“He used to work for my parents. He was actually my guard the first time I came to town. He began working for Trevor Donoveaux about six months ago. Trevor had promised him free reign of women and money for my return. And he knew exactly where I would be.”
Preston wrote down everything she had explained then promised that he’d keep them in the loop with the charges. Just as Preston left, Logan entered the bar with his medical bag in hand.
“Would you like me to call your parents and explain everything? I don’t want you to strain your voice.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Kerry asked, surprised at his offer.
“Not at all.”
While Logan checked her over, claiming that she had a severely bruised windpipe and that she would need to take it easy for a week or so, Kerry tried to listen to Landon’s call with her parents. As he walked back to her, she couldn’t tell by his expression how things went, but she knew her father and assumed that he was either angry that her running away caused this mess or disappointed that she was in trouble.
“How did it go?” she asked as Logan wrote her a prescription for some pain medications.
“Just fine. No need to worry. Thank you, Logan, for coming out. I reall
y appreciate it.”
“Of course, call if things change. Otherwise, she needs to rest for a week or so.”
She watched as the men went over her care then snuck in some stats about a recent game that had been on the television. The ordeal had left her tired and she was having the hardest time keeping her eyes open as he leaned her elbows on the table and rested her head on top.
She didn’t know how long she slept, but was stunned to wake in her own bed with the sun setting over the water.
“You’re awake,” Landon said as he walked into the room carrying a tray. “I brought you some soup.”
“How long have I been out of it?”
“A while. You didn’t even budge when I carried you out of the bar or during the car ride. You need the rest, though. Doctor’s orders.”
Kerry sat up in the bed as Landon placed the tray on her dresser. He took a seat beside her on the bed and gently caressed her face.
“I love you, Kerry. Sometime in the last week, it happened and I can’t deny it any longer, especially after almost losing you today.”
“I love you too, Landon. With every bit of my heart. You’ve given this princess a reason to believe in fairytales.”
Epilogue
The bar was packed to the brim. A standing wait two people deep at the bar, all of the tables filled, and a line out of the door waiting for their chance to step inside Murphy’s. In two months, the crowds had only grown, especially once the world realized that a real-life princess helped to wait on the tables.
Landon still couldn’t believe that she had stayed in Carson with him. It only took him a month of working together at the bar and spending every night in bed to convince him that she was the one and he quickly put a ring on her finger, even with her father’s permission.
A week after her attack, Kerry had flown back to Lythembria to meet with her parents. He had wanted to go with her, but she begged him to stay and open his bar. He did so reluctantly and worried that she would decide that the small-town life wasn’t for her every day.
Instead, she had officially abdicated her role as queen and handed off the title to her sister Elliana, who was already married with two children. She promised her family that she planned to maintain her royal duties as they interested her while living in Carson.
Her parents even promised to visit soon, especially with a wedding to plan.
“Have you looked at that rental I sent you?” Kerry asked him as she walked behind the bar to enter a drink order. She was determined to spend some of their honeymoon in Ireland, visiting his brother and family. Since Kerry had come into his life, he had been more willing to visit his brother and officially put the past behind them.
“Not yet, but I trust you. If you like it go ahead and book it.”
“But I want you to like it,” she whined playfully as she wrapped her arms around his waist as he filled a glass from the tap.
“I trust you, but if it makes you happy, I’ll look at it tonight. I just want to be wherever you are.”
Landon leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, the feeling of love and desire never wavering whenever he kissed her. It was like the first time every time.
“How did I get so lucky?” Pulling her lips away, Kerry gazed up at him with that familiar gleam in her eye.