It had been days since they’d released her from the hospital. Four long days that had flown by in a flurry of change. She’d been returned to Portase and taken to the royal vacation home, where she would stay until the changes in the government were complete. Through it all, she hadn’t seen a trace of Ronin.
Thea paced the elegant room where she was to meet her visitor. She was home, but it didn’t feel like home without Ronin. Doubts filled her mind. Maybe she’d imagined him saying those words.
She couldn’t be sure. She had been in shock, they told her. She’d had a severe allergic reaction to some peanut oil Lucia had slipped in her drink and would have died. Lucia was in custody, though; that gave her some peace of mind. Her son, Daniel, had been brought in for questioning, but an in-depth interrogation and further investigation into Lucia’s past had proved his innocence. He was just as shocked by what his mother had done as everyone else. He had even agreed to help them in any way possible to locate her sister.
It turned out he had been the man at the event they’d lured her to her first night in Denver. No one really had any idea why Lucia had instructed the men who worked for her in the Royal Guard to direct Thea there. Lucia’s reasons for doing what she’d done might be questionable, but she had been very calculating in doing it. She’d been patient in her plan. She’d probably meant to kill her and enjoy the party afterward. If her son hadn’t shown up, she’d have pulled it off.
How one person could be so callous of human life, Thea had no idea. At least the woman had a motherly instinct in protecting her child. But it was not her place to make judgment or cast stones. Thea only hoped that whatever happened to the woman, she would never have to see Lucia again.
After learning the full story, Thea could vaguely remember the woman from before her father’s death. But her father had been very careful about the sorts of people he allowed around his children. He had been a wise man and had probably sensed Lucia’s true nature early on.
Thea did wonder about the things the woman had said, though. She’d mentioned her sister. She could have been just trying to think up new ways to cause Thea pain or it could have been the shock, but Thea couldn’t help but wonder. Everyone had thought her dead. What if her sister had been saved, too, but no one knew? Could it be true that Lucia had taken Adriana away and raised her? It didn’t seem possible, but then very little of the past week really seemed all that possible. She wouldn’t rest until she knew for sure. She had already asked Jarrod if he would see if there were any truths to the things the woman had said. She trusted he would get to the bottom of it all. That meant dredging up more of the past, but she’d dealt with the past a lot since she’d met Ronin.
Something about him had given her the courage to finally face it.
Everything that had happened to her the past few weeks held some thread to the events all those years ago. It was almost as if she’d come full circle. That was the way life worked sometimes.
Thea smiled to herself. She did look forward to parts of the past—her expected guest, for one. She couldn’t wait to thank him and apologize on behalf of their country for the hardships that had befallen him after his part in her rescue. She couldn’t imagine anything would even begin to make up for it all, but she would do what she could.
She had hoped Ronin would be here. She meant it as a surprise for him more than anything. But she couldn’t postpone it forever while she waited and wondered what had happened to him and why he had pulled his latest disappearing act. Everyone who should have known where he was had given her the runaround, as if he was on some top secret mission.
They seemed to forget who they were dealing with. She was their ruler, after all. At least she was for now. Soon, Leo would be here and he could take the spot of head of their government. It was her duty to her country, but a position she didn’t want. The past few days had shown her that.
The short amount of time she’d lived in this palace of a home was more than enough to show her it was not a life she wanted. Royalty might be something that was in her bloodline, but it wasn’t in her heart. Her dream was cozy evening meals and discussing the day, not discussing politics. S’mores in front of the fire, not waiters serving food she didn’t even know the name of.
She wanted a lifetime of snowball fights and puppies. Hopefully, that life would include children with freckles and days of mud pies and doll tea parties. Maybe it was selfish of her to not want what her ancestors before her had fought so hard for her to have. She wasn’t sure. She only knew what would make her happy. That had to count for something. She knew a huge part of Ronin’s worries had been because of her status. There had to be a way they could work it out so she could do her duty as a member of the royal family and still have a family of her own.
Thea was pulled from her contemplation by a knock at the door.
“Your Highness,” the portly man at the door announced. “He’s here.”
“Thank you. Please show him in.”
Thea braced herself for the shock she was certain would come. When the man she’d only seen in dreams became a real, live human, she was sure there would be a moment of surprise. He stepped through the door and she recognized him immediately. Not from her memories—they were still so vague and splotchy it was impossible to know how much of them were real—but because he reminded her so much of his son. He was very much an older version of the man she loved.
