Noah paced in his bedroom, the door closed and locked though Zara had gone to work an hour ago. He’d decided to start with Louisa, as his sister could tell him how their mother would react with near exactness.
But she wouldn’t pick up the phone. So he hung up without leaving a message. She’d see he’d called, and she’d call him back when she was done with whatever obligation she was dealing with.
His stomach writhed as if he’d swallowed a nest of vipers for breakfast. As it was, he’d sipped a cup of coffee while Zara slathered peanut butter and Nutella on two slices of bread, grabbed a banana, and tucked a protein bar into her purse.
She’d flashed him a smile, kissed him quickly, and left through the garage door. He’d been sealed inside the mansion, but it didn’t smother him as much as it had in the past.
His phone rang, and he jumped like he’d been caught on camera doing something naughty. “Hey, sis,” he said when he answered. He sounded cool and confident, the way he’d been taught.
“Noah,” she said, a brightness to her voice that felt genuine. “What’s going on? You called three times.”
“Did I?”
“In the span of five minutes. I was dealing with a member of Parliament, and I couldn’t even get a text off.”
Dealing with a member of Parliament. Noah didn’t have to do that either. His mother actually warned him away from politics, citing his short fuse as the reason why. And he didn’t even have that short of a fuse. But compared to her, Damien, and Louisa, Noah’s temper was downright explosive.
“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I’m a little anxious this morning.”
“Why?” She drew the word out as if she were preparing herself for terrible news.
“So I’m at the mansion house in Getaway Bay,” he said. “I’ve been here for a week or so.” Had it really only been that long? And he’d already kissed Zara? A hint of embarrassment made his blood run hotter through his veins.
“And?” Louisa prompted, and he could just picture her all prim and proper as she chatted with him.
“And I’m thinking I’d like to just stay here.” He drew in a deep breath. “Permanently.” The word landed like a bomb between them, and Noah waited for his sister to say something. Anything.
“Have you spoken to Mom and Dad about that?” she asked, her voice quiet and downright diplomatic. He’d heard her speak like this before, and he didn’t like that she was using the tone on him.
“Not yet,” he said. “You’re my sounding board.”
“So Damien doesn’t know either.”
“No,” he said. “Just you, and I’m just thinking out loud.” He’d been doing more than that—in fact, his dreams and daydreams all featured him and Zara in the early-morning waves, surfing. Then doing something around the house. Or building a new children’s wing in the library here on the island. Or chartering a jet and island-hopping for a few days. Or weeks. Whatever.
He didn’t have a job, and he didn’t need one. His inheritance was more than enough to buy a place and live on this Hawaiian island for a good long while. His whole life. Zara wouldn’t have to work either, unless she wanted to.
He couldn’t wait to see her swim, and he focused on the conversation. If he wanted a future with Zara, he needed to work some things out first.
“I don’t know, Noah,” his sister was saying. “No one in the royal family has ever left the island permanently.”
“Is that true?” Noah asked. “What about that crazy uncle no one will talk about?”
“There’s a reason no one talks about him,” Louisa said.
“Well, maybe I’ll be him,” Noah said, though the thought of not being included in family texts and the royal events of the country stung him in a way he hadn’t anticipated.
“Noah,” Louisa said with plenty of reprimand in the name. “Why would you want to stay in Getaway Bay? To my recollection, you’ve never liked it all that much.”
“That’s because we never visit in the summer,” he said, turning back to the window. “You should see this place right now. It’s beautiful.” And he didn’t remember not liking Getaway Bay.
“And?” Louisa prompted. She really was the smartest of the siblings, and Noah should’ve anticipated that he’d have to tell her about Zara.
“And nothing,” he said, his voice only the teensiest bit false. “Do you think Mother will veto it immediately?”
“Veto outright? No.” Louisa paused for a moment. “But, Noah, you should expect to have an iron-clad argument in place. Just this morning, she mentioned she’d spoken to you, and you’d be home soon.”
“I didn’t tell her that.”
“You know how she is.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Does she have a parade all lined up?”
“Not yet.” Louisa laughed and added, “But she did mention a new charity she wanted you to focus on once you return.”
“I’m doing charity work here,” he said. “I’m volunteering at a wedding planning place, and I’m donating to the synchronized swimming association here on the island.” The last one had just popped into his head, but he seized onto it, determined to do it. No one had to know. His family had made plenty of anonymous donations.
“Mom said she didn’t even know where you were.”
“No, I didn’t tell her.”
“So I get the exclusive scoop.” Louisa was the last person on Earth who would tell the press where he was. And honestly, he wasn’t sure he cared anymore. If he was going to live here permanently, he couldn’t take every trip down the bluff concealed under blankets in the backseat.
He chuckled. “Something like that, sis. So, you think I need a better argument than it’s pretty here in the summer.”
“Definitely,” she said. “And Noah? It better not be another woman.”
He cringed at the word another, and he said, “Of course it isn’t, Louisa,” like such a thing was utterly ridiculous. They talked a bit longer about Damien’s quick trip to the island, and if she was any closer to a firm date for her wedding. Then he hung up and returned to his position at the French doors, watching the ocean in the distance.
It better not be another woman.
Well, so what if it was?
