Susan Mallery - A Royal Baby on the Way

‘‘There are a couple of items I would like to discuss,’’ she said. ‘‘As I mentioned earlier, my parents don’t know the real reason my sisters and I are in this country. They think we’re here doing publicity for my father’s celebration.’’ She looked up and gave him a quick smile. ‘‘We are doing that, as well, but our real purpose is to find out information about our brother.’’

‘‘You’re not going to get much publicity out here,’’ he said. Then an ugly thought occurred to him. ‘‘You’re not planning on inviting the press to the ranch, are you? I don’t want things disrupted more than they have to be.’’

‘‘Of course not, Mitch. No press, not even an interview. We arranged the schedule so each of us would have some free time to work on the investigation. I have to attend a charity fund-raiser in Los Angeles in a few weeks, but other than that my calendar is clear until after the first of the year.’’

‘‘You’ve thought it all out.’’

‘‘I hope so. This is important to us.’’

She continued to talk about her plans, but Mitch found himself distracted by the thought of what she was doing. While he believed the story about her brother, in his mind the odds that the kid had survived seemed slim. Did she really think that John might be the long-lost heir to a kingdom? Mitch shook his head. Not John. No way. He was a drifter, someone who had, despite the family’s best efforts, never fit in. If he was Alex’s brother, wouldn’t he behave royally or something?

‘‘I’ve already made arrangements for the extra phone lines,’’ Alex was saying.

‘‘You got through to the phone company on a Sunday?’’ he asked.

‘‘I didn’t call the phone company directly. I was given a special number. They’re going to have to run another trunk line to the house.’’ She paused. ‘‘I’m not sure what that means, but I’m hoping it won’t be too disruptive. Of course, I’ll cover any costs involved.’’

He waved her comment away. ‘‘Don’t worry about it.’’

‘‘All right. The rest of my things will be here on Tuesday. The office equipment, the computer, copy machine and fax will arrive tomorrow. Then there’s the messenger service. They’ll be delivering daily, sometimes twice a day.’’

Mitch leaned back in his chair and tried not to let his dismay show. Just as he’d thought, his life was being pulled in a direction he didn’t want to go. ‘‘You’re not going to start playing polo on the front lawn, are you?’’

Alex glanced up. ‘‘I don’t play polo.’’

Her accent intrigued him. He wanted to hear her say his name softly, but with passion. Down boy, he told himself. Don’t go there.

‘‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you some questions about your brother,’’ she said, flipping to another page in her folder. ‘‘You both went to school locally.’’ She read for a second. ‘‘You played sports quite a bit, I see, as did John. Football? That’s different from soccer or English rugby. I’ve actually seen a few games live. It’s a little confusing, but I liked it.’’

He stared at her, then at the papers in her hands. He’d assumed she just had lists of whatever princesses kept lists of, but it wasn’t that at all. Irritation built inside him until it pushed him to his feet and across the room.

‘‘May I?’’ he asked, even as he took the folder from her. He scanned the contents of several sheets. There were detailed histories of himself and his family members, information on the ranch employees and even copies of his last three tax returns.

‘‘What the hell is all this?’’ he asked, tossing it back at her.

Alex grabbed the papers and stared up at Mitch with some surprise. His change from cordial host to hostile adversary startled her. ‘‘Is there some mistake? Did they get something wrong?’’

He planted his hands on his hips and glared down at her. She suddenly felt small and faintly alarmed.

‘‘No. They got everything right.’’

‘‘Then I don’t understand the problem.’’

‘‘That is the problem.’’

She studied him for a couple of seconds, then realization dawned. ‘‘Oh, I see. You’re upset because I have this information. What’s the expression? You consider it an invasion of your privacy?’’

‘‘Damn straight.’’

She drew in a deep breath. It was easy to forget that the rest of the world was different from her reality. ‘‘If you would stop looming over me, I could try to explain.’’

Despite his obvious irritation, he flashed her a quick grin. ‘‘I’m looming?’’

‘‘Rather impressively. I’m tall, and most men are my height or shorter. You’re taller by several inches. I’m not used to that.’’

He sank onto the far end of the sofa. ‘‘We grow them big out West.’’

‘‘So I’ve heard.’’ She closed the folder and smoothed the cover. ‘‘I’m sorry this has upset you. I never thought it would be a problem, but that’s because I have very little privacy of my own. I often forget the rest of the world isn’t like that.’’

‘‘I guess I can understand that,’’ he said.

Alex searched his face. She sensed that he was saying the right words, but that he didn’t really mean them. She wanted him to understand. She not only needed his cooperation to help her find her brother, but she and Mitch were going to be living in the same house for a short period of time. It would be easier if they could get along.

‘‘I know this isn’t anything you expected or wanted. One minute you were living your life and the next I invaded it. I do hope we can find a way to make this work for both of us.’’

His gaze sharpened suddenly, as if her words had a meaning that only he could understand. Then he rose to his feet. ‘‘You’re right. I didn’t ask for you to be here, but you’re here now so there’s no point in complaining. As for making this work, I suggest we try to stay out of each other’s way as much as possible. The ranch is big enough, as is the house.’’ He headed for the door.

‘‘Mitch, wait.’’ She gestured to the folder. ‘‘I still have more questions. I’m not finished with you.’’

He paused and looked her up and down. ‘‘Maybe not, princess, but I’m finished with you.’’

* * *

Alex compared the numbers on the computer screen in front of her to the papers that had arrived earlier that morning by messenger. Donations to the Wynborough children’s organization she ran were up considerably. The new advertising campaign was a success. She made a note to send the publicity director a handwritten thank-you letter, then went to the next item on her list.

She’d been on the ranch four days and finally had things organized. Setting up a remote office had taken longer than she’d expected, but now she was able to stay in touch with the palace and her sisters. Now if only the mysterious John Colton would make an appearance.

She heard the sound of approaching footsteps in the hallway and glanced at the clock on her desk. It was nearly ten, so the visitor would be Betty with her morning coffee.

‘‘You don’t have to do this,’’ Alex said as she rose to greet the other woman. ‘‘I’ve told you, I’m not a real guest here. I’m more of an intrusion.’’

Betty, an attractive woman in her mid-fifties, waved her off with a smile. ‘‘I haven’t had anyone to spoil in ages. Mitch is always working, and there’s never anyone else around to cook for. I like it. Besides, when all this is over, I get to tell all my friends about taking care of a real live princess.’’

As she had for the past couple of days, Betty set the tray with two cups of coffee and some incredibly delicious cookies that she made herself. The two women moved to the sofa at the far end of the study and sat down. Alex enjoyed both the break from her work and the company. Despite Betty’s short gray hair, the woman had a youthful glint in her eyes and a wicked sense of humor. She also knew everything about the ranch.