Her Cowboy Prince
Page 33
“I understand,” he answered.
Silence crept through the room again as everyone shared glances. Mark looked at Kris as they both seemed to realize that Kris had no power to deny Tommy’s claim. His brother was the next in line. The crown was his to take.
Every one of Kris’s injuries seemed to intensify in protest.
“I’ll help you,” Ava said softly. “Facing crowds as royalty can be like wearing a mask. Perhaps hiding behind a persona could help your anxiety.”
Tommy nodded.
“Anything you need,” Frankie said, “and security has got your back.”
“We can attend events together,” Mark said, “so that you become less of a novelty in public. Cause less fuss.”
“Okay.” Tommy was starting to sound breathless.
Philip spoke next. “It would be sensible to approach this with the same arrangement we had with Kristof. While he is recovering, you can take on most of the king’s duties. Markus will still cover some so as not to raise suspicion. Markus, you’re going to need a haircut. We will not inform anyone outside of this room except for the inner circle of the royal guard. If you find the daily interactions and public appearances too overwhelming, we will proceed with our plan for Kristof to ascend as king.”
This time Tommy swallowed hard before saying, “Okay.”
Then everyone looked at Kris.
“Tom,” he said, and his brother’s name came out strangled. “I’ll be okay.”
“The problem is, Kris, if I don’t at least try to do this,” Tommy said, forehead gleaming in sweat, “I won’t be.”
And that was it.
Every possible argument faded, because all he wanted was for his brother to be okay.
“Alright,” he said in defeat.
Frankie laced her fingers through his on the covers and he clamped down tightly.
“In that case . . .” Philip looked dazed. “. . . your first appearance will be to launch the new mental health program the day after tomorrow.”
Tommy hesitated for a beat. “Okay.”
“Shall we go discuss the details?”
Tommy inclined his head and, with a backward glance at Kris, followed the advisor from the room.
“This isn’t happening.” Kris laid a hand over his eyes.
“We’ll be right here with him.” Mark crossed the room, and when Kris looked up again, his brother was standing by his bedside, withdrawing a rectangular object from the back waistband of his jeans, covered in navy-blue velvet. He winked as he tucked it into Kris’s hand. “Now take your mind off it.”
Frankie stared at the box in Kris’s hands.
It was too big for a ring—but something about Mark’s knowing smile and the look of adoration Kris slid her betrayed she wasn’t necessarily in the clear. Her suspicion spiked when Ava hustled Mark and Darius from the bedroom as if Frankie and Kris needed privacy.
When the door closed, Frankie tugged her hand from his and crossed her arms. “What’s that?”
“It’s for you.”
Her stomach bundled up into a nerve cluster. “Why does it look like a jewelry box?”
“Hey,” he said with a grin. “Give a man a minute.”
“Don’t,” she said, but hardly knew why. She wanted this—whatever it was. “Go on.”
“Frankie.” He paused, and the amusement faded from his wild blue eyes. “I’m sorry for hurting you the other night.”
She nodded, gaze darting to the box. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay. Look at me.”
Complying, she found his expression serious, his gaze sincere.
“I don’t know how to be in love with you,” he said. “It’s so early. I’m blinded by it. I don’t know how to fight it yet. I’m like—” He broke off, eyes scanning the bed as if the right description was hiding in the sheets. “Like a werewolf turned for the first time. The full moon is so bright, my senses are flooded by it. My sense is flooded. I love you. I want to keep you safe and that’s such a big feeling, it overwhelms me. I don’t know how to temper it or control it. And so, I ended up saying something stupid and doing something even stupider.”
“No kidding.” But she uncrossed her arms.
“I never want to hurt you again,” he said. “Never want to speak to you like that, because I can’t forget the fear I put in your eyes when I threatened to order you to do something against your will.”
“That was a bit shit,” she admitted, lowering her head. “But it’s not just you.”
Neither of them knew how to navigate this bright, overwhelming world of fierce feelings.
“I don’t know how to accept feeling protected,” she said. Heat rushed to her face and she doubted she’d ever get used to speaking intimately, but she’d flush and shrivel and do it anyway—for him. “Before you, no one had ever wanted to protect me. Accepting it makes me feel . . . vulnerable. Like I’m handing over control. Every time you’ve tried to do it, I’ve knocked you back, telling myself that it was because you were my prince and that your life was more valuable than mine.”
