Royal Holiday Baby by Leanne Banks Read Free Book Online Page B

you,”Tina said, feeling the urge to return to bed and pull the covers over her head.
    â€œBut Tina, how could you do this? Everyone was counting on you to be the normal one,” her sister huffed.
    Tina sighed. “Maybe that’s why it happened. I just couldn’t be normal and dutiful anymore. I’m sorry. I—” Her voice broke and she swallowed over the lump in her throat. “You’ll do fine. Maybe better than me,” she said. “Love you. Bye for now.”
    She disconnected the call and turned off the phone. She couldn’t bear hearing the disappointment in her family’s voices one more minute. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she tried to hold them back, but they seemed to well up from her belly to her tight chest and tighter throat. A sob escaped and then another. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried like this. When her mother had died? When her father had passed away?
    A sharp rap sounded on the bedroom door, startling her. She sniffed and swiped at her wet cheeks.
    â€œHildie here. I have breakfast for you,” the housekeeper said and opened the door.
    Horrified, Tina groped for something to cover herself. In her world, staff never entered without receiving confirmation from her.
    Hildie bustled around the room. “I don’t often get a chance to deliver breakfast in bed, but since you’re here I do. Lord knows, Zachary never sleeps past dawn,” she said with more than a twinge of disapproval as she placed the tray on a table. “It’s a good thing you rested well, being pregnant and all. I read that it takes a day to adjust to each time zone change, so you’ve got a few days to go. And according to what Zachary said, they’ve been running you like a mule during harvest. A woman with child needs her rest. I hope some of this willsuit you. Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, grits, fruit and toast.”
    Hildie finally glanced at Tina. The woman narrowed her gaze as she studied her then caught sight of the phone in Tina’s hand. “You’ve been crying. Has someone been bothering you?”
    Tina sniffled but shook her head. “Not bothering. I had to return a few calls.”
    â€œTo who?” Hildie asked crossing her arms over her chest.
    â€œJust a few members of my family,” Tina said, wondering why she felt the need to answer questions from staff.
    â€œHumph,” Hildie said. “Well, if they’re upsetting you, it just won’t do. Zachary won’t allow it.”
    Taken off guard by the woman’s suggestion that Zachary would somehow be able to control or even influence her family, she shook her head. “Excuse me? Zachary won’t allow it? My family doesn’t operate by everyone else’s rules.”
    â€œNeither does Zachary Logan,” Hildie said flatly. “But I imagine since he got you out of France in no time flat, you got a taste of what he’s capable of. If not, you’ll see soon enough. Go ahead and eat. Zachary tells me you need to go to the store. It takes about a half hour to drive to town and I suspect you’ll tire quickly.”
    â€œI’m really not that fragile,” Tina insisted, moving to the table where Hildie had placed her breakfast.
    â€œUh-huh,” Hildie said. “That’s what a lot of moms-to-be say. Then all of a sudden they’re passing out or crying because they haven’t had enough rest.”
    Offended, Tina lifted her chin. “I wasn’t crying because I hadn’t had enough—”
    â€œWith all due respect, Miss Highlyness,” Hildie interjected. “Please eat your breakfast. We’re wasting daylight.”
    Thirty minutes later, Tina joined Hildie in a black Fordtruck. Tina was clean, but her face was stripped clean of cosmetics except for lip gloss and a little powder. Her hair was still damp as Hildie barreled down the