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Then, she left the gas station parking lot and hit the highway again. Three hours later, she pulled up to her parents’ house. Before she could get out of the car, a text message came in. Palmer rushed to check it, but before she looked, she said a silent prayer that it wasn’t Elizabeth canceling her trip officially. It was from a number she didn’t recognize, but she opened the message in her app anyway. She laughed a little when she saw it was from Victoria. Elizabethwassleeping. The whiskey she’d consumed after delivering the address had gotten to her, but Victoria said Elizabeth would be on a plane headed to Pittsburgh tomorrow. She’d even included the information for the private plane she’d be taking and the time of her arrival at the small airport, about an hour away from her parents’ house. Elizabeth was coming, after all. Palmer would be seeing her tomorrow, and she couldnotcontain her smile.
CHAPTER 27
When her plane touched the ground, Elizabeth let out a deep exhale. The last time she’d been on a plane, she’d gotten the worst news of her life. This time, she felt as if she’d fled her country after giving them the news that she and her entire family would give up the crown and everything that comes with it if a vote passed. It was true that the family always took this time off during the holidays, but it still didn’t feel right that she did it this year. She’d wondered what her father would think about her decision to put it to a vote, and she didn’t have to wonder long. She knew he would be displeased. Her father could be kind and loving one minute and strict and angry the next. He’d never been abusive in the strictest sense, but he had a way with words that made his children understand when it was time to back down from whatever they were asking for or wanted from him. Their mother had applied balance for much of their lives, but after her death, their father had gotten worse. His entire focus moved to Martin and the future of the monarchy he saw in his son and his grandchildren. It struck Elizabeth, at times, how he had no issue with a woman on the throne and showered Edwina with both affection and faith in her future as Queen, but that hedidhave problems with the idea of anyone who wasn’t heterosexual ever becoming a monarch.
She knew her mother would be supportive of her decision, especially given the circumstances. Not only had Elizabeth lost most of the people she loved in the world, but there was also an attack on the only family member she had left shortly after. Until the agencies found the man they were searching for, along with his most dedicated followers, her family was still at risk. Victoria and David would be married soon. Children would follow thereafter, and likely, quickly, given how much those two seemed to want them as soon as possible. Elizabeth didn’t want to risk more loss for herself, for her family, or for her country. Victoria had understood her decision and had, in the end, supported it. She’d admitted being rather fond of her title, but that if Elizabeth felt this was the right thing to do to at least curb some of the unrest and put the vote to the people, she’d go along with whatever those people said.
Elizabeth had visited the gravesite of her family prior to leaving for America. Security had been on full display, but she’d needed to talk to her parents, her brothers, her sister-in-law, her niece and nephew, and lastly, Teagan, who had been buried next to Alex because no one knew the truth. Now, no one would ever know. Elizabeth knew only ashes were buried there, but it was still a place she could go to talk to them; to let them know they were and would never be far from her thoughts and that she only hoped she’d make them all proud.
She’d been holding on to so much guilt and anger at what happened. The guilt was survivor’s guilt, and she knew she’d have to talk to someone about it one day, but today was not that day. The anger was directed at the people responsible for taking her family from her, but also at Teagan. Was it fair? Elizabeth didn’t know. It was how she felt, though. Teagan had been the only woman she’d ever loved; the woman she thought she’d spend her life with. It was unconventional, to say the least, but it had worked for them. Alex had been protected. Elizabeth and Teagan had been able to be together without anyone else knowing. Then, it had all changed. Now, it was all over.
Elizabeth had checked the message Palmer had left for her, and it had made her smile just hearing the woman’s voice. Palmer’s words, though, were what had helped her make the ultimate decision to come to the States for the holidays. Prior to Palmer’s voicemail, she’d still been going back and forth. They hadn’t left things in a good place. It had been Elizabeth’s fault, so she was carrying that guilt now, too. She’d known what Palmer wanted to talk about. It had been that elephant in the room for a while now, so it would make sense for Palmer to want to address it. She, likely, hadn’t done so right away to save Elizabeth from having to deal with one more thing.
“Your Majesty,” Palmer said with a smile as Elizabeth deplaned.
“Palmer? What are you doing here?”
“I’m picking you up,” Palmer replied. “I got permission from security to meet you out here.”
“I was going to go straight to the hotel,” Elizabeth said as her feet hit the pavement. “I would have called you to–”
“Yeah… forgive me for not believing you,” Palmer interrupted her. Then, she held out a single white-and-yellow flower. “For you.”
“A plumeria? How did you know?” Elizabeth asked.
“You had a bunch of them in your rooms. And when you gave me the tour of the palace greenhouse, they were the only flowers you touched. I took a guess that they might be your favorite.”
“They are. Do you know why?” Elizabeth asked, bringing the flower to her nose.
“I don’t, no.”
“Besides being beautiful, plumerias have many different meanings to cultures around the world. To some, they’re revered and worshipped. They’re sacred. To others, they represent death and funerals. Others still, see them as a representation of perfection. My mother saw them as representing new beginnings. She’s the one that built the greenhouse. The plumeria only grows in warm climates. You’veseenour winter. Without a greenhouse, she wouldn’t be able to see her favorite flower very often.”
“They were your mother’s favorite?” Palmer asked as security officials and other people tried to get bags off the plane and into a waiting black SUV.
“They were. She told me a story about them when I was a young girl, and I thought it was so cool, they became my favorite as well. At night, plumerias release a fragrance that attracts moths looking for nectar. Only there is no nectar; it’s a trick. The plumerias know that they need the moth to pollinate them to survive, so they bring them near with the scent and give the moths nothing in return, but the moths pollinate them by going from flower to flower in search of their prize.” She smiled widely. “Not great for the moths, I’d wager, but it’s fascinating to me how plants know exactly what they need and how to have that need fulfilled, and they create the mechanisms to do it.”
Palmer smiled at her and said, “You and my dad are really going to get along.”
“We are?” Elizabeth asked.
“Wait until you see their backyard.” Palmer took a step into Elizabeth’s space. “Can I hug you?”
“What?” Elizabeth asked, taken aback by the question.
“We’re in public. I didn’t know if it would be okay, but I want to hug you, Elizabeth. I’ve missed you.” Palmer shrugged a shoulder.
“Oh. Yes, you can hug me.”
Palmer’s smile widened, and she moved a step closer. Then, her arms went around Elizabeth’s waist, and Palmer pulled her flush against her own body. For a moment, Elizabeth forgot what a hug was, but finally, she moved her own arms around Palmer’s neck and moved more fully against her. When Palmer’s face pressed to Elizabeth’s neck, Elizabeth dropped her own onto Palmer’s shoulder and breathed her in.
“I missed you,” Palmer repeated against Elizabeth’s coat.
“I missed you, too,” Elizabeth replied.
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“You know you don’t have to stay at the hotel, right?” Palmer asked.