Kris jerked a little at her words, and then lifted a hand to his ribs with a wince.
“But I didn’t stay in Sage Haven because I was motivated by loyalty to the crown. I stayed because I’d fallen for you, and if anything happened to you, I honestly didn’t think I could survive.”
The pain cleared off his face as that won her a one-sided smile.
“I’ve always been driven by the urge to protect you, Kris. Every step I’ve taken, every decision I’ve made. I’d do anything for you. I swore on my life for you.”
“Frankie,” he said, and took her hand. “It’s my turn to take an oath.”
Her breath stilled.
“Ready?” His smile was nervous.
Her heartbeat was loud in her ears as she nodded.
“I, Royal Highness Prince Kristof Lucas Jaroka, do swear that I will faithfully obey and bear true devotion to my best friend, lover, and wife, Francesca Grace Cowan; that I will protect and defend her against all enemies; that I will honor, support and encourage her every day of our shared lives; and that with my life and my death, my body, heart and soul will remain only hers, forever.”
Frankie didn’t bother to wipe the tears from her face.
“You said wife,” she said, her voice breaking.
“I said wife.” And he let go of her hand to offer her the velvet-covered box.
Trembling, she opened the case.
A tiara. Not dainty or diamond-encrusted, but made bold and strong with her old brass knuckles fixed at the center. They’d been bent to curve with the tiara’s base, the rings slimmed down and reshaped into ovals with an intricate filigree. Simple curls of brass had been added at the peak and tapered into a small pattern around the circular band, disguising the shape of the knuckles.
“Kris,” she breathed. The entire piece was home to a cache of lustrous emeralds.
“I had it made by the royal jeweler,” he said, reaching in and picking it up. “I wanted the green to match your eyes.”
She didn’t take it from him; wasn’t sure she could. “Those emeralds must be worth a fortune.”
“They are,” he agreed, darting a sparkling glance at her. “And that’s your future with me, Frankie. The life we’ll live together. But we’re not going to forget the life you’ve already lived. If the crown demands that we erase your past—then we’ll display that past in the middle of your goddamn crown.”
“Tiara,” she corrected faintly.
Her breath felt heavy, so full of hope.
“No.” He gestured to the band. “Tiaras are semicircle. This goes all the way around. I was very specific about my symbolism.”
Shakily, she touched it with the tip of her index finger.
“Frankie. I want to spend my life with you. Raise a family with you. Will you do me the honor of wearing this crown?” She scarcely saw his bruised, battered face for the love shining in his eyes. “Will you be my best frie
nd, my lover, and my wife?”
And she said, “Yes.”
Grinning so hard she vaguely worried he’d split open his lip, he set it gently on her head. It settled with appropriate weight for all it signified, a concealed weapon adorned in jewels.
She was his best friend, lover, and wife.
His princess and protector.
“You’re worth everything to me,” he said, and when she kissed him, she finally believed that was true.
Please Leave a Review
Cowboy Princes is my first self-published series. I’d love for it to do well—and a big factor in a book’s success is online reviews.
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If you enjoyed Kris and Frankie’s story, I would be so grateful if you could review it on your preferred ebook retailer, Goodreads, BookBub, or even on your social media.
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Thank you for reading!
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Madeline Ash xx
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Acknowledgments
I’m guilty of living in my own head much of the time. My characters feel like real people—and I’m constantly checking in on them. This results in half-present conversations, dinner table brainstorming, and middle-of-the-night notebook writing, but my partner Dom never complains, and for that I’ll be forever thankful.
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Thank you to my writing group, Louise, Janis and Sandy for your monthly critiques. Mum and Grace for your considered feedback. Special thanks to Shelagh Merlin for beta reading.
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Lauren Clarke and Anna Bishop, thank you for your world class edits.
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To the Madeline Ash Sweeties, my advance review team. Thank you for investing your time in my writing by reading and reviewing.
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And to my readers, old and new, thank you for following this unlikely tale of three cowboy princes.
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One more to go . . .
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xx
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About Madeline Ash
Madeline Ash is an Australian contemporary romance author and two-time RITA Award finalist. She has won Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year award (RUBY). She delves deep into the hearts and minds of her characters, creating flawed and compassionate leads—who are always rewarded with a happy ending.
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madelineash.net