Page 70 of Royal Darling
I meet his gaze and say evenly, “And I’m sure I’ll feel strange in the front row at your concerts while women scream over you, but that is the deal in a committed relationship. You deal with my strange, and I deal with yours.”
He presses his lips together, his blue eyes dancing with amusement. “Yours is stranger.”
I lift my chin. “That remains to be seen.”
He frames my face with both hands. “You know how you would’ve taken me back the moment you saw me?”
“Yes.”
“I would’ve done anything to keep you in my life. So it turns out I’m just as easy as you.”
I can’t help my smile. “Wait. Do you mean I’m easy as in loose like a hussy?” I put some outrage into my voice because Ilovethe idea.
His words run hot across my lips. “That’s exactly what I mean, love. I’m a lucky man.”
“Remember that.”
He kisses me tenderly. “How can I forget when your eyes are hazy with lust every time you clap eyes on me?”
I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him passionately. And then I take his hand and lead him deep into the palace to the privacy of my room, where I plan to keep him for the foreseeable future.
Epilogue
Three months later…
Emma
I am beyond excited on this glorious spring day so full of promise and potential. It’s the first Monday in April and we’re about to break ground on the day spa. Jackson’s band, Ignite, is here to play after the ribbon cutting. And a ton of people have showed up to hear them play; many of them could be future clients for the spa. I don’t worry about his many female fans because my faith in Jackson is absolute. It’s really not difficult. He shows me his love every time he looks at me, every time his gravelly voice sings for me, every time he touches me. As Anna likes to say, the man is hot for me.
We live at the palace in my suite, and Jackson has gradually become more comfortable. My brothers come and go, but when they’re home, they love to spend time with Jackson. Gabriel and Anna have accepted him as family, even though our wedding is still a couple of months off, and my mother has warmed to him, as he’s proven his commitment to me by living where I’ve asked him to live, by composing song after song about me and our love, and by treating her respectfully. Plus it’s obvious how happy he makes me. I’ve got a song in my heart and a bounce in my step. Jackson has commissioned a home for us in nearby France. It’s private and sheltered, much like the Italian villa where we fell in love, and outfitted with a music studio.
Now that the research stage is complete and Anna is feeling better from her morning sickness, the Rourke team will be ramping up local manufacturing for the new beauty product line and getting our fishing industry involved. Many of the cosmetics will feature local ingredients, including fish oil, algae, sponges, and sea salt. In the meantime, Anna is still booking ladies’ weeks and honeymoon guests for the royal fantasy suite. She charges exorbitantly for the privilege.
“Emma! Come on, it’s time!” Anna shouts cheerfully, gesturing for me to join her at the fat red ribbon in front of the future day spa location. It’s on the east side of the island, closest to France. Anna has plans to build a dock here, redirecting the ferry for visitors. The port on the southern end of the island will be used solely for the fishing and cosmetics industry.
I suppress a cringe at Anna’s outburst. Mother does it for me. It’s just that Anna is queen now and should contain her volume. The press is here, along with the public. Gabriel merely smiles, enjoying her natural enthusiasm. He’s so far gone in love it’s ridiculous. I know this stupid-in-love feeling well.
I join Anna at the ribbon, my mother by my side. Mother is dressed in a youthful light blue silk dress with a red and blue floral pattern. With all the day spa visits Mother and I made together, along with digging deep into beauty treatments, Mother looks younger and more vibrant than I can ever remember. She’s received her fair share of compliments at the spas too, many of the aestheticians commenting on her flawless complexion and youthful appearance, some even saying we could be sisters. I wouldn’t go that far. She didn’t buy the flattery for a minute, but I think it did boost her confidence, along with having a purpose through our work. She’s fifty-four with a new vitality and energy. Maybe she too needed to find her place in the new palace order. Of course, she still misses my father, we all do, and she mentions him often, but it’s more with fondness than with the sharp pain of fresh grief.
Anna beams and hugs us both at the same time. “Ah! This is so exciting!” She’s glowing with good health, five months pregnant. “We’ll all put a hand on the scissors handle for the picture. I want everyone to know the Rourke women were the ones who got this project off the ground.”
“Gabriel should be in the picture,” my mother says pointedly. “He is the king, and this is an event for the kingdom.”
“Of course!” Anna gestures him over. “Behind every successful woman, there’s a good man.”
I stifle a laugh. I’m sure Gabriel would say the reverse.
A servant brings over a giant pair of scissors with black handles. They’re comically large, but I guess it will look good in the picture. We all line up, Gabriel behind Anna, then Mother in front of her, and me in the very front. We’re in height order.
The reporters jostle for space, all cameras aimed at us.
Someone hands Anna a microphone. “Can I have your attention, please,” she says and waits for silence. “On this momentous spring day, a time of new beginnings, I am proud to break ground on Villroy’s long-awaited day spa.”
The crowd breaks into applause.
Anna goes on. “This would not have been possible without the dedicated hard work of Princess Alexandra, Princess Emma, and Princess Silvia. Let’s all give them a hand.” Silvia isn’t here, but it’s nice that Anna acknowledges her contribution.
More applause and Jackson’s whistle rising above it. I beam at him, where he’s standing on stage with his band. He points to me, mouthing, “You rock!”
