Chapter Eleven
It just about killed Madison to wait until the sun rose in Texas before she called Mackenzie. Her sister had the right to know about her engagement before anyone else. Together, the two of them had weathered many a storm by clinging together during the tough times. It was only natural that they celebrate the good times together. And these were good times.
The night before, she and Luis had slipped out of the palace without bidding farewell to any of the others. Hand in hand, they'd walked back to the Royal Lodge, anxious to savor each moment together that they could.
Luis had refused her offer of a drink, claiming that he didn't trust himself to leave if he came inside. After she'd watched him leave, Madison had to face the nearly impossible task of trying to sleep. She'd dozed. She'd napped, but she hadn't slept.
Now, though, she was wide awake. Ready to take on the world. With Luis by her side. She reached for the phone. It wouldn't kill her sister to lose an hour of sleep, not when Madison was about to burst if she didn't share her news with someone.
The phone only rang once before her sister's voice came over the line. "Oh, my God, Madison, what is going on there?"
Startled, Madison didn't immediately respond. Not only did her twin sound wide awake, Mackenzie's voice was edgy. "Mac, what's wrong?"
"You tell me."
Madison sunk onto a bar stool. "I don't even know what you're talking about. Is something wrong at the restaurant?" She sucked in her breath. "Was there a fire?"
"No, nothing like that. The restaurant's fine," her sister replied. "Unless you count the fact that I drove over there about a half hour ago and couldn't get through the front door for the mob that's crowded around the front door."
"Mob?" Madison frowned. None of this was making a bit of sense. "Is something going on in Amarillo that I don't know about?"
Mackenzie didn't immediately answer.
"Mac?"
"Let me turn that question around on you, Madison. Is there something going in Monterra that I don't know about?"
"Yes." But where to start? Her entire relationship with Luis had happened in the literal blink of an eye. She could imagine her reaction if the tables were turned and Mackenzie told her that she'd met someone and fallen in love within a matter of days. She'd have laughed. Or cried. Probably both. "I've met someone."
"Oh, God, it's true, then?"
"Is what true?" Madison's earlier happiness had given way to confusion. It was like she and Mackenzie were talking at cross purposes.
"You're dating a prince?"
Madison closed her eyes. This conversation was starting to feel like a runaway horse that that she couldn't control.
"Madison, is it true?"
"Where did you hear that?" This just wasn't possible. She'd not said a word to anyone other than Kat and Lemon. But they would never betray her confidence.
"Like I said, I went in early this morning to go over the accounts. When I drove past the restaurant there were several news vans, a hoard of photographers, and heaven only knows who else, gathered in the front. The driveway was blocked so I drove down the block and called Amy."
Amy was the woman who came in when the night stars still twinkled so that she could begin baking. She was as much a family friend as an employee to them both.
"Did she know anything about what was going on?" Madison asked.
Again there was a silence that unnerved her. For the first time that she could ever remember, there was more than a physical distance between the two of them.
"Amy didn't open the doors but she said the reporters were shouting questions through the window about you and some prince."
Some prince? Madison winced. Luis was so much more than 'some prince'. To hear such an intelligent, good-hearted soul minimized into such a trite two-word cliché was painful. But she didn't utter a defense. Inexplicably, the last thing she wanted to do was discuss their relationship with anyone other than Luis. Not even with her sister.
"Madison? Come on. Tell me this is all a big mix-up and I'll help you straighten it out."
"It's not a mix-up. But I'm not ready to talk about it. Not over the phone." She stood and began to pace the kitchen while her mind tried to piece together the puzzle pieces. How had the press found out anything? "What did you tell Amy to do?"
"I told her to wait it out inside the restaurant without talking to anyone. Which, believe me, she was happy to agree to do. Neither one of us want to have to deal with a circus. I don't know if we're going to be able to open today." An uncomfortable silence filled the miles between them. "I'll call the sheriff's office to see if they'll help after you and I are done speaking."
"I'm sorry." Although the words were inadequate, Madison didn't know what else to say. "Does this mean you want me to come back to Amarillo?"
"Aren't you due back in a couple of days? I'm confused. Why wouldn't you come home?"
Because my life is about to change forever. Because the man I love is here and I want to be with him. Because I'd give up everything to be with him. But although these thoughts flashed through her mind, she remained silent.
"Oh. My. God. Madison. You've got to be kidding me, right? This isn't all a joke?"
"No."
An uncomfortable silence filled the line. And then the other shoe dropped.
"You're being just like mom."
Madison winced. Those five words stung like a slap across the face.
"Mackenzie, try to understand-"
But her sister didn't let her explain. "Understand what? That's you're pulling a mom? You meet a man and suddenly he's the center of your world? You've got to be kidding me. I never understood how mom could meet someone and suddenly forget she had two daughters that needed her. Now, you've met someone and...never mind. I can't deal, Madison. I'm going to hang up now and try to sort out this mess here. Goodbye."
Madison set her phone on the table and buried her face in her hands. Mac was angry, and justifiably so. Their restaurant was important to Madison but it meant even more to Mackenzie, who clung to her routine like it was a shelter in a storm. And their childhood had been full of storms because their mother never really knew what love was, despite searching for it everywhere. Mackenzie still believed that love was nothing more than fool's gold.
