Chapter 14

The Daily Edge: Social Tattle from One Edge of Skymar to the Other

Our rebel princess has finally crawled out of her hiding place and returned to the cyberworld. Not only has she been seen out on another date with Stoic Styles, but she's been posting on social media. Nothing to give us any real idea of her romantic future, but it looks like Princess Elliana is on her way to proving she's ready to be reinstated as a working royal. Her recent posts have been related to some of the North Country organizations and groups of which she is patron, as well as her work at the orphanage at Cambric Hall. Has our favorite bad girl truly turned the corner? We're only slightly disappointed, but would love your help in securing the truth. We need your assistance in locating the tattle. Do you have any incognito snaps you've taken of Skymar's defiant darling as she's returning to the spotlight? Share them in our comments below.

Text from Maeve to Ellie:How come I had to read on The Daily Edge that you had another date with Styles?

Ellie:I thought you'd stopped reading The Edge.

Maeve:It's the best rubbish in town. I'm embarrassingly addicted. So... Styles?

Ellie:It was not a date. We were both invited to the same dinner party, so not technically a date. Mum gently encouraged me to think about Christopher as my date for the Wild Hyacinth Ball since his reputation is so stellar, but I don't know if I want to spend a whole evening with him. I'd prefer Mum's other choice, the Earl of Tallon. At least I can feel more comfortable with him than Styles.

Maeve:You could just go alone.

Ellie:There is no way I'm stepping out in front of all the media and aristocratic world as the only person without a date to the Wild Hyacinth. Especially on a night when there's so much at stake for me. If I can make it through the Board Luncheon next week, then the Donors' Banquet after that, and then the ball, I'll feel as if I'm on the right track forward. But showing up alone? No, I can't do that.

Maeve:Hmm... I love your mother, but sometimes she can be rather fixated on appearances. And you're much braver than you think you are.

Ellie:It's from her upbringing, I think. As a veritable nobody, she had a lot to overcome in the public eye when Father started his romance with her. I think it really impacted her view of her children and public perception.

Maeve:Which is entirely lost on your dear brother, Arran the Unruly. (Nice refusal to respond to the latter part of my text. Very brave of you.)

Ellie:Is that what The Edge is calling Arran now? (Purposefully ignoring.)

Maeve:It has a better ring than Errant Arran. And it's easier to say (feartie).

Ellie:Mother has been so focused on helping me reinvent my public appearance, I think she's left Arran to his own devices a bit too liberally. (Are you name calling like a child?)

Maeve:And I'd advise you to keep your nose out of the news if you don't want to see how very unruly your brother has been lately. He really is putting your reputation to shame. (No, I'm name calling like an adult who prefers fun Scottish insults.)

Ellie:Thus the reason Mother is hoping for such a stellar presentation at the Wild Hyacinth Ball, to overshadow some of his behavior too, I'd imagine.

Ellie:Good heavens, what is he wearing?

Maeve:I told you not to look at the headlines. And the real question should be about what he's NOT wearing. Though, I must admit, he's certainly working out. Very fit!

Ellie:Ugh. Well, once they make everything official with me, they can turn all of their attention to remediating him. I'm sure he'll love that.

Maeve:No doubt. And where does Lovable Luke come into all this?

Ellie:Lovable Luke?

Maeve:I can practically see you grinning as you contemplate the moniker.

Ellie:He doesn't. He can't. I have convinced myself that I will treat my meeting with Luke as a sweet dream to cherish, but nothing more.

Ellie:Or a lovely acquaintance, but nothing more.

Ellie:Well, maybe a friend.

Maeve:But nothing more?

Ellie:I refuse to acknowledge that remark.

Maeve:I need to meet him. How can we make that happen?

Ellie:I'm not certain that's a good idea, though Father did invite him to the Board Luncheon at Cambric next week. He's going to meet with the board members after lunch to talk about his excellent ideas for supporting the future training of some of the children.

Maeve:Wait, Dad's on the board. And he probably needs a plus-one. Hmm...

Ellie:Oh dear.

Maeve:And since you can't have him and I'm available, this could be kismet! Plus, I have no qualms about romancing an American.

Ellie:Perhaps I should encourage your father to bring your sister instead of you.

Maeve:Nice try.

***

Two full days of working with Ellie and, apart from glances and superficial conversation, Luke had stuck to the plan. Now, if anyone had been able to see into his head for the first five seconds of looking at Ellie every morning, they would have known that internally, Luke was teetering very close to the t word from Bambi—he shuddered, almost hearing Penelope say "twitterpated" in his mind, complete with a chime—but otherwise, he was quite proud of his appearance of self-control.

