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“I love you.” Aliya pushed end on the phone before her mama could say anything more to the prince and the chief and embarrass her. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she told them both. “My mama’s Southern to the core.”
“I like her,” Jensen said, smiling.
Curtis smiled as well.
“I’m going to head out.” Jensen stood and Curtis followed suit. “Let’s keep in touch with any information either way. Ray and Chad have their men searching the trails throughout the mountains from here to Austria, but as you know, that is a lot of mileage in single-track trails. Two of Ray’s MPs will meet you at the castle and trade off staying with you at the cabin at all times. I offered, but …” He shrugged.
“The wheels of Augustine don’t turn without the General’s permission,” Curt said, smirking.
“You understand.” Jensen grinned. “Do you need a ride? I guess Chad brought you in an Apache?”
“Steffan said he’d drive us to the castle. We can take a side by side from there to the cabin and the guards can follow us.”
A castle? She was going to their castle? Aliya put a hand to her heart to still its suddenly racing beat. She’d toured some castles the past couple weeks, but not one where real princes and princesses lived. She’d seen pictures of the Augustine castle. It was insanely huge and gorgeous, and nobody had toured it since the queen died.
Jensen said his goodbyes, and before she knew it, she was loaded in a sleek silver Aston Martin, Steffan driving, Curtis in the back, and her in the passenger seat like an honored guest. These princes were class acts, as impressive as a Northerner gutting her own deer, that was for certain.
Aliya feared she was the opposite of impressive. She was wearing hospital scrubs and her hiking shoes, un-showered, no makeup, jewelry, or heels on, and her hair was a tangled rat’s nest. Her mama would have a conniption fit and claim she raised her better than that. A Southern lady did not show her face in public without makeup on, hair done, and preferably with heels, jewelry, and Spanx under her best outfit to make sure all the curves were smooth. There was nothing she could do about it, so she’d ‘keep on keeping on’ with her chin tilted up and what she hoped was a confident and pleasant look on her face.
They drove out of the beautiful city of Traverse and along a highway. Almost twenty minutes later, they drove through a low pass and Aliya gaped at the towering mountains above them. When they entered the most picturesque valley in the whole entire world, she couldn’t hold it in. “Bury me right here. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
“It is heavenly,” Steffan agreed. “I never get tired of the view of this valley.”
Aliya could only stare. She came from the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, and she loved her hometown like a mama loved her child, but this scenery was over the top and she hadn’t seen its equal in her sheltered lifetime.
The valley was surrounded by high mountain walls, lush with cascading greenery. The sun was descending toward the western peaks, making everything glow with an ethereal light.
There were several blue lakes to compliment the intense verdant green, and on the far side there was a village complete with a church steeple and a lake.
She wanted to explore the shops and see their quaint homes, but the overarching pinnacle of the valley was too attention-grabbing. A massive castle, set on the edge of the mountainside above the town and lake. It had levels upon levels, massive windows, porches and balconies and spires and …
“It’s straight out of my dreams. Did you two really … grow tall and strong in that castle?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Steffan answered.
“Was it like a dream?”
They both chuckled.
“We had an incredible childhood because of our parents’ love, lots of brothers to play and fight with, a precocious little sister, mountains and lakes and a castle to explore and get in trouble in,” Steffan said. “But there were a lot of expectations and endless lessons. Our family has to keep up with a lot running a kingdom. A smaller, more intimate kingdom means more responsibility for those in charge.”
“I’m flabbergasted. Impressed, jealous, overwhelmed, awestruck, not sure what to say right now. I feel like a newborn pup in a wolf’s den.”
They both chuckled again.
“I promise none of us are wolves.” Steffan flashed her a smile, and though he was as dangerously handsome as his brother, he didn’t seem dangerous.
“Well, that is reassurin’.” Especially as she felt like she had wolves pursuing her that she couldn’t see or picture the faces of. It was disturbing. She could run smack into one of Gracie’s attackers on the street and not even know who he was. Being with these men, who’d taken care of her without asking for one thing in return, was reassuring. A stitch of worry gnawed at her chest. What if Curtis was taking her to his cabin in the mountains because he expected something in return? She shoved that voice away. No way, no how was her honorable and hunky princely hero a scuzz-bucket.
As they seemed to glide across the open valley in the fancy car, her gaze was fixated on the incredible castle. She didn’t dare ask at first, but she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t try, so she finally blurted out, “Can I tour your castle?”
Silence. Even from Steffan, who seemed much more apt to speak up than his ruggedly-attractive brother.
Steffan’s silence concerned her, but she wanted to know what Curtis was thinking. She twisted in her seat to look at him. His blue eyes were kind but gave nothing away. What if he thought she’d orchestrated all of this to get to know him and get access to their ancestral palace? Her mind was pinging different directions today. If only she knew what these two were thinking. Besides her time at the university when she’d met new and interesting folk, she’d mostly spent time with people she’d known her entire life. It was easy to know what most of them were thinking—they usually told you.
“Forgive me, I’m overstepping my bounds,” she rushed to say, still staring at Curtis. “I remember reading that y’all don’t give outsiders tours since the queen mother’s … death.”
The air inside the vehicle changed. Ah, shoot. She’d really stepped on toes now.
