CHAPTER 28
A fresh coat of snow from the storm covered everything in sight, glistening in the moonlight all around the Skylight Restaurant. Now that it had finally stopped snowing, you could see all the lit-up Christmas trees and the twinkling white lights that outlined the restaurant.
Inside, in their private dining room, Ava and Justin were laughing and drinking wine as they finished their dessert.
“How are you feeling?” Justin asked.
Ava picked up her wine and smiled. “Much better now. This was a wonderful Bordeaux.”
“And, of course, you had great company,” Justin added with a grin.
Ava rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
Justin leaned forward. “Can I ask you a question?”
Ava nodded and drank her wine.
“Why did you kiss me back?” Justin asked.
Ava choked, almost spitting up her drink. “What?” she asked as she felt her face turning as red as the Bordeaux she was drinking.
“When the photographers were coming and I kissed you so they wouldn’t see you, you kissed me back,” Justin answered, never taking his eyes off her face.
Ava didn’t blink, even though her heart was racing. Stay cool , she told herself. Breathe. “Did I kiss you back?” she asked as she swirled her wine. “Hmm…I don’t remember.”
Justin locked eyes with her. “Are you sure? It was quite a kiss.”
Ava shrugged and gave Justin her best innocent look. “No. I don’t recall. But then I was just hit on the head by a giant branch, remember?”
Justin sat back. “Yes, I remember. You saved me. How could I forget that?”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Ava said.
Justin picked up his wine. “I think it’s too late for that…”
Ava’s pulse quickened. She had a feeling he wasn’t talking about the accident anymore.
Samuel entered the room, interrupting the moment.
“Your sleigh is ready!” he said with a bright smile.
“Wonderful,” Ava said as she stood up eagerly, grateful for the distraction.
? ? ?
As Ava sat in the back of a shiny red sleigh that was decorated for Christmas, she glanced over at Justin sitting next to her.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked.
Justin eyed the two strong draft horses that were ready to pull the sleigh. You could see their breath rise in the cold air as their harness bells jingled.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “As long as the horses stay up there and I stay back here and I never have to ride one of them, I’m good.”
Samuel chuckled as he gave the reins to Bert, the man who was driving the sleigh. “We’ve never had that happen yet, have we, Bert?”
“No,” Bert said. “But there’s always a first time—”
“Bert, don’t even joke about that,” Justin said in mock horror.
Ava laughed.
“Don’t worry, Justin, you’re in good hands,” Samuel assured him.
“Uh, yeah, that’s what Lydia said about snowmobiling,” Justin said.
Ava gave Justin a look.
“What?” he asked in a teasing tone. “You almost killed us.”
“ Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades,” Ava countered.
Samuel’s eyes brightened as he walked up to Ava’s side of the sleigh. “Your mother used to always say that. Please tell her I said hello and that I…I mean, we all miss having her here.”
“I will,” Ava said as she smiled back at him. “Thank you again for everything. The meal was wonderful, as always. I’m sorry we disrupted your evening.”
“I’m just glad you’re both okay,” Samuel said. “Please, take care of yourselves, and good luck finding Lydia’s dog.”
“Thank you, we’ll need it,” Justin said.
“Justin, there’s a blanket under your seat. You’ll want to use it.” Samuel winked at Justin.
Ava saw the wink but pretended she didn’t. She couldn’t help but wonder what that was all about.
Justin laughed a little as he got out the blanket. “Merry Christmas, Samuel.”
“Merry Christmas!” Samuel replied with a wide smile.
When the sleigh suddenly lurched forward, Justin grabbed Ava’s hand.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes, of course,” Justin said. “I was just making sure you were okay.”
Ava smiled. She could see how nervous he was, but this time, she wasn’t going to give him a hard time about it. Instead, she turned around and waved at Samuel as the sleigh picked up speed. “Thank you again!”
When she turned back to Justin, she was still holding his hand and smiling.
“You look…happy,” Justin said.
Ava laughed. “Why do you sound so surprised?”
“Because usually, you’re more—”
“Intense?” Ava asked, staring straight ahead.
“Yes,” Justin agreed. “That would be a good word for it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It’s great to see you looking more relaxed. You seemed to really enjoy the time at the restaurant, despite the fact that we were basically trapped here.”
