The prince shook his head as he watched her go. “Unbelievable,” he said to himself. Part of him wanted to stop her because he didn’t like the idea of her roaming around the castle on her own, but his ego wouldn’t let him chase after her.
She was one of the most infuriating women he’d ever met. And she was good, he thought, really good, because she’d almost had him believing she was actually there for all the right reasons, and that she wasn’t just another reporter out to exploit his family. He knew he needed to keep an eye on Kaylie, but there was no way he was going to do it. However, he knew the perfect person for the job. He needed to go find Elsa, who he called the ‘Fabulous Fixer’ because no matter what the mess, Elsa could always figure it out.
He walked further down the bookcase and pushed a new section that opened to another secret hallway that led him down a long corridor.
“So, what? You just let Kaylie take off on her own?” Chef Jake asked with a laugh as he took a cookie tray filled with freshly-baked gingerbread boys out of the oven.
The prince picked up a cookie from a cooling rack and snapped its head off. “I did.”
“Where did she go?” Chef Jake asked.
The prince shrugged. “I have no idea. I sent Elsa to go try and find her. It’s not like she could get that far. You wouldn’t believe how impossible she is. All she cares about is her career and work. She’ll do anything to get ahead.”
“Uh, the workaholic part sounds a little familiar,” Chef Jake said, giving the prince a pointed look. “Was she really that bad because she seemed pretty nice to me?”
“Trust me, under that pretty smile is a tenacious reporter who will stop at nothing to get her story,” the prince said.
“Ah, ha!” Chef Jake pointed at him. “So, you think she’s pretty, that’s the real problem here…”
“What are you talking about?” the prince asked, losing his patience. “Look, it doesn’t matter what she looks like. She’s a barracuda just waiting to bite.”
“Not all reporters are like that,” Chef Jake said.
“No, she literally told me she’s exactly like that,” the prince countered. “She said she’d stop at nothing to get a story and her whole plan was to get people to trust her and open up so she could learn their secrets.”
Chef Jake put another cookie sheet into the oven. “Really, she said all that?”
The prince nodded as he picked up another cookie. “She did. She’s one of them, Jake. I know she is.”
“But what if she’s not?” Chef Jake asked. “Maybe you’ve got this figured out all wrong.”
The prince shook his head. “I don’t think so. I need you to be on my side on this.”
“I’m always on your side,” Chef Jake quickly responded. “I wouldn’t have come here as your head chef if I wasn’t on your side.”
“We both know you came because Sophia sweet-talked you into it,” the prince said with a smile. “You spoiled her in college, always making her favorite meals and desserts. I don’t think she would have married me if you hadn’t come along as part of the package.”
Chef Jake laughed. “Probably not.”
The prince looked around and sighed. “I miss her, Jake, especially this time of year. She loved Christmas so much and many of my favorite traditions include her. That’s why I couldn’t stay here after we lost her. It was too hard. You know that first Christmas I took Anna to the British Virgin Islands because we both needed an escape. I thought it would give us a chance to relax at the beach and try to heal. When the next Christmas rolled around, I just went back to the Caribbean again. It was easier.”
“I know it’s hard,” Chef Jake said. “This being your first Christmas back at the castle since Sophia passed away.”
“There are just so many memories here,” the prince said.
“But memories can be a good thing,” Chef Jake said. “I think that’s why your mother did all this, wanting a special gift for the princess. We all miss Sophia but I really think she would have loved this fairy tale idea. You know how much she loved trying to make Christmas special for your daughter.”
“I know,” the prince said. “But we didn’t get our happily ever after, did we? I don’t know if I want Anna believing in fairy tales. I don’t want her to get disappointed and hurt any more than she already has been. She lost her mother, Jake, she lost everything.”
“No, she didn’t,” Chef Jake quickly said. “Anna still has you. I know these last few years have been incredibly hard for both of you…”
“For all of us,” the prince said quietly.
“Yes, for all of us, but don’t you think it’s time for Anna to start enjoying Christmas again and learning more about why her mother loved it so much?”
“Anna doesn’t really care that much about Christmas,” the prince said, putting down the cookie he was eating. “It’s not a big deal for her.”
Chef Jake gave him a pointed look. “You really think that? She’s just following your lead because she knows you haven’t liked celebrating Christmas. She’s very smart and intuitive but she’s still a child, Alex. She should be enjoying Christmas. I’ve seen how her face lights up when she’s talking to your mother about Christmas and helping her decorate and plan the events.”
