The Cowboy and the Princess (16 page)

“Yes.” Delfyne knew that. The story wasn’t real, but it had been her favorite. “He lost her, anyway.”

“Are you even sure he loves you?” Fyodor asked, and now his voice sounded fearful. “Don’t risk this, Delfyne. Andreus, why did you even suggest this? At least she knows what she’s getting with Arian.”

Yes, she knew.

“And he at least will give you babies.” Fyodor pressed on. “Delfyne, it’s just a story. Don’t be irresponsible or rash. Wait a while. We’ll postpone the announcement of your engagement for three months. Then, if you decide you still can’t love Arian, we’ll manage to find someone more to your liking. Someone suitable.”

“Or…at least call your Owen to make sure he’ll have you. Yes, do that,” her mother said.

But Delfyne saw the flaw in that plan. Owen would never allow Delfyne to abdicate for him. Even to ask in advance meant certain defeat.

But not to ask…to turn her back on all that she knew…

“I’ll think about it,” she told her parents, hugging each of them and memorizing their faces.

She went to her room and shut the door. The story of Vondiver was in her heart and on her lips and in her mind. It was all that kept the fear at bay. If she gambled and lost, she could still end up destroying Owen. She had to find some way to prevent that
from happening. If he even thought that he was responsible for her fate…she was never going to let that happen. If she had to lie a thousand lies, he at least would never suffer from the acts of a headstrong princess.

That night, her mind still awhirl, she left the house. She was nearly to the car when a hand on her arm stopped her.

Delfyne whirled to see Andreus. “I shouldn’t have suggested this to you,” he said. “I’ve had time to think now and I realize what a risk it is. I love Owen, but he’s hell on women. He might send you away. Your being a princess won’t matter a whit to him. Delfyne, think. He might completely break your heart.”

Her smile was sad. “Be happy, Dré. Help them to know that I love them and don’t want to hurt them.”

“Fyna, stop. Now. Really. I’ll call them. They’ll stop you.”

She touched his cheek. “If you try to do that, I’ll have to take you down. I can do that, thanks to Owen. And, Dré? I love you. If you ever feel the need to escape, just remember.” She put her mouth next to his ear and whispered, “Vondiver.” Then she turned.

“Wait! Fyna! What if—what if he won’t marry you?”

Pain ripped through her. She was sure that her face blanched.

“I fully expect him to turn me down, Dré,” she confided. “The first fifty times I show up, anyway. After that, I’m just hoping that he’ll hire me so I can be near him.”

Then she ran. She had no doubt that every royal guard in the palace would be right behind her.

Timbelina’s tail hit Owen in the eye as he lay under the truck trying to get the damn oil filter off.

“This is no place for a pregnant mother,” he told her.

She ignored him as he knew she would and sat down near his head. And the stupid filter still wouldn’t come off. He let out a
string of curses he almost never used and banged on the thing with the filter wrench.

“Yeah, swearing at it always works.” Len’s voice came from somewhere east of the truck. “And it isn’t going to make Delfyne come back, either.”

Owen glowered at the filter, then pulled himself from beneath the truck, washed his hands with the hose and started toward the house. He ignored Len, who was still hanging around.

“Owen, we have to talk. The men sent me.”

Okay, now Owen’s curiosity was piqued. He turned and saw that the usually laid-back Len had a seriously worried look on his face. “What?” he asked the young vet-to-be.

“We know you love her.”

Owen glowered. “I don’t.” Or at least he would soon be over her. He hoped. Please, let this pain end soon.

“And we know you’re in pain,” Len went on. “But you’re not being careful, and we’re worried that you’re going to get yourself killed. You nearly got kicked in the head while you were shoeing Doughnut the other day because you weren’t paying enough attention. So…we took a vote and we all agree you should take a vacation.”

“You took a vote,” Owen said.

“Yes.”

“And decided I needed a vacation.”

“Owen, you were never stupid, so we can tell your heart is torn. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be repeating everything I say.” Len looked off somewhere to Owen’s left as if he couldn’t even bear to look at a man so stupid and lovesick. “Now, Delfyne…”

A dull roaring began in Owen’s head. “I don’t want to talk about Delfyne.”

