Page 22 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
“Not magic at all. Just one of our kingdom’s finest delicacies,” someone behind her said—a male someone, if the deep timbre of his voice was any indication.
Gracie turned around and immediately found herself colliding with a flash of white and chestnut fur barreling toward her shins. It took her a second to realize it was a dog. The pup had huge, perfectly round eyes, a short muzzle, and feathered paws that sort of made him look like a character from a Dr. Seuss book.
“Mittens, no,” the man holding the other end of the leash called, just as the little spaniel threw himself, belly-up, at Gracie’s feet.
The dog pawed at the air until Gracie stooped to rub his belly with her free hand. “Well, aren’t you the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen?”
“Sorry, he’s a little excited.” The man cleared his throat. “He doesn’t get out much.”
“That’s a shame. Clearly, he loves the attention.” Gracie laughed as the dog bit gently at her mitten. Then she stood to meet the strange man’s gaze.
Her stomach fluttered. He had eyes like steel, and a perfectly chiseled jaw to match. His spine was ramrod straight, and he carried himself with an air that seemed—dare she think it—regal. Clearly, Gracie had been spending far too much time playing princess.
The man shifted from one foot to the other as if he, too, didn’t get out much.
Gracie tilted her head and bit back a smile. “Mittens? Did you really name your dog after a winter fashion accessory?”
He looked at her for a beat before cracking a reluctant smile. “Yes and no. I let my sister name him, so it was either that or Tiara. She’s really into that sort of thing.”
“Fashion accessories?” Gracie narrowed her gaze at him. “Or princess paraphernalia?”
He barked out a laugh and then seemed to collect himself. “Both.”
“Smart girl. I like her already,” Gracie said. Her gaze flitted toward the castle. Snowflakes swirled around its slender turrets, and guards dressed in bright crimson coats and tall hats flanked the entrance. They looked like toy soldiers in a magical Christmas fairy tale.
No wonder men who looked like Prince Charming and dogs named Mittens roamed free in this place.
“You just missed my sister, I’m afraid. We came for the chocolat chaud, but then she…ran off,” Mittens’s dad said.
The dog scrambled to his feet and looked back and forth between them. A clump of snow clung to his petite nose.
Gracie felt herself frown. “Chocolat chaud?”
He nodded toward the cup in her hand. “French for hot chocolate. We make it in the Parisian style, but with a secret surprise.”
Gracie had never been to Paris, or anyplace else that glamorous—which was half the reason she’d let her family convince her to travel to San Glacera during Christmas. If she’d known about the chocolate, she might have been more eager to get on the plane.
You don’t have to sing for five more days. You’ve got loads of time.
Then why did she feel like Cinderella on the brink of midnight?
“What’s the secret surprise?” She took another sip, and the decadent cocoa warmed her from the inside out.
A group of people passed by, chatting and laughing into the wind. Mittens’s dad quickly looked the other way as they walked by. Gracie followed his gaze in an attempt to see what had captured his attention, but all she could see were the tents of the Christmas market stretching the length of the square.
When she turned back toward him, he smiled and nodded toward her cup of cocoa. “You’ll find out what the secret surprise is when you get to the bottom.”
Gracie tilted her head. “That’s awfully mysterious.”
He regarded her for a moment, and his eyes went from steel to a soft dove gray. “Actually, if you’re into Christmas treats, there’s something else you simply must try.”
“Something better than this?” She took another sip of chocolat chaud, suddenly anxious to discover whatever surprise lingered at the bottom of her cup. “If so, I’m in.”
He held up a finger. “Not better. But almost as good.”
Gracie’s stomach growled. The airplane meal she’d eaten hours ago wasn’t cutting it anymore. “I’m still in, but can I ask you a question first?”
“Certainly.” He nodded.