He hadn’t been in Venice for a woman, nor to run from a scandal. He’d simply been there on vacation. An extended vacation, sure, but not because he’d screwed up again.
Noah was tired of being the bad boy prince. He didn’t want to return to his life in Triguard, even if it was somewhat fulfilling to volunteer and serve the people of his country. He wanted a more normal life, with a wife and kids and Boomer. He wanted to go to the beach in the summer, and carve pumpkins at Halloween, and establish his own family traditions for every other holiday.
And when he pictured himself doing those things, it was Zara at his side. So he lifted his phone again, this time calling his mother, no idea what he was going to say to her.
“You want me to meet your family?” Noah stared at Zara, her hair still damp from the pool.
She unpacked the grocery bags and started putting things in the fridge and cupboards as if she lived in this house. “We’ve been dating a few weeks now,” she said. “My show opens next week. They’ll see you there.”
He’d told her about the tickets he’d found, and she’d simply shook her head, smiled, and kissed him like she was glad he was so resourceful.
He nodded and swallowed, suddenly so nervous. “And you don’t think they’ll be a huge roadblock?”
Zara shrugged, but Noah could read her expressions by now. And this one said yes, of course, her family was going to be a major roadblock. He still hadn’t gotten royal permission to relocate to Getaway Bay, and he’d made a dozen phone calls—two of them conference calls with the whole family—and the job still wasn’t done.
His father simply didn’t understand why Noah needed to live on a different island. Noah had steadfastly refused to tell them about Zara or the fact that she was house-sitting in the same mansion where he was currently living.
His mother would think that was a scandal, and she’d likely demand her money back from Zara and send someone from her security detail to retrieve Noah. So he hadn’t gotten what he wanted yet, because he hadn’t been able to give the right answers to his parents’ questions.
But he didn’t want to jeopardize Zara’s job. He didn’t want to lie. So he said nothing, and the frustration over the whole thing was starting to take its toll on him.
No, he didn’t have official permission to leave Triguard, but he considered himself a permanent resident of Getaway Bay now. He and Zara had fallen into an easy and enjoyable routine. She drove him to Your Tidal Forever. He worked on whatever Hope needed him to do, and then he went to the beach, or hired a pro to teach him more about surfing. Whatever he wanted to pass the time until Zara finished with her rehearsals.
Then they grabbed dinner, went back to the privacy of the mansion, ate, and spent evenings together until one of them fell asleep.
It was almost always Zara, but Noah really didn’t mind waking her and then leading her down the hall to her bedroom. He’d kiss her and leave her in the doorway before retreating to his own room on the second floor.
Nothing scandalous, no matter what his mother—or the press—might think should they ever find out how Noah and Zara spent their time.
They’d eaten at a different restaurant every night for the past few weeks, but never her family’s. “So maybe we should stop by Indian House this week,” he said casually, feeling anything but calm about the prospect.
Zara shook her head as she put crackers on a shelf. “Nope. That’s not how it works. Meeting a boyfriend is a huge family affair. My mother will need at least a week’s notice, and she’ll do an entire Indian festival meal at the house.”
Noah almost scoffed but caught himself in time. “What?”
“We’ve probably waited too long at this point,” she said. “Schedules have to be rearranged so all my sisters can come. My aunts and uncles. Grandparents.” She sighed as she cleared away the last of the recyclable bags and tucked them in a drawer in the island. “Maybe we should just show up at Indian House.”
Noah got up and walked around the island, taking her easily into his arms. “I understand the formality of family things,” he said, bending down to touch his forehead to hers. If there was anyone who understood the details that didn’t matter, it was him.
“So, you tell me what you want me to do. If you want the big meet-the-boyfriend affair, call your mom and set it up. If you don’t, let’s go to Indian House tomorrow night.”
There was no reason they couldn’t go tonight, other than the fact that Noah needed a little more time to gather his wits about him. He couldn’t even imagine introducing her to his parents, and a slip of fear ran through him. He’d have to do that eventually, and he had no idea how it would go. After all, he couldn’t even tell them she was the reason he wanted to relocate.
That’s because of her job, he told himself. He knew she needed this job, and his mother would probably hop on her private jet and come to Getaway Bay to get her money back from Zara if she found out.
“Let me call her tonight,” she said. “Maybe everyone can meet us for dinner tomorrow.”
“I don’t want you to think your family can’t do their traditions,” he said.
“I don’t think that.” She looked up at him, those honey-brown eyes smoldering at him.
“Good.” He gave her a quick kiss and said, “Then let’s go get tacos and watch the sun set at Lightning Point. Sound good?”
“Sounds amazing, but you have to bring way more blankets than last time. I got cold.”
“I don’t even know how that’s possible, but okay.”
“The wind was wicked,” she said. “You were cold too; you just won’t admit it.”
No, Noah would not admit it. He simply shook his head and went to get another blanket out of the closet in the hall. He really liked spending time with Zara, and while they’d talked a lot over the past few weeks and gotten to know each other, they’d really only taken one step toward a lasting relationship—getting to know each other.
Him moving to the island was a huge step though, if he could get that to go through, and so was meeting her parents. He hoped it wouldn’t take as much effort as getting permission to move here, but something told him he better be prepared for anything when it came to Zara’s family.