Page 11 of Royal Games (The Royals of Monterra)

But she’d stuck to her totally unreasonable goal. Given my aunt’s tough, no-nonsense personality, it would probably surprise most of the town if they ever discovered what a romantic she was, and how much she lived for romantic movies, shows, and books. She was certain that I would find my true love and future husband onMarry Me. Which was silly because no one on those shows actually ended up married. But to humor her, I sent in a video of myself. I had zero expectation of getting chosen and had honestly forgotten all about it.

Nobody was more surprised than me when the show called to say that they were considering me. They flew me out to California to audition, which was my first time on a plane. I went through so many different rounds, and at each stage of the interview process I expected to be sent home.

I had met some of the other possible candidates, and I was nothing like any of them. I didn’t belong. I didn’t wear makeup, and every woman there looked like she’d just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine.

Then they chose me. Me. Genesis Kelley from Iowa. I was sure I’d just be filler, one of those girls who would show up in the beginning and get sent home the first night.

And while I expected that outcome, it surprised me to discover that I didn’t want to be sent home. I had sought comfort in routine and familiarity, but when I went to California, my life back home suddenly felt stifling. Too predictable. I wanted something more. An exciting once-in-a-lifetime experience I would never forget.

Part of it might have been deliberate. I’d spent so much time hiding, so this was like some kind of delayed adolescent rebellion. I’d put myself out there in the most public way possible, like I was daring John-Paul to do something about it. That false bravado didn’t last long.

The show gave us hair and makeup artists for the night, and I spent more time than I’d like to admit getting beautified. The wardrobe stylist pulled a dark green dress for me that was floor length. It had princess cap sleeves and sparkles all over the skirt. I wanted to ask where they’d found a dress so long (I’d never actually been able to find a skirt or a dress that went all the way to the floor), but I didn’t get a chance before they zipped me in and stuffed me in a limo.

I waited in a long line behind other limos and watched from a distance as one girl after another climbed out, walked up the driveway of the famousMarry Memansion, and met the suitor.

As I got closer, I realized that he was easily the most handsome man I’d ever seen. He was so exotic looking. My stomach started doing queasy flips.

It was almost my turn. I saw the girl in front of me get out of her limo. She was wearing jeans and a baseball jersey. His whole face lit up when he saw her, and even though I couldn’t really see her expression, her body language said that she was just as excited to meet him. I knew then and there that she was the girl who would win. She walked away, and he watched her go all the way up to the house.

What possible chance did I have after that? It was a little like having to go on stage after the headlining act has finished for the night. Nobody was there to see me.

But turning around and going back to the hotel was not an option.

So I took a deep breath, pasted on a smile, and got out of the car.

Chapter 4

I did not trip over my skirt or slip in the ridiculous shoes, and I was pleased to see that he was several inches taller than me, despite the heels. He was even better looking up close.

He reached out his right hand. “Hello, I’m Dante.”

“I’m Genesis.” I nearly glanced at the camera crew standing to one side. Was I supposed to say my last name? I couldn’t remember.

I took his hand and felt ... nothing. I had hoped there would be more of a chemical thing between us, but nothing happened. Objectively he was handsome, but I wasn’t feeling any kind of spark. I hoped my disappointment didn’t show on my face.

“Genesis, it is an honor to meet you.”

“You too. Thanks for having me.”

He raised one eyebrow, and I realized how that might have sounded. A warm flush spread through my cheeks. “I mean, you’re nothavinghaving me. You know, like physically or anything. Not that I was thinking that you were thinking that, I’m not trying to put words in your mouth. Or thoughts in your head. I just realized how it sounded and I ...” I trailed off, looking at the cameras. I couldn’t help it.

I swung my gaze back to him. I sighed. There was no way out of the hole I’d just dug for myself. “Never mind. I talk a lot when I get nervous. And this is definitely nerve-racking.”

His eyes twinkled at me, and I could tell he was fighting off a smile. “Don’t worry. I understand completely. I hope we’ll have a chance to talk later.”

Thankful that he’d given me an out, I walked to the house as quickly as I could. Part of me wanted to run into a corner and hide, but just inside the house I found the girl who had gone before me. That was when I met Lemon. I introduced myself and told her that I had seen the chemistry between her and Dante, though she brushed that off. That seemed strange to me. Any other girl probably would have been thrilled to talk about how the man they were here to marry liked them right away.

We socialized, met some of the other girls, and bonded over the insanity of our situation and the fact that so many of the other contestants were out of their minds. Every time I thought we had reached the bottom of their crazy, we discovered their crazy underground garage.

Their consumption of all the available alcohol did not help.

Being in full possession of all my mental faculties was apparently going to be another strike against me. I wasn’t in the mood to be judged or to fight my way through the crowd in an attempt to get close to him.

I accepted my fate of being sent home that night, and I decided to explore the estate so that I could give Aunt Sylvia a full report. It seemed so much smaller in person than it appeared on television. None of the crew followed me, apparently deciding, as Dante had, that I wasn’t worth investing any time in. I went out the front door, making my way carefully over the cobblestone driveway. I walked toward the north side of the house, and I thought I detected the homey smell of hay and horses.

I missed my horse Marigold so much it hurt. She was a lovely chestnut American Saddlebred who was entirely too vain and lazy to be of much use around the farm. But I had adored her. I had helped deliver her ten years ago with our local vet, Dr.Pavich, and it’s what made me decide to become a veterinarian myself. I loved animals and thought I could be very happy spending my life taking care of them.

But when our financial crisis struck, Marigold had to be sold. There was no choice. We couldn’t afford to keep her. It had been the second-saddest day of my life.

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