Alessandra leaned her shoulder into her husband's. "That was a wonderful gift for her."
The piles of gifts were dwindling when Gideon slipped his hand over hers. "I think it's about time for our announcement, don't you?"
He stood just as she noticed Pieter getting to his feet, one hand in his hip pocket.
"Gid—"
But her husband had already begun speaking, voice booming in the high-ceilinged room. "Alessandra and I have something to tell you."
He reached for her and drew her up from the sofa. Her face began to heat with excitement and nerves, and she blurted, "We're expecting."
There was a split-second of silence and then the room erupted. She lost sight of Pieter and couldn't tell if he was disappointed—whether they'd ruined his moment again or not.
Mia was the first to descend on them, wrapping both Alessandra and Gideon in an exuberant hug, almost bouncing up and down on her toes as she held them. Penny jumped around her feet, not understanding the excitement but happy to join in the melee. Kylie was there next, with a gentler hug for Alessandra, and then Eloise approached, though Alessandra caught something fragile in her older sister's expression. Cody, Nick, and Ethan had come over to slap Gideon on the back, and Alessandra almost missed the moment when Eloise slipped from the boisterous room, but she caught a flash of her sister's gown as disappeared into the hallway.
When Cody came close to offer a brotherly hug, she whispered, "Is Eloise all right?"
"I know she's happy for you," he said. " I'll check on her. Congratulations."
He slipped away too, following his wife.
Alessandra settled back on the sofa, surrounded by her family. Things had changed so much since the lonely, distant days before she'd intruded into Gideon's life. Now she was at peace, knowing she was bringing a baby into the world to be surrounded by a family flush with love.
9
Eloise slipped down the winding stone staircase and outside to the castle's private beach. Sequestered by cliffs on two sides, backed by the castle and beach on one side, it was her favorite escape when life in the castle became too much.
As it had just moments ago.
She was so very happy for her sister. Overjoyed. That was the reason for the tears that wouldn't stem. She just hadn't wanted Alessandra to mistake her tears for anything else. Like grief.
Thus the headlong rush to the beach, without even stopping for her coat.
Last night's storm had paused overnight but now had started up again, dusting everything with a light snow. The sky was slate-gray, laden with clouds. The water was choppy—dark gray waves, some with whitecaps.
Wind whipped her hair into her eyes and chapped her skin. She really should've stopped for a coat.
And then Cody was there, appearing like an apparition through the blowing snow. He wrapped a cloak around her shoulders, enclosing her in warmth. His arms came around her next, tucking her close to the wall of his chest. He cupped the back of her head.
She pressed her face into the space between his shoulder and neck.
"Your nose is freezing." His voice was a rumble through his chest.
Other than that, he didn't say anything, just held her.
Finally, when her tears had dried, he wiped her cheeks with a handkerchief.
"I'm happy for Alessandra and Gideon," she said with a stubborn lift of her chin.
His gaze searched her face. "Okay," he said slowly. "Then why the tears?"
And everything she'd been holding inside for all these months burst from her lips. "Because I want to be expecting too!"
He looked stunned at her exclamation, surprise lifting his brows. "You do?"
They stood close enough that her cloak blew around their legs, and he shared his warmth with her.
He cupped her jaw. Obviously, he was trying to understand. "Every time I've brought up us having a baby, you've pretended you haven't heard me."
"I heard you," she said with another tilt of her chin. "And of course I think about it. Often. It's expected that the Glorvaird monarch will have at least one child."
She took an icy breath. Her lashes were clumping with snowflakes. "I'm just...frightened."
"Of what?"
It was hard to say the words while she was wrapped in his warmth, but she did, pushing them past the lump in her throat. "What if...what if my own child is frightened of my appearance?"
This time the tilt of her chin was downward. She'd grown accustomed to being the public face of the royal family, but mentioning her scars was not natural for her. Not at all.
But as usual, Cody refused to let her hide. He lifted her face to his, his thumb running over the stiff ridges of skin along her cheek and jaw.
"These scars?" he asked. "This sign of your resilience?"
She nodded, the slightly-rough skin of his palm rasping against her cheek.
He bent closer, this time placing butterfly-light kisses along the line of her scars. "These scars?" he asked again. "This sign of your courage?"
A shudder went through her, a whole-body tremble that only intensified when his kisses moved to the sensitive skin just beneath the line of her jaw.
He moved back slightly, waiting until her eyes had learned to focus again. His expression was terribly serious as he looked down on her. "I love you, Eloise. Do you trust me to tell you the truth?"
It took a massive amount of courage, but she nodded.
"When I look at you, I no longer see your scars. You are so beautiful to me."
Tears pricked her eyes once again. What a terribly romantic thing to say.
"If we are blessed with a child, or two, or ten, I expect they'll see you the very same way I do. They'll think their mother is the most beautiful woman in the world."
She sniffled valiantly.
But he wasn't done. "If, someday, our children ask about your scars, I'll tell them about the heroic, brave, resilient young woman who almost died in a horrific accident but clawed her way to survival, and then, when she had no other choice, came into her own and became a beautiful queen."
She could no longer contain her emotion, and two silent tears slipped down her cheeks.
