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Christmas in Augustine
The Royal Captain and the Designer
The Royal Guard and the Royal Stylist
The Impulsive Princess and the Soldier
The Royal Captain and the Designer
Chapter One
Faith Radisson peeked around the corner of the solid mahogany wood doorframe. 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 snow. Inside the ornate and spacious castle, decorated like a fantasy for Christmas, Faith’s world would 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. Rumor had it he lived on a farm out in the gorgeous valley. He had his own home, but he took care of his aging parents and their farm. Of course he did. His life was focused on caring for and protecting others.
Before she could meet his parents and see his home, 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 enamored with the captain since that first meeting, but regrettably, something held him back. He would initially respond to her flirtations or meet her gaze with a smolder in his dark-brown eyes, and she had only seen him truly smile for her. It was thrilling to see the impervious, brave captain let down his shield. If only for a moment.
A moment or two was usually all she got. He’d school his reaction and be respectful but keep his distance. The only gossip she’d gotten out of anybody was he’d buried a sister and a fiancée. What heartbreak. She could see the pain inside him, but he impressed her. He chose to protect, serve, and work hard instead of giving up or wallowing in grief.
Faith knew loss—deep loss that only was manageable with loads of prayer, faith, and listing positives in her mind. She’d experienced her Savior’s healing grace over and over again. Her oldest sister Grace was in heaven, and Faith knew she was watching over her. It was Grace who had taught her to pray and make positive lists as a young child.
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 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 it was an impossible quest, but Faith did not despair. Despite being deserted by her parents at twelve, losing Grace to a brutal murderer 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 footfalls approached. The strong, determined step was unmistakable, and her heart beat in rhythm with his approach. She wiped her sweaty palms on the black nylon, polyester, and elastine blend Lady Fit running pants she wore. Pants she’d designed for comfort, a flattering fit, and moisture-wicking. She also wore a pale blue fitted T-shirt under a white running jacket. All Lady Fit, of course. Her long blonde hair was loose, 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 that objective in Levi’s mind.
She prayed today was the day she and Kiera convinced him to spend time with them. The snowball fight was only an excuse, but nobody could say no to the adorable thirteen-year-old princess, beloved youngest child of the August family. If Levi was that hardened, maybe there was no chance to soften him.
Faith edged to the center of the doorframe. 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 knew how it felt to live in a world of grownups. Though her sisters were only two and four years older than her, they’d all been forced to grow up quick when their parents left them. Faith had delved deep into her creative mind and mostly shut the real world out. She liked her make-believe world, but she’d discovered she loved people as well. Especially Kiera, all the royals, her new brother-in-law and his mum, and of course the enticing Captain Levi Favor.
Being here at the castle for Christmas 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 could never 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 strong arms around her rather than letting her fall in a heap to the hardwood floor.
“Faith?” he whispered, his dark eyes full of her. It was a husky, beautiful whisper, tinged 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 couldn’t complain about the results.
Levi released her, deftly unwrapped her arms from around him, ushered her behind him, and said, “Stay here while I search for the perpetrator.”
“Levi!” she said in exasperation, forcing herself not to get distracted by his lyrical voice. Faith loved America, but this man with his Augustinian accent could easily convince her to trade nationalities. “It was Kiera. She was only trying?—”
Levi whipped around to face her. His dark eyes pierced through her, sharp and probing. “Trying?”
Faith bit her lip. How to explain without sounding as desperate as she was to get his attention? Positives—Levi was right here, Kiera was on her side, and Christmas magical romance could still happen.
She looked over his tall, manly frame, the dark eyes framed by thick lashes and brows, the shadow of a beard on his jaw. He was enthralling. She’d never encountered his equal, and unfortunately, he looked at her as if concerned for her sanity—or maybe as if he thought of her as a child. She wasn’t certain, but either way, it could explain why he kept his distance.
Glancing down, she lost her courage and realized she needed a different scheme than a snowball fight to entice a soldier this manly and perfect. She could only imagine how many distinguished and proper Augustinian women pursued Captain Levi.
“Faith?” he questioned, and then he gently tilted her chin up with just the edge of his forefinger. It was a simple touch, nothing to faint about, but the warmth of his finger and the depth of his gaze made her head spin.
