The Prince's Texas Bride Read Free Page B

guess not,” she said. “I just wouldn’t have sat through any of those orientation sessions,” she said.
    â€œI was told you skipped the afternoon session,” Stefan said.
    â€œThat’s true,” she said. “As soon as Princess Bridgettold me there was going to be a parade with some kook waving a whip, I was outta there.”
    â€œCount Christo is eccentric, but I wouldn’t call him a kook,” Stefan said.
    â€œYou don’t have to,” Eve said. “And I’ll tell you now, he won’t be carrying a whip when he’s riding one of your horses.”
    â€œEve,” Stefan said. “The count is an important and revered member of Chantaine society.”
    â€œHe won’t even miss that whip, I promise,” she said.
    â€œEve,” he said again.
    She waved her hand in dismissal. “That’s a week and a half away. No worries Your Highlyness,” she said with a sparkle in her eye.
    â€œHighlyness?” he echoed.
    â€œThat’s what my aunt Hildie calls Tina every now and then.”
    The tidbit amused him. “I bet Tina loved that.”
    â€œOh, you have no idea,” she said and gave a pretty little salute with her right hand. “I should hit the sack, Your Highlyness. I rise early these days. Sweet dreams.”
    Â 
    The next day as Eve was grabbing a sandwich at her office in the stables, she mulled over the possibility of providing Black with a companion. The stallion led such a solitary life he might be more content with a gelding as a friend, or perhaps a goat.
    â€œThere you are,” Bridget, wearing a dress and heels, said from the doorway. She walked inside the small office without invitation, wagging her finger in disapproval. “You’ve been invisible during the last week. I was certain you’d flown back to Texas until I overheard one of the staff discussing how early you leave yourquarters in the morning and how late you return at night. You’re going to exhaust yourself before you’ve even been here a month, and Tina will have all our heads. This must stop.”
    Despite Bridget’s propensity for exaggeration, Eve felt a little less alone by her presence. She’d been so busy with the horses that she hadn’t had time to think about anything else except late at night before she fell asleep. She would die before she admitted it, but she was a little homesick.
    â€œI’m fine,” Eve insisted and set down her sandwich. “I just needed to jump in with both feet with the parade coming around the corner.”
    â€œWell, it’s simply not acceptable,” Bridget said. “I’m sure you haven’t even taken off one day since you arrived. Therefore, you shall go shopping with me this afternoon,” she said in full princess mode.
    Eve shook her head. “It’s sweet of you to ask, and I’m honored, but I can’t. It would just put me behind. I have to start scheduling appointments with the riders so everything will go smoothly during the parade.”
    Bridget wrinkled her brow in confusion. “We’ve never had appointments before. We just show up on parade day, mount the horse and ride.”
    â€œHow did that work out?” Eve asked, already knowing the answer.
    â€œFine with me. There have been a few little problems. One of the mares bucked her rider and took off through the crowd. One of the geldings stopped halfway through and refused to go any farther.”
    â€œAnd what about that year when one of the horses reared up and a half dozen of them went to the beach? Not just to the beach,” Eve said. “But in the water.”
    Bridget winced. “Oh, yes. I couldn’t really blamethem. It was a very hot day and the master of ceremonies was long-winded, which meant we had to wait forever to get started. I guess you’re right. Good luck getting some of the old guys to agree to the appointments,