Page 30 of The Princess Home for Christmas

But she celebrated when they were at last at the bottom and could exit. Her anxiety picked up. A huge crowd had gathered. She didn’t know if it was for them or for the trolley.

“Princess!” A girl pointed and shouted.

But then a familiar sight made her smile. A group of men in suits exited from two of the Valdez limos and made their way through the crowd. Bless Lucan.

She waited until her palace security were at the trolley doors and then she pointed for Thomas to stand and exit with them.

“You’re a beautiful blonde,” Some man from behind her shouted.

She waved but kept moving as quickly as they could to the car.

When they were all loaded, the television was turned on to the local station.

Thomas groaned again beside her. “This gets worse and worse.”

A crazed looking red head with hair hanging in her face shouted at the screen. “He’s the father, I tell you. Abandoned us, left me to drink. And now he’s trying to steal my kids. He has them, won’t give them back.”

The screen flashed to a darkened sky, a figure climbing down the back staircase of an old apartment building. Then the question, “That your girlfriend?”

“None of your business.” Thomas’ voice. And the movement of the camera being shoved backwards.

Only one hour later, a call to emergency was made from this apartment, a young woman, Theresa, sprawled on the floor, unconscious, and you guessed it, Thomas Castellanos’ limo out front to pick up the children.

Dahlia placed a hand at her temples. Obviously the story was being exaggerated and Thomas misrepresented. “You should have talked to us about this.”

His fists were clenched. He stared out the side window. “It’s none of your business.”

She sucked in a breath. Then nodded. If that’s how it was going to be, then she was finished.

He turned to her. “I wish you’d just talk to me.” He waved at the four men sitting in the car with them. “Alone.”

“You’ve had plenty of opportunity to talk, but I guess it’s none of my business.”

“I’ll call you tonight.”

“I might answer.”

“Ok, well, it’s the best I can do.”

“Pretty sorry best.”

“What?”

She pointed to the television, behind them, all around them. “If this is your best, you’re in trouble.”

His face turned cold, his eyes distant, and she regretted her harsh words. “I didn’t mean that quite how it sounded.”

“I heard you, though. Looks like I’ll never be good enough for Dahlia Valdez, then or now.”

She closed her eyes. “Let’s stop talking. We are saying things we might regret.”

He turned away.

They rode the rest of the way to the palace in silence. When they got there, Thomas stayed in the car. She presumed they drove him to his home.

Lucan met her on the front drive and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Dahlia.”

“What’s going on? Who is this girl?”

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