Rags To Riches: At His Bidding: A Home for Nobody's Princess / The Rancher's Housekeeper / Prince Daddy & the Nanny

A shriek of distress sounded from the other side of the hide-and-seek house. “Excuse me,” Bridget said. “That’s mine. I know his voice.”

“I never would have believed what a great mother she’s become,” Pippa said.

“She fell for the doctor and his boys hook, line and sinker,” Eve said. “A joy to watch. Bridget always gave the impression of being the royal fashion plate, and single forever. Turns out her heart was squishier than she thought.”

At that moment, Coco began to feel a little hope that maybe she wasn’t completely alone in the world after all. Maybe the Devereaux actually were a little bit like her. At least on the inside.

After playtime, which included Benjamin chasing the toddlers and making them laugh until they were breathless, everyone went inside for lunch. Nannies arrived to take the children when they grew restless. Stephenia, however, wanted to stay, and Eve permitted it.

Coco noticed that Benjamin talked very little. She could practically feel his mind clicking with all his observations. He put his hand over hers and her brain instantly stuttered. Even though she knew his touch was just for show, it still affected her. Bridget gave her apologies as she left for an event at a library. Pippa received a call from her husband and left the room to take it.

Eve had seemed to grow much more weary as the day proceeded. Coco feared that Eve’s desire to make her feel welcome was making Eve stay longer than she should. “It’s been wonderful having this opportunity to get to know all of you better. I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated the time with you. We should probably get back so Emma can take a nap.”

“Are you sure I can’t do anything else for you?” Eve asked as she shared a small cookie with Stephenia while the toddler sat on her lap.

“Not a thing,” Coco said and stood.

“Well, if you’re sure,” she said and set Stephenia on her feet. Eve stood, and the blood appeared to drain from her face. “Oh,” she murmured and collapsed onto the floor.

Benjamin was by the woman’s side in an instant. Stephenia began to cry, so Coco set Emma on a blanket and picked up the distressed toddler. “Is she okay?” Coco asked. “We need to get help,” she said and stepped into the hallway where a man stood outside the door.

Moments later, the room was filled with a doctor, nurse, two guards and Pippa.

“I keep telling her she’s doing too much, but she won’t listen,” Pippa said, wringing her hands. “She’s just not used to sitting still for anything. She thinks it’s a sign of weakness.”

“True Texan spirit,” Benjamin said, now holding Emma. “Good luck to her husband.”

Stephenia was still upset, but quiet as she clung to Coco with one hand and soothed herself with her thumb in her mouth. “She’ll be okay,” Coco said to the child resting on her hip. “See, she’s sitting up.”

“Already fussing at the doctor,” Pippa said in a wry tone.

Eve waved aside the crowd around her and stood. The doctor and guards, however, stayed within arm’s reach. “I’m fine. Completely fine.”

“One of the top lies spoken every day,” Benjamin said in a low voice.

Eve glanced across the room and spotted them. “Oh, no. I’ve frightened Stephenia,” she said, walking toward Coco.

“She’s okay,” Coco said and set the toddler down onto her feet.

“Mamaeve,” Stephenia wailed, lifting her arms for a hug.

Eve bent down and Benjamin pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Eve flashed a look of impatience. “Honestly, there’s no need for a fuss.”

“The fainting thing cancels out your denial. You know the old saying—actions speak louder than words,” Benjamin said.

“I’m glad someone else said that,” Pippa said.

Eve still looked irritated. “I don’t like being forced to sit.”

“You’re not being forced,” Coco said. “You’re being helped.”

Eve rolled her eyes in disbelief.

“It’s true,” Coco said. “You have a very important job to do. Probably one of the most important jobs of your life. You’re nurturing a baby. There are two lives at stake and both are very important to many people. Even though it seems that sitting down or resting is being lazy, it’s not. You probably think it’s difficult and boring, but it’s a necessary part of your job.”

Eve stared at Coco for a long moment. “I guess I never thought of it that way. I just expected to take pregnancy in stride and keep doing what I’ve always done.” She glanced at her doctor. “I guess it doesn’t always work out that way.”

“Quite true, Your Highness,” he said.

“I’m just not the fainting type,” Eve said.

“As long as you follow the doctor’s direction, you won’t become the fainting type,” Pippa said. “Like you were today.”

Eve bared her teeth slightly then sighed. “Okay, my job is to gestate. Hopefully someone will help amuse me.”

“The line forms behind me,” Pippa said with a smile.

Coco felt another invisible thread connecting her to Eve and Pippa.

* * *

That evening after Coco and Benjamin both bathed Emma, they sat on the love seat and propped their feet on pillows placed on the coffee table. Benjamin rotated between a soccer game and a television show on the BBC.

“I feel like I need subtitles. The British English is so different from Texas English,” Benjamin said.

Coco laughed, and the sound made his chest tighten and expand.

“Does that mean you feel the same way?” he asked.

“I guess so. I just never thought of it that way,” she said and met his gaze. “Thanks for being with me today. Between the meeting with the advisor and Eve fainting, it was a roller-coaster ride.”

He nodded. “Yeah. What do you think of the Devereaux now?”

“I think they bleed,” she said. “Like you and me.”

He met her gaze and something inside him grew and expanded. Coco was deep, sometimes sad, but he could tell that she kept trying to be positive and hopeful. Despite everything she’d been through, she wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt. Being with her made him want to be less cynical.

“You did well today,” he said.

She laced her fingers together then unlaced them. He covered her hand and her fidgeting stopped. She glanced up to meet his gaze. The moment stretched between them.

Fighting a massive internal debate, Benjamin lowered his mouth to hers. Slowly. Slowly enough that she could turn away if she wanted. But she didn’t. Her gaze was locked with his. Her eyelids lowered with each millimeter he drew closer. He wanted to take her mouth, absorb her into him. He wanted to rush, but he made himself go slow.

Eons seemed to pass. He finally pressed his mouth against hers. Her lips were soft and sweet. There was a sense of waiting and wanting in the air. He inhaled briefly, wanting to focus on her mouth.

She responded, rubbing her lips against his.

The sensation of need ran through him like wildfire, and he felt a little of his self-control shatter. Clenching his hand into a fist, he tried to regain control. But then she rubbed her lips against him again and he felt it all the way down from his mouth to his chest to his gut to his groin.