But that hair.

And those jeans.

And her eyes.

Well, it was a miracle of God alone that Luke hadn't crossed the kitchen and tossed Ellie over his shoulder like some caveman, just to take her right back out to the tree and finish what they'd started over a week ago.

Self-control indeed.

And a healthy dose of Rambo, Mission: Impossible, and World WarII movies.

He'd even tossed in Braveheart for good measure.

He tried Star Wars, but every time Han Solo and Leia came on the screen, he got distracted by the idea of a regular guy and a princess.

Bad idea.

Not even The Lord of the Rings helped, because Arwen was close enough to a princess.

His shoulders drooped for a second. Princesses were everywhere!

"Edge?"

Luke looked up at the nickname Jamie, Cade, and... the new kid staring back at him had given him over the past week. The boys had connected among the fellow builders in the same way Luke had seen back in the States. He wasn't too sure about girls, but he knew most guys craved purposeful work. And the ones he mentored usually wanted a way to work with their hands.

Besides, since Jamie, Cade, and—what was the new kid's name?—had started helping out with the renovations, the boys had also gotten a little more attention from some of the girls in the house. Not a bad byproduct of hard work.

"What do you boys need?"

Jamie gestured to the chair rail molding in his hands, a piece Luke had freshly cut to spruce up the long, empty wall on the opposite side of the kitchen cabinets. And the perfect spot for Mrs.Kershaw's framed names from the closet. He'd run it by Ellie and she'd agreed. Putting the framed names back into the room where they found them held meaning.

"Do you want us to try to place these like you taught us yesterday?"

Luke kept his grin subtle despite the warmth of pride in his chest. "How far up the wall for these nine-foot ceilings?"

"Thirty-two inches," came Cade's quick reply.

Luke's smile gave way then, and he nodded. "Go on then."

The boys cast each other a bright-eyed look and scurried off to the far side of the room.

Gordon came up beside Luke. "I'll keep watch over them, ya kin?"

"Sounds good, but I think they're going to do just fine."

"Aye," the man responded low and deep, like a soft growl. Reminded him of his grandpa. "They got minds for the task, if they can keep their focus."

Luke moved back toward the additional room to finish up some trim work, and as soon as he stepped through the newly widened doorway, the scent of oranges hit him. Ellie turned at his entrance, her hair pulled back in a long ponytail, a pale pink sweater falling around a pair of black leggings.

She looked like she needed somebody to hug her.

And that somebody needed to be him.

"You mentioned I could help you with the trim this afternoon."

He studied the room to give himself time to place his mind in the direction of their deal, the fresh-cut pieces of baseboard lying against their designated spots catching his eye. His attention flipped to hers, a smile pulling at his lips. "I know you're handy with a hammer, but have you ever used a nail gun?"

Her brows rose. "No, but I'm sure you can teach me."

He rested his hands on his hips, giving her the once-over. "I reckon I can."

And daggone it if she didn't imitate his stance and give him the once-over right back. "Then we'd better get to work."

Lord have mercy! He'd never imagined falling in love with a princess, let alone one who wanted to learn how to use a nail gun. Without a hitch, his thoughts veered quickly in the direction of kissing her.

After pressing the baseboard in place, he demonstrated a few times with the gun and then handed it to her. "Now, the first few times you nail it, you might be a little surprised at how intense it feels. It's fast. So be careful of where your hands and feet are."

He lowered himself to his knees beside her and she positioned the nail gun against the wood, but at an odd angle.

"Just turn your hand a bit like this." He covered her hand with his, his body almost cocooning her. Her ponytail brushed against his chin and he drew in a long, deep breath of her oranges. His throat nearly squeezed closed.

She shifted her fingers beneath his. "Like this?"

Yep, her voice sounded about as tight as his.

"That's right."

She pressed the trigger and the nail drove into the wood.

"Perfect," he murmured, reluctant to move from his spot, but the longer he stayed in position, the greater the temptation to lower his nose to nuzzle her neck, so he shifted away and cleared his throat. "Try the next one."

The second time worked as well as the first, and she grinned at him. "I believe this scene is a replay of some rom-com or another. The telltale moment when the hero touches hands with the heroine to guide her along on some task?"

"What?" He shook his head, trying to keep his smile in check. "Don't bring up such things and ruin a perfectly fine day."

Her smile dimmed a little, but she kept the glint in her eyes. "Would you prefer I recount all the ways a nail gun could protect us from a possible assault by a sociopathic hit man?"

He stared hard at her. "Are you referencing the movie I think you're referencing?"

