Page 73 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
“Thirty thousand dollars.”
The exact amount of the Royal Winter Wonderland Contest’s Grand Prize.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
They Say It’s Tradition
Gracie had promised Alana to help keep an eye on Gumdrop until the big Christmas puppy reveal, but in truth, she’d also needed a moment to collect herself. Being in the kitchen with Nick had left her feeling all warm and gooey inside, and it had nothing to do with the cinnamon rolls they’d been making.
She couldn’t be in love with Prince Nicolas of San Glacera. She just couldn’t.
They hadn’t known each other long enough for that…had they? And more importantly, they lived on opposite sides of the world, both literally and figuratively. He was royal. She was a party princess. He was going to be a king someday. Nick’s public life was carefully controlled. He did his best to never put a foot wrong and was always thinking about how to properly represent the people of his kingdom. Gracie’s job, on the other hand, was pure fantasy.
Sure, so far everything had gone splendidly. But what would happen if the press and the people grew weary of her snow queen act? Or if she made a mistake? Would she end up on the front page of every newspaper and magazine in Europe, like Nick had, through no fault of his own?
What if she caused more bad press for him, when he deserved so much better?
Gracie had already had to pick up the pieces of her life after one public embarrassment. She wasn’t sure she could do it again, especially if history repeated itself and she ended up with a broken heart.
“Hey, there.” Alana poked her head in the door. “The party is about to start.”
Gumdrop jumped out of Gracie’s lap and romped toward the foot of the bed to greet Alana, while Gracie stopped singing and wiped a tear from her cheek. She hadn’t even realized she’d started to cry.
“Is everything okay? You seem sad.” Alana scooped Gumdrop into her arms and the sweet puppy licked the side of her face.
“No, of course not. I’m fine.” Gracie pasted a picture-perfect smile on her face. She’d been doing it for so long that it had become second nature. “It’s Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year.”
“Good.” Alana gave her a warm smile. Gracie could hardly believe she’d originally thought that the princess had been snubbing her. Alana was one of the kindest, most gracious people she’d ever come across. She embodied all the traits Gracie tried to emulate with her princess character. “You might want to come downstairs, though. Nick has been looking for you.”
Gracie’s stomach did a rebellious little flip.
“And I think it’s time to finally unveil this furry sweetheart.” Alana lifted Gumdrop in the air and touched noses with the tiny dog. Gumdrop’s tail wagged so furiously that it looked like a black and white blur.
Gracie slid off of the bed and smoothed down the front of her red tartan dress. “That sounds perfect. I can’t believe it’s already almost Christmas Eve.”
Just one more day. Tomorrow night she’d do what she came to San Glacera to do, and then she and Clara could pack up and go home. Life would return to normal, just as it was supposed to.
Gracie inhaled a steadying breath and went downstairs to make sure King Hans and Queen Sophia had already joined the partygoers in the sitting area of the lobby. She spotted the king’s familiar profile right away and waved for Alana to come down with the puppy. As the princess descended the staircase with Gumdrop tucked neatly under her arm, Nick found Gracie.
His warm breath tickled her neck as he bent to whisper in her ear. “Here you are. For a minute there, I thought you’d gotten lost, like in the Christmas tree maze, Princess.”
Princess.
The nickname had been funny at first—a sweet, tongue-in-cheek endearment, like when Gracie called him Prince Charming. Except there was one important difference: Gracie’s nickname for him rang true, whereas hers was pure make-believe.
“I didn’t get lost.” She shook her head. Who was she kidding? She’d wandered so far out of her depth that she’d never been so lost in her life. “Just helping out with a Christmas surprise.”
“Yes, I know all about your little secret,” Nick said, and the sincerity in his expression told Gracie he wasn’t just talking about Gumdrop.
His eyes locked onto hers, and Gracie’s breath bottled up in her throat as he took hold of her hand and held it tight. “Gracie, I—”
A squeal pierced the air. “Oh my goodness, is that a puppy?” A woman Gracie recognized from the chocolate shop next door clasped her hands on either side of her face.
Every head in the sitting room swiveled toward the staircase, just as Alana reached the bottom step. Gumdrop wiggled like mad, delighted to be the center of attention.
“Sweetheart?” King Hans rose from the chair where he’d been sitting. He gave a slight headshake, then rubbed his brow, clearly trying to make sense of the sight before him.
“Merry Christmas, Dad.” Alana beamed, and her eyes went shiny.
