A Royal Mess and Her Knight To Remember

Luckily for her, lunch was fairly simple. Hors d’oeuvres that she’d whipped up from the night before and oddly had some left over. No sense in wasting food.

It was the iced tea she had a hard time with. Caught up in the hors d’oeuvres and an approaching thunderstorm that made the sky so pretty she couldn’t stop looking out the window, she let it brew too long.

But cowboys liked things strong, didn’t they?

She’d have to learn to multitask better. She had it down pat in other aspects of her life. She could, for instance, spread treats out on a tray while gazing out the kitchen window at Tim, working with his horses.

He’d just come into her view. Already her heart was drumming as it had when his horse had frisked her, but it wasn’t simple fear making it nearly leap right out of her chest.

It was him.

He took off his hat, and swiped at his forehead with his arm. Then he shoved the sleeves of his shirt up to reveal forearms corded with strength.

Such a large man, and yet he appeared so utterly gentle with the young horse he was currently whispering sweet nothings to.

In response, the horse playfully bumped his chest, causing Tim to toss back his head and laugh.

The low, husky sound of it carried across the yard and through the window to her ears.

“Ridiculous,” she muttered, but she kept her nose plastered to the window all the same. Maybe he’d get hot and rip off his shirt. She didn’t want to miss that.

Get hot, she mentally transmitted. Really hot. Instead, he bent down, scooping up the front right hoof of the horse in his big hand to inspect the bottom.

She got busy inspecting, too. His terrific bottom.

“Oh, jeez.” From behind her came Sally’s groan. “What the hell are you doing now? ”

6

NATALIA WENT FOR cool and calm when she turned to Sally, who had apparently come into the kitchen and walked right up behind her while she’d been staring at Tim. “I’m-” What had she been doing? Blindly, she stared at the knife in her hand. “Um…”

Sally’s brow disappeared into her hair.

“Making lunch.”

“You mean you’re starving the men again.”

“No, I’m-” Natalia blinked. “What?”

“Oh, nothing, for God’s sake.” Sally leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “You might want to wipe your chin.”

“Why?”

“You were watching my brother’s ass and drooling.”

Natalia managed a laugh that didn’t fool either of them. “Don’t be ridiculous. That would be…” A definite spectator sport. “Insulting.”

“You were.”

Natalia busied herself fixing the large tray in front of her. “Is everyone ready to eat?”

“Oh, yeah.”

She sounded so sarcastic Natalia turned, but Sally just sent her an innocent look. She grabbed a stuffed mushroom off the tray, turned it this way and that, carefully inspecting it, then finally took a tentative bite. “Hmm,” she said in lieu of a thank you.

Okay, that was it. Natalia crossed her arms. “Is that ‘hmm’ good or ‘hmm’ bad?”

“No comment.”

“You can do better than that.”

“No, really. I can’t.”

“You know, I’m trying here.” She watched Sally wolf six more down in half as many bites.

“Yeah.” Sally swallowed and brushed her hands over her thighs. “Which brings me to another point. Why?”

“Why am I trying?”

“Why don’t you just go on welfare, or hit a shelter, or better yet, get a job you’re equipped for, like cooking for a bunch of people who like weird food.”

“First of all, I do not need welfare.”

“Uh-huh.”

Carefully, Natalia set down her knife. No need to tempt herself. “And second of all, I’m not even a citizen. I’m a princess, which I know your brother already told you. I suppose, as it does sound outlandish way out here in the middle of nowhere, I can forgive you not believing it. But as far as why I’m here and what I’m doing…” No. She couldn’t share it, because the need to be a woman first for once, and a princess a distant second was strong. How could a woman like Sally, who did what she wanted, when she wanted, without a care to her duties, understand? “I’m afraid it’s none of your business.”

“Fine. But if you’re here to snag my brother, think again. He’s not into body piercings or spiked hair.”

No, but he’d been into the leather. “Snag your brother? What does that even mean?”

Sally uttered a one-word adjective that perfectly conveyed what she meant. It was a word people didn’t often utter in front of a princess.

“And,” Sally continued, “if you harm one little hair on his head, I’ll rip out your fingernails, one by one. So stop staring at his ass.”

Natalia actually gaped. Was this woman for real? Knowing it was rude to respond to her host in such a manner didn’t stop her. She hadn’t been raised with sisters for nothing. Thanks to Annie being so tough and forward, she knew how to fight back. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Sally didn’t so much as blink.

“Wow.” Natalia shook her head. “It’s clear the American reputation of being crass and rude is completely undeserving. Because really, you’re all so sweet and caring.”

“Just remember what I said,” Sally said.

“Tim is a big boy.”

“Yes, but he’s also a softie, with a heart just waiting to be stomped all over.” Sally took another mushroom and headed toward the door. “I’ll be watching you. Waiting for an excuse to kick your pretty little butt.” The door slammed.

“I guess this means we won’t be polishing each other’s fingernails tonight at the slumber party, right?” Natalia called out after her, then kicked the refrigerator.

TIM FORCED himself to take another bite of dinner, but only because Natalia was watching, her forehead puckered in a line of worry. He swallowed, hard, and managed a smile. “What is it?”

“An old family recipe.” She clasped her fingers together. “Do you like it?”

“Uh…” Everyone looked at him. “Well…I’ve never tasted anything quite like it.”

Sally snorted.

Natalia bit her lip.

Sally pushed her plate away. “Nick would have made chili.”

“Sally-”

“And looked damn good while doing it.”

“Nick?” Natalia asked.

“The guy I would have hired for the job,” Sally said.

Natalia looked down at her plate. “Chili. I hadn’t thought of that. Or that I’d taken a job from someone who needed it.”

“Nick has another job already,” Tim said.