"I've always had a small crush on Denzel Washington."

She had just referenced The Equalizer and Luke wanted to kiss her silly for it. "So have I."

Her laugh burst out. "It's nice to know you have good taste."

And she went back to working the nail gun, leaving him to reconsider what he thought about royals and futures and happily ever afters. He gave his head a shake. It was a good thing the orphanage would be finished in less than two weeks, because he needed distance from her to get on with his life.

Because every time he tried to think about the future, her face kept popping into his head.

"Oh, I like this tool," she said as she came to the end of that particular stretch of baseboard and stood. "Efficient and powerful."

He raised a brow. "Just wait until I let you use my chainsaw."

Her grin tipped and she handed him the tool. "I don't know if I'm quite ready for that amount of power."

"I'd say, Princess, the fact you're in line for a real throne means you're definitely ready for some chainsaw-like power."

"Princess, is it?" She folded her arms across her chest.

"Never had a nickname fit quite so well."

A sudden commotion resounded from the next room and caught his attention. The teen boys stood by one of the windows with Pete leaning over to see as well. Luke sent Ellie a shrug and stepped around the loose baseboard on the floor to take his own peek out the nearest window.

With a tilt of his head, he studied Ellie's face as he said, "Looks like we can mark another thing off your list."

Ellie's forehead wrinkled as she moved to stand beside him at the window, comprehension dawning.

The window framed a world of white.

Large flakes of snow fell like feathers covering an already dusted ground. The blurry horizon promised that this was only the beginning of the snow. Gentle. Soft. And if Luke judged correctly by the looks of things, the perfect weather for sledding.

***

Snow wasn't uncommon in the North Country, even all the way through May during colder winters, but the boyish grin on Luke's face proved an entirely unfamiliar attraction.

One Ellie wanted to get used to.

Without breaking eye contact with her, Luke called to the other room, "Pete, I think we are more than prepared for this occasion."

Pete stepped up to the threshold of the room and sighed against the doorframe. "Aye, we are."

Luke sent her a wink, which inspired her own grin, and then walked into the kitchen. "Team, we're well ahead of schedule on this project and it looks like the weather's taking a turn. If you need to leave for the day, you're welcome to do so. Otherwise"—he grinned over at the teen boys who basically followed Luke around like disciples—"do you know what a sledding party is?"

All three boys' smiles swelled to Grinch-like proportions. "Aye," they said, almost in unison, already moving toward the hallway for, most likely, their winter wear.

Luke turned back to her. "You'd better get bundled up, Princess, 'cause we've got some sledding to do."

He might as well have asked her out for a romantic dinner from the way the look in his eyes sent a thrilling shock to her pulse. With a crooked grin, he dashed off toward the hallway with as much enthusiasm as those teen boys.

Ellie stared at his retreating form and then looked over at Pete for clarification.

"He's been carrying around sleds in the back of the car for weeks now." Pete shrugged a shoulder and started in pursuit. "He must really like sledding."

For weeks?

Ellie's palm pressed to her chest as awareness dawned. He'd not only purchased some sleds but had kept them nearby just in case it snowed... for her. He had nothing to gain from this act. In fact, they'd both already agreed to part ways once the work on the orphanage was completed, yet still he cared enough to turn this item from her little wish list into a reality?

Warmth spilled through her like a hug.

And he seemed so excited to give her this gift, for which she could offer him nothing in return but her gratitude. Her fingers balled into a fist against her chest and she squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, embracing a feeling she'd never experienced.

Not like this. So vast and amazing and filled with all sorts of hopes and wonders meant for fairy tales and happily ever afters.

She refused to name it. If she did, the pain at having to give it up would be excruciating, but she'd appreciate it while she could.

Here and now.

"Don't dally, Ellie," came Gordon's gruff reprimand, his eyes agleam. "Bundle yerself up and get out in the snow."

***

Ellie's body ached all over.

She'd pulled the sled up the hill behind Cambric Hall at least twenty times, each time ready to glide back down it again, usually with a child or two in tow. She couldn't remember ever having so much fun.

After carefully showing her how to settle the sled, steer, and then push off, Luke left her to her own fun, sharing his own sleds, as well as pulling from the ones Cambric Hall kept on hand "somewhere in the basement," as Mrs.Kershaw announced.

Lights from the hall glowed into the fading afternoon, glinting off a wintry world. The snow had stopped at least an hour ago, but multitudes of children and adults still clamored across the hillsides, taking in the wonder and fun.

