Page 74 of Sweet Royal Romance Suspense

“Mama.” She blinked back the tears and cleared her throat. “I … fell, and I have amnesia, of a sort.”

“Amnesia? What on the good Lord’s earth are you talkin’ about, darlin’? You remember me and the rest of your lovin’ family that you left behind?”

“Yes, Mama, I remember all of you. I would never forget you.”

She glanced over at the chief. His eyebrows were lifted. She smiled, brushing at the corners of her eyes. Her mama was just getting started. If these men thought Aliya’s drawl and expressions were worth smiling about, they hadn’t seen anything yet.

“I’ve had about enough of this travelin’ nonsense of yours. Amnesia. Well, I never. You gone and done it now, girlie. It’s high time to get your skinny tush on home where it belongs. Ya hear?”

“What language is she speaking?” Chief Jensen whispered to Aliya, his brown eyes both confused and amused.

“Pardon me?” Her mama sounded properly offended. “Who is eavesdroppin’ on our conversation?”

“We call it sweet southern sass,” Aliya explained. “Mama, Chief Jensen and some other right kind fellows from the kingdom of Augustine have been helping me today.” No need to tell her mama two of those men were handsome princes. The wheels would pop right off the bus. “The chief is gonna listen in and see if you can help fill in some holes for us.”

“Holes in what, darlin’?”

“My story. I have amnesia, Mama.” She’d already told her that, right? “I can’t remember what happened to me today, since hours before I hit my head.”

Curtis eased back into the curtained-off space holding a can of pink lemonade. He gave her a reassuring grin, and she relaxed even more. She liked having him around.

“How’d you hit your head, pumpkin?”

“I fell at a waterfall.” Better to keep those details scant. “Is Daddy there?”

“Now, love, it’s only an hour past high noon here. Your daddy’s a-workin’ at the feed yard until six. You know that. How hard did you hit that pretty head of yours?”

“We’re six hours ahead of you, Mama, so it’s evenin’ here. I didn’t calculate, that’s all.”

Aliya flushed with embarrassment. Would Curtis and the chief think she and her mama were hick rednecks, as they’d been called before? He was royalty—a prince, for crying out loud—with a king for a father and a beautiful queen mother who’d probably never heard of a feed yard.

Aliya’s daddy was the king of the feed yard, and her mama was the queen of their double-wide trailer. He’d even sung that song to Mama when he proposed. Aliya was proud of her family and where she came from, but compared to a prince …

Curtis took a drink of his lemonade as if nothing was amiss. Mighty kind of him.

“Do you know who I was going hiking with, Mama?”

“Well now, darlin’, let me think on it a spell. You made a fast friend on your tour. A Gracie.”

“Yes.” A chill went down her spine. Where was Gracie, and why did even hearing her name make Aliya feel that something was terribly amiss? “We were going hiking with two men, I believe. Do you remember their names?”

“I can’t recall that I do. Dern my agin’ brain. I’ll ask your daddy. That I will. Is it important?”

“Yes, Mama. It is.”

“All righty, then. I’ll fry him up some chicken and then I’ll pick his brain. Every man thinks better with some fried chicken in his belly.”

The chief and Curtis both let out quiet laughs.

“Is that policeman a-laughin’ at me?” Mama sounded highly offended.

“Oh, no, Mama.” She grimaced at Curtis, and he smiled. “I’ll call you back later when Daddy’s home.” If she could stay up past midnight. She already felt tired and drained from the whole ordeal.

“What I’d like to know is what time your flight is comin’ in. We’ll head right down to Atlanta and pick you on up.”

“Mama. The doctor won’t allow me to fly for ten days, because of my head injury and the amnesia.”

There was a pregnant pause. Aliya picked at the thin blanket and waited for the explosion. Mama obliged her quickly.

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