be on the floor.
“I think you misunderstood. I apologize for not being clearer,” he said with the kind of sincerity that Seth knew wasn’t faked. This guy knew how to handle the people he protected. “Now that we’re locked down, no one is permitted to leave the house
.”
Seth gaped at him. “Are you telling me I can’t leave my own home?”
“For the safety of King Alfredo…”
“Stand aside. Now,” Seth said, no longer caring if anybody woke up. “This is Porter, Arkansas. Half the time I don’t lock my door. You let me go or tomorrow I’ll file charges.”
“We’ve already checked in with law enforcement, Mr. Bryant. They were alerted that you accepted us in your house and on your property. You wouldn’t make any charges stick.”
“I’m on my way to see my lawyer,” Seth said patiently.
“And you may certainly do that tomorrow morning…”
“I can’t wait until tomorrow morning!”
“Then maybe you could use the phone,” the bodyguard said, simultaneously apologetic and firm.
Seth stared at him and suddenly realized he wasn’t going anywhere. He also knew that this was exactly why he had to sign that agreement. Right now, he was only being held prisoner in his house. In the middle of the night. When no one should want to go out, anyway. But Owen would spend his entire life like this. Answering to bodyguards who had been given orders by a king.
He took a breath. “Fine. I’ll call my lawyer. If you’ll let me downstairs.”
The bodyguard stepped aside. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Right. Sorry,” Seth mumbled, jogging down the steps. In his office, he dialed Pete Hauser’s number and waited through four rings before his attorney picked up.
“I woke you, didn’t I?”
Seth heard Pete’s deep breath that told him his lawyer needed to revive himself and get his bearings. “Yeah, Seth, you woke me but, you know what? I’m getting used to this.”
“I’m going to e-mail you an agreement and I want you to find the loophole. I know there’s a loophole,” he said, hearing the desperation in his voice and knowing it was from his conflicted feelings about signing. Technically, the agreement only gave him the rights he and Ty had been angling for since the princess had arrived and given birth to his son on his sofa. Yet, now that he and Lucy had spent time together, taking Owen from her didn’t seem right. But he also couldn’t think of a compromise. Even if they split custody right down the middle, Owen would live six months of every year in a hell of sorts. Lucy herself had said that in the magazine interview Pete Hauser had given Seth to read.