Up ahead, some of the boys engaged in sled races down one of the steeper edges of the hillside, teasing each other, tumbling (or being pushed) off sleds midride, Luke and Pete in the midst of them, playing just as hard.

Ellie tugged her sled closer to where the most aggressive races were happening, with Luke directly in the middle of them. "So who's winning the races so far?"

Luke shot her a grin. "Well, if we don't count cheating, I am."

"Now, now, Edge." Jamie tsked, shaking his head in mock consolation. "You can't help bein' older and slower."

"Slower? I think you boys have a tendency to sled in the way of the little children, and then I have to hop off and rescue them."

"Och." Cade shook his head. "Excuses is what I hear. What about you, Jamie?"

"It's five for five, MissEllie." Jamie looked over at Cade, and something unspoken passed between the boys. "I don't think Edge has got it in him to win one more."

"Don't I?" Luke shot back, tossing his sled on the snowy ground and narrowing his eyes at the boys. "I've got as much as either of you."

"Well, now, sounds pretty serious to me," came Cade's thick Scottish accent as he stepped closer to Luke. "But you can't win if you don't have a sled."

And with that, Cade hopped on Luke's sled before he could move.

"Sorry, boss." Jamie laughed as he took the next sled and called behind him, "Smart and fast."

Luke released a burst of foggy air and then looked from the boys back to Ellie. His gaze settled on her sled.

"Get on the sled," he called, stepping over to her.

"What?"

Without repeating himself, he took the sled from her hand and threw it to the ground. "Get on. We'll go faster with more weight." Before she fully comprehended what was happening, she'd slid to a sitting position. The sled jerked into motion and Luke took a running jump and joined her, slowly situating himself behind her, and they took off faster than any of her previous runs.

His arms caged her in on both sides, his strength surrounding her as the cool air stung her cheeks.

"Steer to the right." His voice came near her ear. "Let's show Jamie how it's done."

Ellie wasn't certain how they were going to show Jamie "how it was done," but she relaxed back into Luke's hold and pulled the rope to the right. The sled followed her guidance and, within a few seconds, they slid past a wide-mouthed Jamie.

"What's the matter, Jamie? Too much snow in your boots slowing you down?"

"Watch out, Cade!" Jamie called.

Cade turned at the sound of his name as Ellie and Luke neared him, but in his turning, he redirected his sled into their path. Luke placed his hands over Ellie's on the ropes and jerked the sled in a different direction, barely missing Cade as they passed, but in doing so, their sled edged over the steepest part of the hill.

"Luke!" Ellie called, pressing harder back into his chest, her gaze focused on the fast-approaching forest at the bottom of the hill.

He attempted to turn the sled away from the trees, but the incline and speed proved against him.

"Let go of the ropes, Ellie." His low comment lingered in her ear.

She obeyed. The trees edged closer, and in one smooth motion, Luke released the rope, tightened his arms around her, and rolled with her off the sled, his body buffering hers against the impact.

For a second, all went quiet and still. One of his arms pillowed her head against the snow and the other kept a tight hold around her waist. He'd burrowed his head against hers as they rolled, and now he pushed up on his palms. His gaze roamed over her face, those brown eyes taking in every detail.

Her breaths puffed shallow.

His look of concern slowly melded into something much more... tempting, warming the air between them.

His attention dropped to her lips and then returned to her eyes, one dark brow jutting high.

She stared back, her chest rising with her breaths, every prolonged second increasing her hope that he would breach the short distance between them.

With a little growl, he shook his head. "You sure don't make this deal easy, Princess." He sighed and rolled off her, placing his hands on hers to help her to a sitting position, his gaze sending off signals her pulse understood. "Because all I want to do is kiss you until you forget we're in the middle of the snow with a bunch of wild kids all around."

From the few previous experiences she had with his kiss, she didn't doubt his abilities. "You're wonderful, Luke Edgewood."

He tilted his head and studied her a moment, the slightest beginning of a frown flickering into place before he drew in a breath and stood, offering her his hands to draw her to a stand. "I think that was ten times better than any movie-worthy sled ride I've seen. What do you think?"

He changed the topic for her sake. For both their sakes.

Despite what they both wanted—this perfect dream of a romance—it couldn't be theirs, could it?

But was it really possible to embrace the now? Enjoy what time they had for the next two weeks in order to carry these wonderful memories with them into the future?

Before she could broach the subject, a group of children and adults broke the intimacy of the moment to see if they were safe and well.

Ellie caught Luke watching her, those dark eyes offering such tenderness, such focus.

Yes, she was well.

But her heart was anything but safe.

Not from heartbreak.

Because she knew for a fact she was falling in love with Luke Edgewood.