“This is not for you to decide,” the king said. “Daniel is heir to the throne. He belongs in Calandria and he is going there now.”
“No he’s not,” Rafael said. He looked at Mia and smiled. “I know what to say,” he told her. “I know how to make you believe.”
She was torn between wanting his words to be true and knowing it wasn’t possible.
“Rafael, don’t do something you will regret,” the king said.
Rafael took her hand and then faced his father. “I have regrets, but none of them have anything to do with this. You only want Danny because he’s your heir. Allow me to solve that problem. I, Rafael, Crown Prince of Calandria, do hereby abdicate as heir to the throne.”
Mia’s mind went blank. “You can’t,” she and the king said at the same time.
“I can and I do,” he told his father. “I am tired of living with all the rules and restrictions of office. I am not interested in an arranged marriage. I love this woman and I will spend the rest of my life proving myself worthy of her. I’m hoping that, in time, she’ll be willing to marry me. I told you, Father, I’m staying here.”
Mia felt her heart stop. As far as gestures went, this one ranked right up there with going through time. “You’d give up the throne for me?” she asked, her voice a squeak.
“You are more than worth it.”
She wasn’t sure about that.
The king’s face turned the color of a tomato. “Rafael, you dishonor me and our country. No woman is worth the throne.”
“You’re wrong. I’m not the first man to walk away from his duty because of love.”
The king glared. “Do not compare yourself to an English ruler.” His eyes narrowed. “What is it about American women?”
“We’re sassy,” Francesca said.
Rafael turned to Mia. “If I’m not the heir, there’s no danger to Danny. I can stay here permanently.”
“Oh, you will get a job and live in the suburbs?” the king asked contemptuously.
“Perhaps.”
Mia pressed her hand to his chest. “I can’t let you do this. You can’t walk away from your heritage. Being the crown prince is who you are.”
“Who I am is the man who loves you,” he told her gently.
“You will be king,” his father insisted. “You must be. There is no one else.”
“My cousin.”
“Quentin? A gay clothing designer?”
Brenna snorted. “There’s a coronation I’d want to see.”
“Mom loves his clothes,” Katie whispered to Mia.
Mia ignored everyone else and stared at Rafael.
“You can’t do this. You can’t give up your future.”
He kissed her. “I give up only my past. You are my future. I think I would like to study medicine and be a doctor.”
“Never!” his father yelled.
“Rafael, no,” she told him, sure she would wake up at any second. There was no way this was happening. “Trust me, you’re not going to like living in the ordinary world.”
“I will enjoy it as long as I have you.”
She bit her lower lip. “I don’t know what to think, let alone say.”
“Arrest her!” the king yelled, pointing at Mia. “Arrest this woman. All of this is her fault.”
The guards didn’t move toward her. If anything, they seemed to be inching toward the helicopter.
Rafael sighed. “Father, you cannot arrest Mia. You’re on American soil and she has broken no laws. Even if she had, I would not allow it. You have lost. I’m staying here. Quentin will be king next.”
“Never! You are my son. I command you to return to Calandria with me.”
Rafael shrugged. “I’m sorry, Father. No. You made me choose and I have made my choice. I want to marry Mia and be Danny’s father.”
“She hasn’t even said she loves you. She hasn’t accepted. You’ve been the one baring your soul and what has she done?”
Rafael smiled at Mia. “I owe her.”
“You are Crown Prince Rafael of Calandria! You owe her nothing.”
Mia pressed a hand to her stomach. It was all too much. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Then we should get you inside.” Rafael put his arm around her. “Father, we will end this discussion for now. Perhaps we can talk later, when we are more calm.”
“I am the king. You do not dismiss me. I dismiss you.”
Katie shook her head. “I’ll bet he was a real tight-ass when you were growing up.”
“Arrest that woman, too!” Xavier insisted. “Arrest them all.”
“He was a good king,” Rafael said. “But a distant father.”
“I’m sure it’s how he was raised,” Francesca said. “People often find it difficult to break with tradition. It’s comfortable and there’s a sense of guilt in forging a different path after so many years. In your case it would be what? A thousand?”
“Something like that.”
They all started for the house. The king continued to rage, but no one paid attention.
Once they were inside, Brenna opened bottles of Marcelli wine. The Grands did another of their instant meals-on-demand tricks. In a matter of minutes food covered the kitchen table. Mia sat with Rafael on her left and Danny on her lap.
“Are you really staying?” Danny asked tentatively.
“Yes,” Rafael said. “I will always be in your life.”
“Are you going to live here?”
Mia wasn’t sure how he would answer the question, but Rafael jumped right in.
“Not for a while. Your mother and I have to get to know each other again. That takes time. But we’re still a family. You’re my son and I love you very much.”
“Do you love Mommy?”
“Yes.”
Mia still had trouble getting her mind around that one.
“You abdicated,” she said.
“I am aware of that.”
“How could you? You’re supposed to rule your country.”
He shrugged. “I’m not losing you, Mia. I have waited my entire life to find you. What is a kingdom when compared with that?”
“It’s a kingdom! It’s being king. Your face on stamps and having buildings named after you.”
“None of that is important.”
“Fine. Then it’s about fulfilling your destiny. You were born to rule. Your people deserve a good leader. Do you really think Quentin is up to the task?”
“He can learn.”
“But-”
Rafael leaned in and kissed her. “Stop. If I am an ordinary man, you will see me as someone worthy of a second chance. As Prince Rafael, I will always be the man who deceived you. I am content.”
She found herself getting lost in his eyes. On a scale of one to ten, abdicating had to at least be in the twenties.
He picked up her hand and kissed her palm. “I will court you, Mia Marcelli. I will be here no matter what. I will love you with a devotion that leaves you breathless. When you are ready to trust me again, tell me, and then I will convince you to marry me.”
There were five other women in the kitchen and Mia heard every single one of them sigh. She would have, too, except she was already breathless.
“Rafael,” she whispered. “You know I never stopped loving you.”
“I know. I was a fool to let you go and a bigger fool to try to trick you. My time would have been much better spent realizing what was in my own heart and then convincing you we belonged together.”
“I’m sort of convinced.”
“Good.”
Grandma Tessa reached for Danny. “What would you like to eat?” she asked. “Some pasta? It’s your favorite.”
“That one,” he said, pointing. “Mommy? Daddy? Where are you going?”
“They’re just going upstairs,” Grammy M said as she pulled out a chair for the boy. “To, ah, talk.”
Katie poured him some milk. “They’ll be talking awhile. But that’s okay. After we eat, we can watch a video. Or play a game.”
“Can I go talk with them?”
Francesca smiled. “Not this time. It’s grown-up talking.”
“Talking, huh?” Brenna said with a grin. “Who would have thought it would come to this?”