“Your Highness,” he greeted her as he stepped into the room.
“Please.” Thea stood frozen in place. “Please call me Thea.” She wasn’t sure what was proper or expected, so she did what she felt she needed to do. In a few large strides she reached him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “I have so much to thank you for.”
“I think it is I who must thank you.”
“Pssh,” she exhaled. “You saved me first. I’m only repaying the favor.” She released him and stepped back. He was clearly taken off guard by her openness. She didn’t care. No matter what she did for this man, she could never thank him enough. He had rescued her. He had given up his freedom for her for years without ever risking her safety, and most of all, he had given her Ronin.
“Would you like to sit?” Thea motioned toward a Victorian love seat in the center of the room.
He nodded and took a seat. Thea sat beside him.
“I had hoped to surprise your sons with your visit as well, but they are not here yet. Jarrod and Declan will both be here in a few days and Ronin has taken off somewhere.”
“He does that.” Calvin Parrish smiled, small dimples playing at his cheeks, reminding her even more of Ronin. “I’m honored that you invited me to spend some time here to see my boys.”
“You have amazing sons.” She hadn’t met Declan yet, but she was sure he’d be honorable like his brothers. “Ronin saved me, you know, just like you did.” Thea wasn’t sure if saved was the right word. Ronin had done so much more. He had helped her face her fears. He had stuck by her even when she’d pushed him away. Of course, he’d done his share of pushing as well, but they both had things they’d had to let go of in order to move forward.
He had said he loved her. Or she thought he had. She still wasn’t sure.
“I want you to know, I plan to marry him.”
The man choked. She’d caught him off guard again. If Ronin were here he’d tell her how she clearly needed to work more on her tactfulness.
She had to speak her mind, though. Holding back secrets had a way of eating at a person, of giving fear a foothold in their heart. She would never be that person again. For so long fear had had its hold on her. She’d struggled with it, doubting the strength of her own faith because of that struggle. Then she had realized she was only human. It would be a part of her life, but she didn’t have to let it control her.
“Not immediately, of course,” she added. She had to convince him first. But she was hoping he wouldn’t take much persuading. She hoped that the words he’d spoken the night she’d almost died were heartfelt and still as true now as they’d been then.
“Of course.” Calvin smiled.
“You are his father, so I’m sure you already know, but Ronin is an amazing man. I have grown to care for him quite a bit.”
A noise at the door distracted her and she looked up.
Ronin stood at the doorway, a small black-and-white puppy wriggling in his arms.
* * *
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but when he’d heard the voice, he’d recognized it immediately. Thea would forever surprise him, he had no doubt. She’d had his father released and brought here. It only made him love her more. If that were even possible.
Their eyes met and he knew a moment of complete clarity. He’d known before, even if he wasn’t sure he had finally begun to believe it. Maybe he’d known since that first night when she’d smacked him with the brick. It had knocked something loose in him, he imagined.
His father turned, following Thea’s gaze toward the door.
“Ronin.” He smiled and rose to greet his son.
“Dad.” Ronin shifted the puppy to one side to return his father’s hug. He held on tight. He’d spent so many years dreaming of the day he’d see his father free and Thea had made it happen. He searched his mind for the words, but none could fully express his joy at seeing him freed. “It’s so good to see you. Have you been here long?” His mind raced with questions. Had Thea been planning this all along?
“I just got here.”
“I had hoped to surprise you,” Thea whispered.
“You did. I wasn’t expecting it at all.” He’d known his father would be released. There was no doubt in his mind. Now that the real person behind the king’s death and the recent threats had been found and put away, they’d have no reason to hold him.
He felt a small twinge of guilt that his father’s release hadn’t been in the forefront of his mind. When he’d gone to find the prince and princess, he’d had one goal in mind—proving his father’s innocence and restoring honor to his family.
Somewhere along the way his focus had shifted. He hadn’t even realized it until he’d nearly lost her. In the days before the attack on Thea’s life, his main objective had been her.
Her faith and love had chased away the bitterness over what had happened. He hadn’t even realized how much it had consumed him. Now he could look back and see how she’d shown him the importance of letting go of the past. Holding on to it and letting vengeance guide you would lead a person down a bitter path to loneliness and pain.
He’d been on that path.
But not anymore. Thea’s faith and love had changed him. She made him want to be a better man. She gave him the strength to believe in things he’d given up on a long time ago.
