Wedding Vows: Say I Do: Matrimony with His Majesty / Invitation to the Prince's Palace / The Prince's Outback Bride

Darrell found him studying some framed family pictures. He appeared deep in thought.

When he heard her enter, he put down the picture of Phillip and turned in her direction. His eyes roved over her trembling figure, silently acknowledging the change in her attire.

“By the way you answered the door just now, I take it you haven’t seen Phillip since you arrived back.”

She smoothed her damp palms against her hips, a gesture he also noted. “Actually I have. But while we were eating dinner, I said something that upset him. He flew out the door and went off on his bike. I was hoping he’d decided to come back.”

He frowned. “You seemed unduly anxious. Does he often blow up like that?’

Already he was sounding like a concerned parent. She hardly knew what to make of this remarkably handsome stranger from another continent.

“I said something that frightened him.”

“What was that?” her guest persisted.

“The three days away from him let me see how depressed he has become. I told him I was going to take him to a counselor to help him deal with his issues of abandonment. He yelled that he wasn’t crazy before he charged out of here like a torpedo.”

She rubbed her arms with her hands. “On the flight home from Switzerland, I made up my mind I wasn’t going to wait any longer to get help for him. I knew he would fight me on this, but I’m committed. In all honesty, I should have taken him to a doctor long before now. He’s showing the same pattern Melissa did.”

He moved closer, his gaze intent on her face. “Tell me about your family.”

“My parents met at Denver University. Mother would have been a teacher. Dad was studying to become a geologist. Melissa had barely turned two when they were killed in a car accident and my grandmother Alice took on the responsibility of raising us.

“She was a wonderful person. We both adored her, but Melissa had a harder time of it. She yearned for our parents even though she didn’t remember them. As she got older, she felt more and more sorry for herself. In time she grew petulant like Phillip and became too much of a handful for Grandma whose health began to fail.

“When Melissa had an opportunity to work at the dude ranch through a close friend’s family, she didn’t hesitate. She knew a lot of famous VIPs vacationed there. She’d made up her mind she was going to meet an important man who would take her away and give her the kind of life that would make up for her deprivation.”

His eyes studied her intently. “What about you? A teenager burdened with sorrow and a new baby to raise. How did you do it all?”

“Grandma’s house was paid for. I took a night job I could do at home for the airlines making reservations. Eventually I was able to start taking college classes and graduated in communications.

“The company gave me a promotion, so I sold the house and bought this condo, which is closer to my work. Everything seemed fine, but it wasn’t fine to Phillip.”

Darrell’s eyes filled with liquid. “It’s a tragic irony Melissa met you, a real prince. There’s a lesson to be learned here in getting what you wish for…” Her voice trailed.

He trapped her gaze. “I can’t do anything about your sister now, but it’s not too late for Phillip.”

Her thoughts reeled. “It is where you’re concerned,” she said in a dull voice.

She heard his sharp intake of breath. “He’s my son. It’s high time we got to know each other.”

“You don’t really mean that. You couldn’t—” she cried. “It will change your whole life.”

“That’s what children do when they come into the world. He’s a precious gift.”

“But you’re a king! This is going to complicate your life in ways I can’t even begin to imagine, starting with salacious reports from the press.”

“What else is new. I’m a man first, Darrell. When I fathered Phillip, I wasn’t yet a king. I’ve already missed the first twelve years of his life. As my mother keeps telling me, a grandmother needs grandchildren. After she gets over the shock, she’s going to be thrilled.”

Darrell was afraid to believe him. But when she looked deeper into his eyes, she knew instinctively he believed what he was saying.

She swallowed hard. “You haven’t even met him yet. He’s very complex.”

“You mean he’s damned difficult most of the time, but sweet as honey at unexpected moments?”

“That’s exactly how he is,” her voice shook.

He put his hands on his hips in a wholly male stance. “He’s a Valleder all right. Our genes don’t lie. After we meet, he might never grow to like me, but we share the same blood. That makes us family, sight unseen.”

Darrell hugged her arms to her waist. “What about your marriage? Phillip’s existence is going to come as a huge shock to the woman you’ve chosen. It isn’t fair to her.”

His eyes held a faraway look. “The news that I have a son is going to turn the entire canton on its ear. However I’m not particularly concerned about anyone but Phillip. You’ve had the whole responsibility of him all this time. Now it’s my turn.”

She bit her lower lip. “It’ll transform him to know he has a father he can talk to on the phone sometimes.”

His expression sobered. “I hope so, but first we have to get over the biggest hurdle. He has viewed me as a deadbeat dad for a lot of years. I have a feeling this is going to take some time.”

He checked his watch. “It’s starting to get dark. Where do you think he could be?”

“I called some of his friends. They went swimming at the condo pool.”

“Why don’t we drive over in your car and find him. I’ll tell him I’m an old friend of his mother’s and we’ll go from there.”

Her heart raced too fast. “I don’t know, Alex. Maybe you’d better think about this for a while longer. Once the water spills over the dam…”

A shadow crossed his face. “Isn’t this why you came to Bris?”

“Yes. But when I found out you’re going to be married soon, I was glad I’d been prevented from meeting you.

“My grandmother died when Phillip was nine months old. She urged me to adopt him. She also told me not to go looking for you unless I was prepared to deal with the consequences. Until Phillip became so difficult, I’d made up my mind to follow her advice.

His eyes narrowed on her face. “I don’t know of another woman whose love for a child she didn’t give birth to would cause her to put everything on the line to make him happy.

“For you to sacrifice your own life for him tells me all I need to know about your character. My son has been more fortunate than he’ll ever know,” his voice grated. “I owe you a debt of gratitude I’ll never be able to repay for what you’ve done, Darrell.”

“It’s been no sacrifice—he was the most adorable baby on this earth. I fell in love with him on sight. He’s my life!”

“To know I have a son makes me feel the same way,” he asserted in a solemn tone. “So why don’t you make that phone call. After seeing his pictures, I’m eager to lay eyes on him in person.”

She felt that eagerness. It wasn’t an emotion he could feign. Nervous excitement welled up inside her. “All right. The phone’s in the other room.”

He followed her to the family room. As she picked up the wall phone receiver in the kitchen and started to press the digits, they both heard the front door open.

“Mom? What’s that black limo doing outside our house? Doug saw it on his way over to the pool and told me.”

Her anxious glance darted to Alex before she hung up the phone. In the next instant Phillip appeared in the family room. His hair was still damp from his swim. It looked darker when it was wet.

Melissa had been a beautiful girl with a ton of boyfriends. Darrell had always thought her son was the best looking boy out of all his friends. He seemed older than most of the seventh-graders and was growing more attractive all the time. Talk about the acorn falling close to the mighty oak—