“I haven’t seen that,” the prince said, frowning.
“Maybe because you haven’t wanted to,” Chef Jake said.
The prince raked his fingers through his hair and started pacing around the kitchen. “I’ve really messed this up for Anna, haven’t I? I’ve been so busy working lately, I missed seeing any of this.”
“You haven’t messed anything up,” Chef Jake said with an encouraging smile. “I’m just saying I think it’s time for you, and for Anna, to start making your own Christmas memories. If there’s any time of year for hope and healing, this is it.”
“Are you a chef or a therapist?” the prince asked, only half-joking.
Chef Jake came and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m anything you need me to be. That’s what friends are for.”
The prince knew Chef Jake was right. He had never intentionally meant to cut Christmas out of Anna’s life but that’s exactly what had happened when they spent their last couple of holidays in the Caribbean at their family’s vacation home.
He remembered how his mother had wanted them to stay in Tolvania but when she had seen how hard it was for him, she’d agreed he should go. She’d supported him doing whatever it took to help them get through the impossibly difficult time.
The prince smiled a little, remembering how much Anna had thrived and healed during their time in the Caribbean. They’d spent all their days together, just the two of them, boating and swimming in the beautiful turquoise sea and exploring all the sugar-white sand beaches. Anna was his entire world, and all he wanted was for her to be safe and happy.
But if he was being completely truthful with himself, he knew those island Christmas getaways were just as much for him as they were for Anna. He was the one who had a hard time dealing with all the Christmas memories. He counted on how, when they went to the Caribbean, they didn’t do any Christmas activities but treated it like a wonderful beach vacation. There was no talk of Christmas, past, present, or future.
There had been times when he had wondered if Anna was missing out on celebrating Christmas but he’d convinced himself that he was doing the right thing. He planned that someday when the memories weren’t so painful, he would share some of her mother’s favorite Christmas traditions with her.
That time had come faster than he had hoped when a hurricane took out a large portion of the compound earlier that year. Since the repairs were still happening that meant this Christmas they’d have to stay home at the castle.
He had asked his mother to keep things low-key, but apparently, her definition of low-key was very different as she had gone ahead and planned a lot of Christmas events that she’d expected him to be a part of. The fact that she’d also invited a journalist to stay with them was still something he couldn’t understand. He knew she was only doing what she thought was best for him and her granddaughter, but bringing a stranger into their home, a reporter no less, had thrown him completely off guard. And now he had to deal with the fact that his daughter apparently loved Christmas as much as her mother and grandmother.
He knew, no matter how complicated his relationship with Christmas was, he owed it to his daughter to make sure she had the kind of Christmas she truly wanted, and if that meant doing all the holiday traditions to make her happy, that’s what he was determined to do.
“I need to fix this with Anna, don’t I?” The prince asked the question already knowing the answer.
Chef Jake put some gingerbread cookies on a cute Santa plate and handed it to the prince. “This might help. They’re her favorite.”
“Thanks,” the prince said as he took the plate, but still looked worried.
“Look,” Chef Jake said. “Your mother is a smart lady. I’m sure she checked Kaylie out. She’d never bring paparazzi here. She hates them as much as you do for what they’ve done to your family, and she would never do anything to hurt Anna. I know you want to protect Anna but you don’t want to protect her so much that she doesn’t have a chance to live her life. She’s just ten years old. I think your mother is just trying to bring some Christmas magic into her life.”
The prince nodded. He knew Jake was right. He knew Anna had inherited her mother’s vivid imagination and love of a good story. So, no matter how he felt about fairy tales and believing in happily ever after, he knew his mother had gone to a lot of trouble to bring a writer here, even if, in his opinion, she had picked the wrong writer for the job.
“So, maybe you want to ease up on her,” Chef Jake said.
“My mother or the reporter?” the prince asked.
“Both,” Chef Jake answered.
The prince nodded as he looked down at his plate of gingerbread cookies.
“Don’t even think about it,” Chef Jake said. “Those are for Anna.”
“And she’s going to love them,” the prince said as he headed for the door. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Chef Jake said with a smile. “You got this. You’re a great dad.”
“And you’re a great friend,” the prince said as he left the kitchen.