Page 118 of Royal Icing
Leo caught Emma’s eye. She flashed him a smile, then turned back to the line in front of her booth. It must have been ten meters long. She had decided that the noncompete clause didn’t apply across international lines or for charity events. After convincing Ruby to smuggle some baking materials out of the castle, she had baked dozens of Christmas cookies, cakes, and pies. She’d had a last-minute burst of inspiration and thrown together fifty premade gingerbread kits, which appeared to be already gone. Lisa sat next to her, taking money and chatting merrily with patrons.
He scanned the crowd, nodding at the townspeople, who blushed and curtsied at him. People spilled out of Sal’s pub, cheeks pink from their flights of wine. Dorinda from the seamstress shop stood at the gift-wrapping station, looking in concern at a bicycle lying on her table. Children squealed in a Santa-themed bounce house. The ornament-decorating booth was inundated with its first round of decorators. Even Henri had stayed to emcee the auction.
And it wasn’t all Christmas-themed. Food vendors from all over the country had turned up, and it had been a serious last-minute effort to find space and electricity for them all. The air was perfumed with a heavenly mix of roasted mutton, spiced curry, sharp cheeses, and herby soups.
Citizens had turned up in droves both to volunteer and to shop. There was something empowering about being surrounded by his countrymen, all united in support of this cause. Someone was even wearing a shirt with Leo’s profile on it and the word “resist” below. Hopefully his mother didn’t see it.
It was, in the best possible way, truly magical.
“Your Highness.” Isabelle appeared at his elbow with a clipboard and a frazzled expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“The wireless mics aren’t working, and the auction’s supposed to start in five minutes.”
“Let me see them.” They sped over to the stage he and Sal had fixed earlier that month. Cases lay open all around them, donated from one of the local churches.
In a flash, Leo had looked up the model and serial number on YouTube and found a troubleshooting video.
“Check, check.” His voice boomed out from the monitors lining the stage. The crowd turned to stare. Shit. He hadn’t planned on making another speech.
He rose to his feet. “Good evening, everyone.”
The crowd rippled like a wave as people bowed.
“I can’t thank you enough for showing up today. I’ve talked your ears off already, so I’ll keep it short. You know what’s at stake. Your generosity is going to be poured directly back into this community. You have my word. No matter what happens here tonight, I won’t give up. Somehow, we’ll find a way. Now I’m going to turn things over to Henri so we can get the auction party started.”
The crowd cheered, and Leo handed the mic off and went in search of the next disaster. He ducked in to help wrap a basketball for a local schoolteacher, then hand-washed some wine glasses for the next round of Sal’s tastings.
The town was alive, buzzing. A million different pieces were in motion, and it was incredible to watch. An excavator parked at the lot caught his eye, and his stomach clenched. They were almost out of time. His countrymen had come together and taken ownership where his parents wouldn’t. He couldn’t let them down.
Henri’s booming voice was audible across the whole market, so Leo was able to keep tabs as spa days, gift certificates, and baskets of goods were auctioned off.
They were inching closer, but still miles away from their goal. Would the money from the vendors be enough? The uncertainty was driving him mad.
“Doing okay?” Emma asked with a sweet smile as he approached. Her table was bare. She must have sold everything.
“I’m fine,” he answered gruffly.
“Everything is going to work out.” She laid a gentle hand on his arm. Her fingers were red from the frigid night air, and he wrapped them in his own.
“We don’t know that,” he said. “What if I let everyone down again?”
“Then we’ll find another way.”
“We?” A hint of a smile appeared.
“Yes, I’m invested now. Is that what you want to hear?” There was a glint in her eyes.
“I’m happy for any good news.”
“Well then, you should know that I also made a buttload of money.” She hit a button on a borrowed cash register, and the drawer slid out. Notes and coins were overflowing.
He slid it back in, then pulled her in for a hug. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. For me and for Lynoria.”
They pulled back to look at each other, and something immeasurable passed between them. A question hung in the air. What would come next? Their circumstances hadn’t changed. Even if they failed today, Leo couldn’t give up on the shelter. Emma was supposed to return to New York tomorrow to start planning her business in earnest. And when she was there, he wasn’t going to be able to protect her from her dad.
They hadn’t even had a real conversation about their relationship. Were they together? When would they see each other again? Was there even a way to make this work with an ocean between them?
