Page 24 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
Gracie blinked. He’d just perfectly described the way she’d been feeling for weeks, starting with all of those horrid bank interviews and culminating with the realization that she’d have to sing in order to collect her contest prize money. She felt like he’d just handed her a long-lost piece to a jigsaw puzzle—the kind her family always did together on Christmas morning.
“That’s it exactly,” she said, breathless.
“In that case, we’re both a little out of sorts in the same way.” His gaze locked with hers until a thick lump formed in her throat. A strange sensation washed over her, almost like homesickness.
He held her gaze just a little longer before he looked away. For a second, she could almost breathe again.
“Sometimes it almost feels like the public role is a sort of hiding place, even though it’s the part of you that everyone in the world sees,” he said. “As long as everyone is paying attention to that very public face, you don’t have to worry about anyone knowing the real you and all the messiness that goes with your true hopes and fears.” Nick kept looking toward the castle until his brow furrowed. Then he shook his head and glanced back at Gracie. “I have no idea where that just came from. I’m supposed to be feeding you waffles, not a heaping dose of existential angst.”
“More like honesty. And that pairs perfectly with everything, in my humble opinion,” Gracie said.
“Mine, too.” The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. “It seems that you and I make a fine pair.”
Gracie nodded, thoughts in a whirl. “We do, don’t we?”
Her heart thumped hard in her chest. She’d traveled halfway across the world and somehow found a kindred spirit—someone who understood exactly what it felt like to wear a princess gown and a perfect royal smile every day. To do her best to spread joy and hope, while at the same time wondering if she was really up to the task. People relied on her. Not just children, but her employees too. If she messed up this trip, she wouldn’t just be letting herself down. Her entire business could fail.
How was it possible that a perfect stranger could articulate what that weight on her heart felt like?
“Honesty.” The corners of Nick’s lips rose. “I like it. One of my favorite virtues, right up there with kindness and authenticity.”
I like him. Gracie smiled into her cocoa. I like him a lot.
“You haven’t forgotten about the secret surprise, have you?” Nick arched an eyebrow and cast a meaningful look at her paper cup.
“Oh, that’s right.” Hope fluttered inside her as she took the last few sips. Then she looked down and gasped.
An intricate picture was stamped into the bottom of the cup in gilded ink. It depicted a chocolate kiss surrounded by delicate snowflakes and the words Chef’s Kiss.
“Every cup has a special artist rendering of a chocolate kiss inside. It represents the kiss that’s dropped into the cocoa just after it’s poured,” Nick said.
“So the secret surprise is a kiss,” Gracie said, and when she looked up and met Nick’s gaze, her cheeks went warm.
A kiss.
Gracie had the sudden, improper urge to rise up on tiptoe and press her lips to his.
She didn’t dare, obviously. Good grief, what had gotten into her? She felt like she’d taken a royally big bite from an enchanted apple.
“Indeed.” His eyes flickered with…something. And Gracie got the feeling that neither one of them was talking about chocolate anymore.
She hadn’t been imagining the sparks between them, had she? He felt it too.
All her breath seemed to gather in her throat. Had she somehow landed in the middle of a fairy tale?
Mittens’s wagging tail beat against Gracie’s shin, and the little dog looked up at her with huge, melting eyes. The animal was so cute that he almost didn’t look real. Gracie wanted nothing more than to keep wandering the kingdom’s cobblestone streets with this captivating pair, but her first official San Glacera appearance was in less than two hours and her ballgown was still crammed into her suitcase, along with everything else she needed to transform into Princess Snowflake. She couldn’t just wave a magic wand and turn into a princess. These things took time, and tonight would be the most important appearance she’d ever had.
Until Christmas Eve, anyway.
“Um.” Gracie let out a shaky breath. “This has been lovely, but I should probably go. I have kind of a big night ahead of me.”
Mittens let out a mournful sigh.
“A big night, hmm? Might you be attending the opening of the Ice Festival?” Nick asked.
“Ice sculptures, royalty, and storybook characters?” Gracie bounced on her toes. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
He nodded. “It’s going to be quite something this year.”
