Page 39 of Redemption of a Prince

Nikki shot a sidelong glance at Ezekiel who seemed to take it as a challenge. She followed him into the kitchen. Samson followed her.

“He wants a snack,” Henry called. “He doesn’t need one. He just ate a big brekkie himself.”

The kitchen was much smaller than Nikki expected. In fact, once Samson joined them, there wasn’t much room left.

“I just want something light,” she told Ezekiel. “Maybe a bagel or small meat pie.”

He pulled a full-sized meat pie out of the fridge. “I’ll split this one with you.”

She turned on the oven. “It feels like we should be eating something that requires less energy.”

Ezekiel flipped the oven off. “Then use this.” A much smaller toaster oven sat on the counter.

Samson just stared at them, fluffy tail brushing the floor with each wag.

Nikki scratched the top of his head. “Sorry, mate. Nothing for you this time.”

“You know you have a friend for life, now, right?”

She looked over to see Ezekiel leaning against the counter top, arms crossed over his chest and an easy grin on his face.

“I’m okay with that. I’ve always loved dogs, but was never allowed to have one growing up. I didn’t want to get one as an adult because I was away from my flat so much.”

He simply watched her and seemed completely at ease, something she hadn’t seen from him in years. Even in supposedly candid videos from the documentaries on the royal family, he appeared to be more tense than he was at the moment.

Nikki realized he’d never looked better than he did just then.

Not that she’d ever do anything about it. But he did.

No. She needed to put those thoughts out of her mind and hope that she’d moved to the middle of nowhere by the time he found his princess.

Because she was fairly certain she still wanted it to be her.

11

By the time they finished breakfast, the precipitation had come to a stop. Zeke checked his phone and the radar had cleared up.

“What can we do to help clean up?” Nikki asked.

Henry shook his head. “Nothing at the moment. We have staff to take care of it.”

“We can help,” Nikki insisted. “I don’t think you’d want me to use a chainsaw or anything, but I can certainly drag some smaller limbs to a pile.”

Zeke wasn’t sure he wanted to do that. It was cold, and probably very slick outside. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea. The last thing anyone needs is for someone to get hurt on ice-covered ground.”

“I concur with the prince,” Henry said. “Once we get some of the areas salted, and it’s not so slick outside, then perhaps you can come help with something that doesn’t require petrol-fueled machinery.”

Before long, they were alone in the flat.

Nikki paced restlessly around the room. “I don’t like sitting in here while other people work hard cleaning up.”

Zeke stretched out on the lounge, propping his feet on the opposite arm. “I know, but I’ve learned over the years that there’s nothing I can do until they tell me it’s safe. I usually put up a perfunctory argument, they refuse, I wait, then help when I can. I mean it when I make the argument, and if the answer was different someday, I’d help out immediately.”

He closed his eyes and laced his fingers behind his head. “But they won’t. At least not this time. Perhaps in an emergency, but that’s it.”

She plunked herself down on one of the chairs. “So what do we do?”

“Whatever we want. I didn’t have any plans outside of skiing today. What was on your agenda?”

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