Leanne Banks - Royal Holiday Baby

“I’m visiting Texas by my own free will,” she said. “I sent both you and Rolfe a text message explaining my plans.”

“The paparazzi said you were carried out of a museum by a madman,” Stefan said.

“He was protecting me,” she said.

“Humph,” Stefan said, disbelief oozing through his voice. “Who is this Zachary Logan?”

She paused a half beat, then decided to break the news. “He’s the father of my baby.”

Silence followed. “So it’s true,” Stefan said, his voice turning hard. “Tina, how could you?”

She bit her lip at the disapproval in his voice. “The usual way,” she said.

Stefan let out a litany of oaths.

She narrowed her eyes and interjected. “I’m putting you on speaker phone for the armed officers so there won’t be a need for Zachary Logan to be detained.”

The litany abruptly stopped.

“So, Stefan, we now agree that there has been a terrible misunderstanding and I have not been kidnapped. Correct?”

“Correct,” he said in a clipped voice.

“And just for the benefit of the kind officers, please state your name,” she said.

“Tina,” he said, with a warning note in his voice.

“You’re the one who pushed the kidnapping charges,” she said.

Stefan cleared his throat. “Stefan Edward Henri Jacques the fifth.”

“Thank you, Stefan,” she said and he hung up. “Good luck,” she whispered, thinking of her sweet, but spoiled sisters.

Zach glanced down at her. “Ready to go?”

“You have no idea,” she said.

He slid his hand behind her back and steered her toward the private terminal. “I’ve heard of overprotective older brothers, but—”

“He’s terrified of losing me. My sisters are useless.” She felt a stab of guilt. “By choice. They would be terrific if they would think about anyone but themselves.”

“Isn’t that true of half the world?” he drawled.

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “I guess it is. I apologize about the near-arrest.”

“Something tells me that won’t be the last excitement I see as a result of having you around,” he said.

Tina winced. “I warned you.”

“Yeah,” he said. “You did. Let’s get out of here.”

Zach ushered her into the same SUV he’d driven all those months ago when he’d taken her to his apartment. She inhaled the scent, feeling a flood of sensual memories skitter through her.

She sank into the leather seat, feeling safe and for the first time in months, not judged. Closing her eyes, she tried to make sense of her most recent, most impulsive decision of her life.

“I don’t have any clothes,” she said.

“No problem,” he said. “You can sleep in one of my T-shirts and go shopping tomorrow or the next day.”

“Your T-shirt,” she echoed, finding the prospect incredibly sensual and forbidden.

“Yeah,” he said. “Unless her highness requires silk.”

She paused a half-beat and decided to push back a little. She suspected she’d been way too easy for him. That put her at a disadvantage. “Silk? I can skip a night.”

He gave a low laugh that rippled along her nerve endings. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he said. “You skipped every stitch of clothing the night you spent with me.”

“I’m surprised you remember,” she said. “It was just one night—”

He whipped his head around to meet her gaze. “I remember everything about that night, Tina. Everything.”

Just as Zach had said, ninety minutes later, he pulled down a long driveway lined with scrubby landscape. “Is this it?” she asked, preparing herself for a log cabin.

He nodded and she noticed the dirt and scrub were replaced by green grass and trees. “Is this your family home, or did you acquire it?”

“It’s been in my family for generations. Some of the staff live in the original homeplace. I had a new home built about six years ago,” he said.

A large white building with a wraparound front porch sat amidst tall trees and flowering shrubs. The waning sunlight glistened on the leaves. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

He glanced at her. “You sound surprised.”

“I didn’t know what to expect. A ranch can mean different things to different people.”

“Ah, so you were expecting something more primitive. I hope you’re not disappointed,” he joked.

“Not at all,” she said, looking forward to a shower.

“If I know Hildie, she’ll have a meal waiting for us when we walk in the door,” he said.

“Hildie?”

“Cook and housekeeper. She’s been working at the ranch since before my parents passed away,” he said.

“It’s nice to have that continuity. We have a few staff members and advisers who have been around a long time.”

“Are you worried about getting homesick? This is a lot different than Chantaine.”

“I’m counting on that,” she said with a sigh. More than anything, Tina craved an opportunity to hear herself think.

Zach pulled the SUV to a stop, then got out and stepped to the passenger door to open her door. He extended his hand and she took it, remembering the sensation of his calloused palms on various places of her body. Leading her up the steps, he opened the door and she stepped into a terra cotta tiled double-story foyer that featured a double staircase. A copper and crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

The foyer was warm and welcoming without being pretentious. She felt a sliver of tension ease from inside her. She took a short breath and inhaled the scent of a mouthwatering meal.

“Zach, is that you?” a woman called. Seconds later, a tall, sturdy woman with iron gray hair and a stern face entered the foyer. Her mouth softened slightly, but she still didn’t quite smile. “There you are. The phone’s been ringing off the hook. Some kook named Rolfe got all snippy with me, accusing you of kidnapping. I finally just hung up on the man.”

Tina cringed. She generally tried to avoid creating drama, but this time she hadn’t seen any other way around it.

“Yeah, well, I think we took care of that,” Zach said, shooting Tina a sideways glance. “This is Valentina Devereaux, Hildie.” He cleared his throat. “Princess Valentina Devereaux.”

Hildie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Princess?” she echoed. “You didn’t really kidnap a princess, did you?” She glanced at Tina. “I mean, I know it’s been awhile since you’ve been on a date, but—”

“Hildie,” Zach interjected. “Tina is pregnant with my child.”

Hildie’s jaw dropped. “When in tarnation did that happen?”

Tina felt her cheeks heat at Hildie’s suspicious expression. “It wasn’t planned, Miss—?”

“Just Hildie. Everybody calls me Hildie. And what do I call you? Your majesty? Your highlyness.”

“Tina would be fine,” she said.

“Humph,” Hildie said and lifted an eyebrow at Zach. “You said you were bringing a guest, not a princess. She may not like beef stew.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Tina rushed to say. “I’ll try not to be any trouble. I’m just looking forward to the quiet.”

“Well, we’ve got a lot of that around here. Come on in. Dinner’s waiting,” Hildie said and walked down the hall.

“Oh, dear,” Tina said. “I believe I’ve already upset her.”

“Don’t worry,” Zach said, putting his hand on her lower back and guiding her farther into the house. “Hildie may look like she’s just taken a bite out of a green apple, but she’s got a heart of gold.”

Hildie served the hearty meal in the kitchen nook instead of the formal dining room. Zach was pleased to see Tina eat a healthy portion of the stew and corn bread, although he didn’t eat as much as usual. Although he’d been determined to bring Tina home, now that she was here, he was on edge. The ranch had become his cave, the place where he could hide and grieve. He hadn’t brought a woman to the ranch since his wife had died.