Page 75 of The Heart of the King

Epilogue

As David’s breath played with the hair next to her cheek, Jazz closed her eyes and leaned her head to the side slightly so her temple rested against his chin.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered. “And I love that you redyed your hair to the way it was before.”

She smiled. “The pink didn’t seem to fit for today, and it was starting to fade, so we redid it.”

“I love the blue and green.”

“As much as I like changing it up, I think I’ll leave it like this for a while.” She leaned back and looked up at him, feeling a twinkle in her eyes. “I got some news today that means I need to be more careful doing it.”

He looked puzzled. “What’s that?”

Before she could answer, the song came to an end. Polite applause sounded around the ballroom.

He kissed the back of her hand. “I think it’s time for the father-daughter dance, but I want an answer to that question later.”

Jazz nodded and turned to her father. She would definitely tell him later.

The strains ofButterfly Kissesstarted to play. It was a bit cliché, but Jazz didn’t care. Her father had danced to the same song with her sisters. It was tradition.

“You look happy,” her father told her.

“I am, Daddy.” She smiled up at him. “I understand why you and Mom were concerned about me and about David, but he’s not that guy anymore. He loves me.”

“I know. Anyone could see that as he watched us walking up the aisle. At least one of those photos is going to go viral.” He grinned. “I never thought a kid of mine would go viral.”

She laughed. “Only because I married a famous guy.”

Her father sobered. “You married a king.”

“No. I married a guy I liked. He just happened to be a prince with a father about to relinquish his throne. I would have fallen in love with him if he was a regular Joe and not a prince-turned-king.” She looked to the other side of the dance floor where David danced with her mother.

Her family was all there, including Tessa as her matron of honor.

None of David’s family had been in attendance - except Gabe and Esme. And Hazel, of course.

They were her permanent legal guardians.

But both of David’s parents and his grandfather were all in prison. Once the diary Hazel’s mother kept had been found, there was enough information that, when combined with the evidence against the yacht captain, his grandfather had been arrested.

His grandmother now lived in seclusion while the divorce proceedings were ongoing and chose not to come.

“I always knew you were a princess.” Her father kissed her forehead as the song came to a close. “I had no idea one day you’d be a queen. I love you, punkin.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I love you, too, Daddy. I wish you could have been there the first time.”

Over time, she and David both remembered more about the night they got married. Notes in the diary of Hazel’s mother had helped. She’d been there that night, hoping to compromise David since his father was about to be convicted.

She’d run out of funds saved over the years and needed a new source of “income.”

Instead, David had asked Jazz to pretend to be his girlfriend.

One thing led to another.

The next thing they remembered, they were waking up together.

The rest of the evening was spent dancing and eating and cutting the cake and everything else that went along with a royal wedding.

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