“She was something special, I know.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about her.”

“But the thing is…about Delfyne, I mean…”

Owen didn’t know how it happened. He reached out and grabbed Len by the shirt and spun him around. Rage and pain poured through him. “The thing about Delfyne is that she’s gone, Len. She’s gone.” His voice broke.

And Len wasn’t even cringing. “The thing about Delfyne,” he said, his voice low, “is that I think she may be here. At least, when I looked down the road a few minutes ago there was a cab coming in. I’m pretty sure I saw Delfyne in the backseat.”

Owen turned, and there at the end of his drive was a poor excuse of a cab. His heart began to thud erratically like a drummer who had forgotten how to keep time.

He told himself that Len was probably wrong. Delfyne couldn’t be here. But then, the door to the car opened and a woman emerged.

For many long seconds Delfyne stared at Owen. Just…stared at him as he stared back. “Why are you treating Len that way?” she finally called.

He let go of Len and the man hit the ground, struggling to regain his footing.

Owen started moving toward Delfyne. “Why are you here?”

“Did you and Len fight? Are you okay?” Concern laced her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Ten more steps toward her. “I’m fine.
Len
is fine. He’s perfect.”

Now she was moving toward him, too. “Owen, I…”

“Why are you here?” he repeated, more forcefully.

And now she seemed to falter. She bit her lip. Delfyne never did things like that. The distance between them couldn’t have been more than forty feet but it felt like four hundred. Owen wanted to run to her, grab her up and carry her off.

He fought the urge. He stood as still as he possibly could, but to have given up on ever seeing her again in his life and then
to have her here…a firestorm of emotions consumed him. “Delfyne, tell me what’s going on,” he ordered. “I have to know. Now.”

She stood taller and pulled her shoulders back. If ever she had looked the consummate princess, it was in this moment. “For reasons I don’t care to go into right now, I’m returning to the States,” she said imperiously. “I’m looking for…accommodations, and there isn’t much in the area. I’m hoping that you might do me the favor of letting me stay here and possibly work here until I can get settled.”

His mind turned to a complete muddle. His heart began to rev like a race car. “Where’s the prince?”

She didn’t even blink, just kept that gorgeous, stubborn chin high. “I don’t know. I don’t care.”

The joy at having her here paled beside the feeling that something was terribly wrong here. Owen frowned. “Did he hurt you? Did he…damn it, what did he do? He didn’t jilt you or…or worse?”

Delfyne shook her head. “He didn’t jilt me. He said I couldn’t have a cat. He laughed at Timbelina’s name.” She started walking toward him.

Owen had no idea what she was talking about. All he knew was that she was unharmed and she had seemingly ditched a prince over a cat. “The guy’s an idiot. I love that cat,” he said.

For the first time she smiled, but it wasn’t the totally carefree smile Owen was used to. This one had shades of uncertainty mixed in. It scared him. Petrified him. Someone or something had damaged her.

That did it. He could no longer restrain himself. He started moving toward her, too. Faster. Faster. His long strides ate up the dirt that separated them.

Finally he reached her and he stopped short. They stood there staring at each other.

“Delfyne, I want you to tell me now,” he said. “Why are you here?”

“Damn, Owen, didn’t you hear her?” Len asked, moving up beside Owen. “The woman wants a place to stay and here you’re leaving her dangling and standing in the sun. Don’t worry, Delfyne. It’s not a problem at all. You can stay at my place.”

No. No. No.
The words echoed through Owen’s mind. As if all the frustration and fear and pain of the past few days and weeks had finally boiled over, Owen whirled and swung at Len. “Like hell she will, cowboy. She’s mine.”

Len had put up his hands to ward off the blow, and he had barely managed to duck in time, but now he managed a slow smile as he backed away. “Okay, boss. She’s yours.” Then, he leaned around Owen and peered at Delfyne. “I hope you don’t mind too terribly, but I’m retracting my invitation. I need this job…and my unbroken jaw, and it appears you
do
have a place to stay, after all.” Then he winked and walked away.