She threw her arms around his neck, not caring that her cloak had slipped and icy air was sliding down her neck. "I love you. I love you so much!" She peppered his face with kisses. "I've no idea what I did to deserve you—probably I don't—but I'm so glad your uncle tried to steal that jeweled rose."
He chuckled, the sound a comfort to her. Her loyal, wonderful husband. Her heart was full.
"Let's get you back to the castle before you come down with pneumonia." He wrapped one arm around her waist, and she snuggled in close.
"So when should we start trying for all these ten babies?" she teased, content to lean into his strength.
He laughed. "Well, you've got a castle full of family, all in celebrating moods. Probably best to wait until tonight."
She reached up to kiss beneath his ear. "Deal."
He squeezed her waist. "Happy Christmas."
10
Pieter rushed down one of the castle's winding hallways, not paying a bit of attention to where he was going, only needing to escape.
He couldn't breathe. The two carat diamond solitaire in his pocket felt as if it were branding him through his trousers.
His best laid plans were in shambles. He'd had such good intentions...a perfect plan to propose marriage to McKenna. Then everything had gone wrong in one huge spiral. First, the castle staff had mistaken her for a common worker, then she'd been so excited to share her news of being accepting to law school. He'd known that remained her goal. Had even planned for it, asking Eloise to make him a royal ambassador to the United States, so he and McKenna could live there and she could continue her education and then practice law. It hadn't seemed right to preempt her moment of celebration with his proposal.
And then this morning, he'd been on the verge of getting on one knee, thinking that having the family together would make it a mea
ningful moment. And then Alessandra and Gideon had broken their baby news, and his moment had passed again.
Christmas Day was half over, and his chances of making the proposal perfect were rapidly disappearing.
This was a mess.
He slowed his steps and turned a corner, stopping short when he nearly ran into one of today's skeleton staff, a stout woman at least a head shorter than he.
He recognized her instantly as the head housekeeper, the woman who'd dragged McKenna into service in the kitchen last night.
She recognized him too, her eyes going wide before she dropped into a curtsy.
"Excuse me, sir." She lowered her head and attempted to pass by him.
The lighting wasn't particularly good in the stone hallway, but he could see the puffiness in her eyes and the blotchy spots of red across her face. Something was wrong.
And maybe loving McKenna had softened him. He whirled before she could go. "Wait a moment."
She paused, head and shoulders drooping even lower. "Please don't sack me, sir. I've a ten-year-old daughter at home, and I'm the only source of income for our family."
He grimaced. Perhaps he hadn't shed his old self completely if this is what the staff thought of him.
"I'm not going to sack you. I doubt the queen would allow it, it any case."
She dared to look up.
And the tiny McKenna conscience-angel on his shoulder prodded him until he asked. "I was going to ask if there was anything I could do for you. You seem...upset."
The surprise that crossed her face offended him. Really? Was his reputation so bad, even after years of proving himself? He had half a mind to stomp off, but maybe that was the kind of behavior that had gotten him the reputation in the first place.
"No, sir. There's nothing you can do. I lost my mum last Christmas, and this holiday has been a little emotional for me."
How awful. No wonder she'd been extra stressed last night. McKenna had been kind enough to help out, and her actions had been more of a blessing than she’d even known.
"I'm sorry for your loss," he said, and he meant it. "If you need to go home, I'm sure the queen will understand."
She shook her head slightly. "I asked to work today. My girl is in the kitchens. And I think the distraction might be something of a blessing. Besides, it's a short day."
He nodded. "Happy Christmas to you."
"And to you."
He started to walk off, but her next words stopped him. "Your girl is special," she said. He turned to see her earnest expression. "Last night proved it, at least to me."
"She is." She is.
He knew it. Why was he worrying so much about making the proposal perfect? What mattered to McKenna was that he loved her.
Mission fixed in his mind, he strode back the way he'd come and entered the atrium, where the family was still sitting, talking, and enjoying the holiday. Eloise and Cody rejoined the group from another doorway, clothing slightly damp but beaming.
He hardly paid them any attention as he strode straight to McKenna, where she sat on a settee. The lights from the tree were sparkling and her cheeks were slightly rosy from the champagne they’d sipped earlier after Alessandra and Gideon’s announcement. She looked up at him, her smile fading slightly, her eyes narrowing, as he paused in front of her.
He sank to one knee.
His heart thudded deeply in his ears. Even so, he heard the soft intake of her breath. One hand came up to rest over her heart.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. It sparkled in the light.
The room hushed. It was as though everybody held their breaths.
"McKenna, you are my heart. Being with you has changed me for the better, made me a better man. And I don't ever want to be without you. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"
She didn’t hesitate, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Yes!"
His eyes misted over, and he felt both their hands shaking as he slipped his family crest ring from her finger and replaced it with the engagement ring.
She waited until he'd secured the ring and then threw her arms around his neck. He wobbled on his knee, finally settling the both of them on the sofa she'd occupied. They sealed the deal with a passionate kiss, breaking off only when Gideon cleared his throat.
Pieter shot the man a look as the others interrupted his moment to offer their congratulations. Gideon only smiled back, unrepentant.
It wasn't the perfectly planned proposal he'd imagined, but the important part was that she'd said yes.
This would definitely be a Christmas to hold in their memories forever.
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Copyright © 2016 by Lacy Williams
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Cowboy Fairytales Omnibus Page 44