Madison wiped the tears from her eyes. She could fix this as soon as she figured out the best way to handle the press.
Luis would know what to do. The thought filled her with relief. Together they could handle the situation.
***
"Your Highness, we'll be touching down in Santa Rosa in a few moments. Is there anything you need before we land?"
Luis stared at the flight attendant for a long moment before he realized she was waiting for him to answer. "No, thank you. I have everything I need." He glanced around the empty jet.
"Very well. Welcome home, Sir."
He nodded his thanks and then turned his attention to the private jet's small oval window. He couldn't ever remember returning home before without feeling happy to be back in his own country.
But today he felt numerous emotions, and happiness was not one of them. The plane touched down on the landing strip with only the smallest bump, which would likely make it the smoothest part of his day.
But he had only himself to blame. He'd made a poor choice and a miscalculation where Madison was concerned. Now it was time to try to handle the situation. He stood and slipped his suit jacket on. He only had time to run his fingers through his hair before the woman he'd come back home to see boarded the plane.
"Luis, how lovely to see you." Graciela Mendoza Hernandez, a leggy brunette several years younger than he was, made her way to where he stood. A former model, she'd worked at the winery for several years now. Graciela was always perfectly turned out, and today was no exception. She wore an off-white business suit with a peplum that emphasized her tiny waist. She leaned in for a kiss on each cheek. "I trust you had a smooth flight."
He nodded. "I did. Thank you for meeting me here."
Graciela smiled. "For you, anything. You know that." She straightened his tie. "Are you ready for this?"
"No." Luis tugged on his sleeves. "I dislike speaking with the press about such personal matters."
Graciela reached out and took his hand between hers. "You have two choices. You can either try to ignore them, which only feeds the frenzy, or you can take a few moments and speak with them. You've spent years dodging questions about your love life. Being coy won't work any longer."
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. The situation was his to take control of, and the right time was now. He kissed the back of her hand and gestured to the front of the jet. "Shall we?"
"Por supuesto." Graciela shook out her long hair. "Do I look acceptable for such an important moment?"
"You're beautiful, and you know it. Now, come with me." He moved past her so that he would exit the plane first as royal protocol demanded. But she was only a step behind him, and as they made their way down the steps to the tarmac, he kept a steadying hand on her back.
With Graciela's hand tucked into the crook of his arm, together they made their way toward where the press awaited them. Security had erected a barrier for the reporters to stand behind and several members of the palace security stood facing them as a reminder to the assembled group that they needed to keep an appropriate distance.
Ironic, Luis thought, as he stood with Graciela beside him, that the press never challenged the required physical distance they needed to keep. But the emotional distance? There all bets were off.
He glanced down at his companion to see how she was handling the press call. He smiled. He shouldn't ever worry. Graciela was an absolute natural in front of the camera. This was a woman to the palace born.
They stood side by side for several moments as the cameras clicked away. This part was easier to endure than the verbal onslaught that was coming next.
"Your Royal Highness, can you confirm that you're engaged to be married?"
"Prince Luis, have you set a wedding date?"
"Your Royal Highness, who was the woman you spent the evening with in Monaco?"
Luis held up his hand. He decided to tackle the last question first. "There's been a misunderstanding about my recent visit to Monaco." He cleared his throat. "I was accompanied on the flight from Monterra to Monaco by a young American woman. She was a guest of Prince Nico and his wife who just happened to be visiting Monterra at the same time that I was there. At the suggestion of Prince Dante, we shared a plane to Monaco." He strove to keep his features nonchalant. "There isn't any more to the story than that."
"Reports say that you two shared an intimate dinner," a reporter in the back shouted.
"Intimate dinner? No. I believe I ate sometime during the evening but I can't speak for the lady."
"Sources say that you were seen gambling together in the casino," another reporter asked. "Is that true?"
Luis nodded. "I showed her around the casino but we didn't gamble together. She was a guest of the Monterran Royal Family, naturally I felt it the least I could do to escort her to the casino."
Luis felt Graciela give his arm a reassuring squeeze. He smiled his gratitude to her, a gesture that wasn't lost on the press.
"Señorita Mendoza, how do you feel about all of this?"
Graciela shrugged in an off-hand manner that suggested she found the whole subject absurd. "We all know that His Royal Highness and Prince Dante have been friends for years and years. It's only natural that Prince Luis would do his friend a favor."
"So you're not jealous?"
To this, Graciela laughed as if the mere suggestion was absurd. "Of course not. I'm very confident in my relationship with the prince."
Such a bold statement was akin to tossing one meaty bone to four starving dogs. A rush of questions all mingled together to make an unintelligible jumble of noise.
Luis held up his hand. "Just one more question, please, before Señorita Mendoza and I head to the palace."
"Is it true that you two are hiding the news of your engagement?"
Luis and Graciela exchanged a glance. "Let me just assure you that when we're ready to make an announcement, you will be invited to hear it." He waved. "Thank you."
Flanked by his security detail, he guided Graciela toward the waiting limousine. He slid in beside her.
"How did you think that went?" Graciela asked.
"The press hears what it wants to hear and sees what it wants to see." He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. "But we gave them their pictures and we'll have to hope that gets the message across to everyone."
Especially Madison.