Owen looked at his fist as if he had no idea what it was. He turned back to Delfyne and shook his head. “Forget you heard that. Forget I did that. I’m obviously a complete and total idiot. If you’re here, then something monumental and probably scary and terrible has happened. Tell me what it is. Let me help you. For sure, the last thing you need right now is some loose-cannon cowboy like me going all Neanderthal on you and—”

“Owen, stop. Don’t apologize. Just…don’t. And tell me, did you mean it? Am I really…what you said? Am I yours?”

Delfyne reached out and grabbed his wrists. Her touch was electric, but tough. Maybe even desperate.

Owen looked into her eyes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Oh, love, Delfyne, don’t. I’m such a jerk.” He cleared the space between them and pulled her into his arms, right up
against his heart. “What did I do? Whatever it was, I made it worse, didn’t I? Whatever happened, I’ll fix it. I’ll call someone. I’ll make them take you back. I’ll call Andreus and make it right. I’ll go over there and fight for your rights. They can’t kick you out because one prince was a bust. I’ll go to battle for you, sweetheart. What do you need me to do?”

“Tell me I’m yours again,” she said.

Owen’s heart stopped beating completely. A tiny flicker of hope began to ignite, but he fought it. He’d been a madman for days. The fact that he’d nearly decked Len was a sure sign that he was acting crazy. He was unhinged. And if he hoped too hard now, and that hope was crushed again, he might descend into total hell, never to return.

And yet…

“You didn’t really mean that, did you?” she asked. “Of course not. You were just…being you. It’s that thing you do. You were just trying to protect me from Len because of what had happened in my past.”

The flicker became a flame he couldn’t battle. “Delfyne, I nearly knocked Len flat, and I’m not the kind of man who hits a friend. My reasons weren’t even close to honorable. So, tell me now. Please. Why are you here?”

She stood looking at him with those big sad eyes. His heart just broke. “Please,” he said again.

She finally nodded. “All right, I’ll tell you. Remember how you told me that this ranch charmed people for the short term but in the long term it might lose its charm?”

“I remember everything.”

“Owen, I
love
the ranch,” she said, looking up at him defiantly. “I really do. But even if it loses its charm, I’m okay with that. I would have come back even if I hated this place. I just couldn’t marry the prince.”

He reached out and touched her cheek. “Of course you couldn’t. The man didn’t understand you.”

“Exactly. In fact, you’re the only man who’s ever really understood me. I had to come tell you that. You made me realize—finally—that being who I really am doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me. Even if I’m not a princess anymore. You never made me feel ashamed of being me.”

There was something about her voice, about the look in her eyes, about the fact that she had left everything behind and come here in a cab that was practically falling apart. Despite the fact that he was afraid to believe what she seemed to be saying, his fear couldn’t matter. At all. He wasn’t the important person here now. She was. And she had just said…she’d implied…

“How can a princess just stop being a princess?”

Delfyne stood before him, defiant and beautiful and making his heart hurt just to be near her. “Most princesses can’t stop being what they are, I guess, but…I did,” she said. “And when I walked away, it was for good. I can’t ever change my mind and go back to being a princess again, but that’s all right.”

Owen studied her. She stood tall and proud, but a tremor of fear still laced her voice. “I suspect there’s more to the story,” he said.

Her lips trembled. His heart lurched. “There is, of course. Much more, but most of it isn’t all that interesting, and anyway, I don’t want to talk about that now. Owen, won’t you at least kiss me hello, please? I’ve missed you so much.”

All his reservations fell away. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t ask more questions. He just scooped her up against his body to cover her mouth with his own. All the desperation of the last few days flooded through him and he couldn’t get enough of her. He kissed her three, four, five times.

Get hold of yourself
, his brain told him.
She said she wasn’t marrying a prince and that she missed you and the ranch. That
doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s staying.
He should ask her a few polite questions, take it slow, get the lay of the land, see if he could be of help to her….

“Stay with me, Delfyne,” he whispered against her hair. “I’ve gone crazy here without you. I’m driving everyone else crazy. I’m even driving the poor cat crazy, I’m so in love with you. How long can you stay?”

“Owen?” Her eyes were big and round and violet and beautiful and…his, he thought again. This tendency to be selfish and possessive had come over him and he couldn’t seem to shake it.

“What?” he whispered, as he tried to capture her mouth again.