Ava nodded. “I did. It brought back a lot of good memories.”
“With your mother.”
“Yes,” Ava said and smiled. “I remember how excited she used to be to come here, and we always took a sleigh, just like this one.”
“And you said it was something you two did together. Your father didn’t come along?”
Ava shook her head. “No, this kind of place was never really his thing. He was much more…formal.”
“That’s why he started planning the birthday balls for her,” Justin said.
“Yes,” Ava said. “And they were always very extravagant. ‘The bigger the better,’ he’d always say.”
“Why was bigger better?”
Ava thought about it for a moment before answering.
“I think it’s because, as a royal family, we’re expected to do things on a grander scale—things most people wouldn’t be able to do.
The balls and parties aren’t just about dancing and elaborate fashion.
They’re about creating something aspirational, a glimpse into a world of elegance and tradition that sets us apart. ”
“The fairy tale,” Justin said, nodding.
“I guess in way you could say that, yes.”
Justin held up the blanket. “I think Samuel’s right. We do need this—it’s still windy out here.” He carefully placed the blanket around Ava’s shoulders.
“There’s enough for you, too,” Ava said as she inched closer to him and offered him some of the blanket.
He looked surprised but pleased. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Ava said.
They shared a smile.
Justin tilted his head and studied her. “This duke you’re marrying, who never proposed to you…do you love him?”
Ava blinked several times, startled by his question. To give herself a moment to compose herself, she wrapped the blanket closer around her.
When it fell off her shoulder, Justin leaned across her and put it back where it belonged.
Ava’s heart raced when she felt his body brush hers. While she tried to catch her breath, she stared down the trail in front of them, but all she saw was a blur of white as she thought about Justin’s question.
Did she love Henry?
“You must be excited to marry him,” Justin continued. “Since it has been planned for so long.”
“I don’t know if excited is the right word,” Ava answered truthfully.
“What would be the right word?” Justin asked.
Ava continued staring straight ahead. “Relieved.”
“Relieved?” Justin asked, surprised.
“Yes, because like you said, this has been planned for a very long time. I will know I’ve fulfilled my duty once this is over with.”
Justin winced. “I’m sorry, but that’s the most unromantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
Ava met his gaze and shrugged. “I told you, I’m not a romantic. I’m a princess. Being part of a royal family brings a lot of responsibilities. Things I must do.”
“Like marry a duke,” Justin said.
“Yes.” Ava nodded. “Henry will make a good partner. He understands this life and what it means to be a royal and all the responsibilities that come with it.”
“But do you love him?”
“It’s complicated,” Ava said, answering as honestly as she could.
“So, you don’t love him,” Justin replied. “Because saying yes isn’t complicated at all.”
Ava shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. You’re not—”
“Royal? Yes, I know. You keep reminding me, but that didn’t seem to matter when you kissed me.”
Ava looked away. She felt overwhelmed by all the things Justin was saying. She was dismayed and embarrassed when a tear trickled down her cheek. She impatiently wiped it away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Justin said, sounding sincere. He took her hand in his. “I could be way off base here, but I feel like there’s something happening between us.”
Ava slowly pulled her hand away and faced him. “There is no us .”
“But you feel it, too, don’t you?”
“No,” Ava said, and looked down so he wouldn’t see she was lying.
Justin shifted in his seat. “So, you’re saying you don’t feel anything, and that kiss—”
“That kiss was exactly what you said it was—a distraction. A mistake.” Ava took a deep breath before continuing. “For a moment…I forgot who I was.”
“Does that happen often?”
Ava looked deeply into his eyes. “No. Never. Only with you.”
Justin exhaled sharply, as if her words had knocked the wind out of him. His voice was quieter now. “But you’re still going to marry the duke.”
“Yes,” Ava said, wishing her voice didn’t crack when she said it. “I’m marring Henry.” Saying the words out loud to Justin sent a chill of dread down her spine.
Justin took a deep breath and stared straight ahead. “Then I guess I know what I needed to know. You’re doing what you want to do. Thank you for clearing that up for me.”
“You’re welcome,” Ava said with a formal nod of her head. As she turned away, another tear fell. She told herself of course she was doing the right thing marrying Henry.
But for the first time ever, she wondered if that was what she really wanted, and this question scared her to death.