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Cami
Christmas in Augustine
The Royal Captain and the Designer
The Royal Guard and the Royal Stylist
The Impulsive Princess and the Soldier
Sweet Royal Romance Suspense
The General Prince and the Nerd
The Brave Prince and the Teacher
The Doctor Prince and the Outsider
The Ninja Prince and the Investigator
The Charming Prince and the Single Mum
The Crown Prince and the Traitor
The Police Chief and the Musician
The Royal Major and the Executive
The Grieving King and the Emissary
The Royal Captain and the Designer
Chapter One
Faith Radisson peeked around the corner of the solid mahogany wood doorframe and her heart took off at a gallop.
“He’s coming,” she whispered to her co-conspirator Princess Kiera August.
They hid in the elaborate ballroom, quiet on this early December morning. Outside the towering Augustine castle the world was picture perfect—high mountains covered with green pine trees and bare-limbed deciduous trees heaped with white snow. Inside the ornate and spacious castle, decorated like a fantasy for Christmas, Faith’s world was going to be perfect—as soon as they waylaid Captain Levi Favor and talked him into a snowball fight. Faith had it on good authority that he was finished with his shift and headed home.
She would love to see his home and meet his parents, rumor had it he lived on one of the farms out in the valley. First she had to convince him to date her. She’d met Levi over a year ago on her first visit to the royal family’s palace in Augustine. The delightful Kiera had talked Levi and Lieutenant Mason Henson into guarding them on a hike through the forest to the waterfall.
Faith had been half in love with the captain since that first meeting, but regrettably something was holding him back. He would initially respond to her flirtations or meet her gaze with a smolder in his dark-brown eyes, but then he’d always school his reaction and keep his distance. The only gossip she’d gotten out of anybody was he’d buried a sweet fiancée years ago. What a heartbreak, but Faith knew loss and she knew her Savior’s healing grace. Her sister Grace was in heaven and Faith knew she was watching over her. Her Savior and her Grace would help her heal her wounded hero.
She was determined that this Christmas, invited to stay in Augustine for the entire month to celebrate with everyone the marriage of her brother-in-law Chad’s loving mum Madeline to the incredibly kind and welcoming King Nolan, she would get Levi to fall for her. Maybe an impossible quest, but Faith focused on the positive. Despite being deserted by her parents at twelve, having her oldest sister brutally murdered two years ago, and almost being shot and killed by the foul Ramone Pitcher last year, she’d seen miracles and would never stop believing.
Levi’s strong, determined footfalls approached. Her palms were clammy and she wiped them on the black dri-fit Lady Fit running pants she wore. Pants she’d designed. She also wore a pale blue fitted t-shirt under a white running jacket. Her long blond hair was loose and her makeup carefully understated. It would be obvious to any female she wasn’t headed to or from the gym but she wanted to look pretty, fit, and casual. Hopefully she achieved the objective in Levi’s mind.
She prayed today was the day she and Kiera convinced him to spend time with her. The snowball fight was only an excuse, but she figured nobody could say no to the adorable thirteen-year old Kiera. If Levi was that hardened maybe there was no chance.
She edged to the center of the doorframe and Kiera moved with her, giggling quietly at their ploy. She adored the young princess. She’d overheard Hope telling Madeline that Faith enjoyed Kiera so much because she was still youthful and a child at heart. While that was partially true, Hope spent so much time with Kiera because she’d also lost her mum at a young age and she knew how it felt to live in a world of grownups. Though her sisters were only two and four years older than her respectively they’d all been forced to grow up quick when their parents left. Faith had delved deep into her creative mind and mostly shut the real world out. She liked her make-believe world but she loved people as well. Especially Kiera and all the royals. Being here was a dream come true. The royal fantasy dream was fabulous, but it was the complete, loving, and faith-filled family dream turned reality that she couldn’t get enough of.
As she stepped forward to intercept Levi, she got a hard shove to her upper back from behind. Stumbling, she slammed into Levi’s side.
He jolted and turned. Thankfully his reaction was to wrap his arms around her to steady her, rather than let her fall in a heap to the hardwood floor.
“Faith?” he whispered. It was a husky, beautiful whisper, tinted with that fabulous Augustine accent that created more yearning inside to never leave this spot.
She wrapped her arms tightly around his firm lower back and blinked up at him. “Forgive me. I had a little devious shove from behind.” She smiled to show that no harm was done. Bless Kiera. Faith hadn’t known it was coming, but it had been timed perfectly and Faith could not complain about the results.
