Page 73 of Redemption of a Prince

The hot liquid spilled over onto her cheeks. “I love you, too.”

This time she was certain she heard a tiny yip.

“What was that?”

Zeke grinned. “I’d hoped she’d wait a bit longer, but I have something for you.” He went to the side of the room and picked something up out of a box she hadn’t noticed before. “You said you always wanted a dog, and that you love them, but never had one.”

The little bit of fur in his hands wiggled.

“You got me a dog?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Really?”

“A puppy. We don’t have to keep this one, if you want a different breed or size, but I thought a little dog might be better in the palace.” His smile widened.

“Palace?”

“Well...” He handed the squirming furball over. “I’m hoping you’ll be living here permanently before too long. I figured a Bernese Mountain Dog like Samson might be a bit much running through the corridors here.”

Nikki snuggled the black and reddish-brown ball to her chest. “You might be right. Is this a Yorkie?”

“She is,” he confirmed. “Based on the size of the parents, she should be about five or six pounds. Not super tiny but not very big either.”

“What’s her name?” A tiny pink tongue emerged and licked Nikki’s finger.

“Whatever you want, but the breeder called her Queen Charlotte. There were four female puppies so they named them after the Trilunium queens.” Zeke reached out and brushed his hand across the puppy’s head. “You can call her whatever you want, though.”

“I like Charlotte. Perhaps we can call her Lottie.”

“Lottie it is.” His finger left Lottie’s head and reached up to brush the hair off Nikki’s face. “We have a lot to work through, but I’d really like to work through it together. As a couple. And sometime, soon but not yet, I want to ask you to spend your life with me.”

Nikki looked into his eyes as the puppy continued to lick her finger. “You mean that?”

He winked at her. “I do.”

And then he kissed her.

Zeke’s fingers tangled in her hair as his other arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer.

Nikki wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, but she couldn’t let go of the precious bundle in her arms.

The kiss never threatened to get out of hand, but when Zeke moved away, Nikki felt a bit lightheaded and out of breath.

“There’s something else,” he said softly. “I happen to know that a certain nearly fourteen-year-old girl loves dogs. I thought it might be something you two could spend time together working on - training her and such.”

More tears spilled over onto Nikki’s cheeks at the thought that went into the gift. He wasn’t just giving her a puppy. He was trying to give her a relationship with her daughter.

She couldn’t have asked for more.

* * *

Much more atpeace with his life, Zeke held Nikki’s hand as they walked together into the hospital. His father was much improved, though he still wouldn’t be going back to the palace for several more days.

Despite the cutting-edge technology in the medical suite at the palace, he needed to remain hospitalized until he improved a bit more.

In the three days since he and Nikki talked, they’d spent far more time apart than they had together. Between his time at the hospital and her focus group for the Trilunium resort, there hadn’t been much free time. She’d put it together with some trivia team she’d been a part of.

Zeke knew Nikki had explained it to him, but they’d been talking on the phone late the night before, and Zeke had fallen asleep without really understanding the answer.

“Are you two dating?”

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