I like being accepted for me and not having to worry that people are pretending to like me because I’m a member of the royal family. I’m not famous enough to be recognized in my regular life. Not outside of El Bahar and I want to keep it that way.”
She glanced down, then back at him. “Do you remember when I told you about the guy in college who took pictures of me?”
He nodded.
“He didn’t just post them on the internet. He sold them to a tabloid. It was a big juicy headline.” She made air quotes. “‘I Deflowered a Princess.’”
Rage exploded. Cade took a step forward, then realized he had no one to attack and no reason to defend.
“I was so humiliated. My parents never said anything, but I knew they were disappointed. It was horrible. I left college. Maybe I should have stayed, but the press was everywhere. I felt so naked every second of every day. I just wanted to hide. That’s when I started working in my dad’s stables. There nobody cared. When I delivered my first horse to a new buyer, I went as Beth Smith and it was great. I wasn’t recognized. I was just that girl with the horse. It never mattered before. Not until I came here.”
He wanted to believe her. That was what got him. He wanted to say it was fine, that he would forgive her and they would go on as before. Only he knew that was a joke. Just like them.
“I get it,” he told her. “You wanted to escape the whole royal thing and you did. Good for you.”
Her expression turned wary. “What aren’t you saying?”
“That it doesn’t matter. You had your reason, Princess Bethany, but at the end of the day, you lied about everything and we have nothing. We never did.”
* * *
BETHANY SUPPOSED THAT on her list of sins, taking one of the ranch trucks without asking was the least of it. She would have told Cade she wanted to borrow it, but since he’d walked out of the kitchen two hours before, she hadn’t seen him.
She was already packed and had a car coming to pick her up and take her LAX. From there she would fly home. But until the car arrived, she had unfinished business.
She drove through Happily Inc, doing her best to memorize all the cute businesses, decorated for the holidays. It was a great little town with lots of character and warm people. She thought maybe she could have been happy here.
She parked outside of Weddings Out of the Box. She’d already texted Pallas to ask if she could stop by. She didn’t want to leave until she’d spoken with her friend. Although to be honest, she wasn’t sure if she and Pallas would still be friends after Bethany told her the truth.
Pallas greeted her on the stairs and brought her up to what looked like a small break room. “What brings you to town?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
Pallas grinned. “I should probably be subtle, but I think I can guess the topic. I saw the way you and my brother were looking at each other at dinner the other night. There were some serious sparks.” She paused, then laughed. “Okay, I want to know everything right up until the kissing starts. Not that I’m not going to be a good friend, but Cade is my brother and there are some things a sister simply doesn’t want to know.”
Pallas poured them each a cup of coffee, then opened a small box of Oreos. They settled at a round table.
“So?” Pallas beamed at her. “You’re crazy about him, aren’t you?”
Bethany was shocked to feel her eyes fill with tears. Pallas was at her side in a second.
“What?” her friend demanded. “Did Cade do something stupid? I hate it when men are stupid. What happened?”
Bethany sniffed. “It’s not him, it’s me. I lied to him.” She looked at her friend. “I’m sorry. I lied to you, too.”
“Oh, please. About what?”
“About who I am.”
Pallas returned to her seat and grabbed a cookie. “What does that even mean? You’re an alien? You have antenna and a tail?”
“I’m a princess.”
Pallas froze, the Oreo partway to her mouth. She stared at Bethany, then put down the cookie. “A what?”
“Princess. My father is the king of El Bahar. My mom met him when I was nine and we moved there so she could teach at the American School. They got married and when my biological