“It’s been a long trip. If you don’t mind, Princess Dorthea, I could use a few hours to rest up,” his father said.
Thea glared at the man, that same glare she’d used on him when he’d called her by her given name.
“She goes by Thea now, Dad.” He smiled. His father had rescued her as a young teen. She’d been on the path to a life of royalty. Then Ronin had rescued her as a woman who had lived a life of hiding and fear. Together they’d learned to trust and to love.
“So she does, son. So she does.” His father clasped his hand before leaving the room and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “Don’t mess this up.” He winked and then was gone.
Ronin had no plans of messing anything up, not any more than he had already anyway.
“Where have you been?” Thea questioned when they were alone. “I looked all over for you. I wanted to surprise you with your father’s visit.”
“I am surprised.” Ronin shifted the puppy again as it squirmed to get down on the floor and run around. It had been his intention to never leave her side again, but he’d had a few things he really wanted to take care of first. “I’m sorry if I made you worry.”
“I was worried.” Thea chewed her bottom lip and looked between him and the puppy. “I thought you might have changed your mind and left me again.”
“Changed my mind about what?”
He had a good idea what she was thinking, but he wanted to know how much she remembered of the night she’d almost died.
“It doesn’t matter.” She shook her head and moved toward him, her hand reaching out to stroke the puppy’s fur. “I see you’ve made a new friend.”
“Don’t you recognize her?”
Thea glanced from the puppy to his face and back to the puppy. Her eyes filled with surprise, joy and, if he wasn’t mistaken, a light sheen of tears.
“I thought maybe, but...”
“But what?” he asked.
“Can I hold her?”
“Of course. She’s for you.”
“For me?” Thea gasped. Ronin noticed a tiny tear make its way down her cheek as she grabbed the puppy. She cuddled it in her arms, then turned away quickly, wiping at her face.
“But what, Thea?” he asked again, encouraging her to open up and share with him. He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. The last time she’d shared her feelings, it hadn’t gone so well.
He would do better this time. He knew now what she’d been trying to tell him that day. When love happened, it wasn’t something that took months or years to know. You just knew.
And he did know now.
“But it’s just too amazing to be true, I guess.” She spoke in a whisper. “That you would go all the way back to Kansas to pick up a puppy for me.”
“I would go all the way to the moon and back for you,” he answered, hoping his words conveyed the deepness of the emotion he felt for her.
“Is that so?” She turned to face him.
He nodded and stepped toward her. “I was a fool and I hurt you. I’m sorry for that.”
He was so very sorry. He hoped she would give him the rest of their lives to show her just how much he regretted causing her any pain.
“That night when you said you...” Her voice trailed off in a whisper. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to say it, to risk the rejection again. The puppy wiggled against her and she hugged it close to her heart.
“That night I realized for a few moments what my life would be like without you. I didn’t like what I saw.” Ronin reached out to her and lifted her chin with his fingers. He wanted to look into her eyes as he confessed his love. “You have shown me what love is, what love can be. Without you I’d have ended up a bitter, lonely man.”
“And with me?” She smiled, her face mirroring the same love he felt.
“With you I have everything.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The puppy wiggled between them. “I was worried I couldn’t handle you being a princess. I thought I would end up being the little man behind the woman. But what does that matter? Without you I have nothing.”
“You will never be a little man.” Thea bent over and placed the puppy on the floor. It ran circles around their feet, tugging at the leg of his pants. Thea returned to his arms and he held her close.
“But you will forever be my princess.” Ronin bent his head, slowly bringing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. It was everything he thought it would be and more. “Whether you are ruling your kingdom from the throne or being the queen of a farmhouse filled with puppies and children, you are the princess of my heart.”
She looked at him, her eyes filled with love and hope. She reached up and softly ran her fingers over his cheek. “I do love you so,” she said softly.
The puppy yipped at their feet for attention, but Ronin was reluctant to let Thea out of his arms. This was their beginning. He was surprised it had taken him so long to realize how much holding her felt like home. Now that he had her, he was never letting her go.
He had rescued her. But really, she had rescued him.
She smiled up at him, and he saw that look that he had come to admire so much.
“But this is the way it’s going to be,” she teased, using his own words against him. A smile spread across her face and lit her eyes with infectious joy.
“Oh, it is, is it?” Ronin laughed.
He couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say because he knew no matter what outlandish idea she followed that statement up with, he would gladly go along with it. She was, after all, his princess.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from PRESUMED GUILTY by Dana R. Lynn.