“Princess?” she echoed. “You didn’t really kidnap a princess, did you?” She glanced at Tina. “I mean, I know it’s been awhile since you’ve been on a date, but—”
“Hildie,” Zach interjected. “Tina is pregnant with my child.”
Hildie’s jaw dropped. “When in tarnation did that happen?”
Tina felt her cheeks heat at Hildie’s suspicious expression. “It wasn’t planned, Miss—?”
“Just Hildie. Everybody calls me Hildie. And what do I call you? Your majesty? Your highlyness.”
“Tina would be fine,” she said.
“Humph,” Hildie said and lifted an eyebrow at Zach. “You said you were bringing a guest, not a princess. She may not like beef stew.”
“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Tina rushed to say. “I’ll try not to be any trouble. I’m just looking forward to the quiet.”
“Well, we’ve got a lot of that around here. Come on in. Dinner’s waiting,” Hildie said and walked down the hall.
“Oh, dear,” Tina said. “I believe I’ve already upset her.”
“Don’t worry,” Zach said, putting his hand on her lower back and guiding her farther into the house. “Hildie may look like she’s just taken a bite out of a green apple, but she’s got a heart of gold.”
Hildie served the hearty meal in the kitchen nook instead of the formal dining room. Zach was pleased to see Tina eat a healthy portion of the stew and corn bread, although he didn’t eat as much as usual. Although he’d been determined to bring Tina home, now that she was here, he was on edge. The ranch had become his cave, the place where he could hide and grieve. He hadn’t brought a woman to the ranch since his wife had died.
Hildie refilled the water glasses. “So when’s the wedding?”
Tina choked on a bite of her corn bread. “Oh no,” she said, taking a long drink of water. “No wedding. Zach and I barely know each other.”
“Well, you know each other well enough to get preg—”
“Hildie,” Zach interjected. “Tina just arrived here. She just made the decision to come to the ranch yesterday. Let her settle in.”
“Humph,” Hildie said. “It don’t make sense to me.”
Hildie left the room and Tina leaned toward him. “Is she always this opinionated?”
He nodded. “And she doesn’t hold back. Don’t worry. She’ll adjust. If she gets too pushy, just tell her to back off.”
Tina bit her lip. “I can’t fathom telling that woman to back off.”
“Pretend she’s your brother,” he said.
Her lips lifted in a smile and he felt something in his gut twist. The sensation took him by surprise. “If you’re done, I’ll show you around the house.”
“Thank you. That would be nice,” she said and followed him to her feet as he rose.
Zach led her through the den, formal areas and his office area downstairs, then took her upstairs. Proud of the home he’d designed and helped build several years ago, he couldn’t help wondering what Tina thought of it. She paused at the collection of family photographs in the upstairs hallway. “Is this your mother and father?” she asked. “And these other children? I think I remember you mentioning a brother.”
He nodded. “Yeah, those are my parents, and my brother and sister,” he said, pointing to another photograph. He felt a twinge of regret. His relationship with his brother and sister had suffered after the death of his wife. He’d shut everyone out.
Surprised at the onslaught of emotions he was experiencing, he cleared his throat. “Your room is down the hall,” he said and walked toward the largest of the guest rooms. His former wife had chosen the colors for this room. Shades of green and blue-green provided a soothing haven. His own blood pressure always seemed to drop a few notches when he stepped into this room.
“Oh, it’s lovely,” Tina said. “I love the colors.”
“Good,” he said with a nod. “There’s a connecting bath with plenty of towels. I’ll bring a couple of shirts for you. The remote for the TV should be on the nightstand. Anything else you need that you can think of?”
“Toothbrush and toothpaste,” she said.
“I’ll tell Hildie to bring you some. Anything else?” he asked, feeling his heart tug at the vulnerable expression on her face. Giving into an urge, he extended his hand to her arm and gently squeezed. “You’re safe here,” he said. “I’ll make sure of it.”
She took a deep breath and appeared to stiffen her spine. “Thank you. I’m afraid of how much I’m imposing.”
“You’re the mother of my child,” he said firmly. “This is no imposition. You’ve been taking care of everyone else. It’s damn time someone looked after you.”
She blinked. “I have royal doctors and assistants. I didn’t mean to give you the impression that I have to do everything on my own because I don’t.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But it’s pretty clear your family doesn’t put your health or your need to take a break first. Now that you’re pregnant, that needs to change. I can make sure that will happen.”
“What about the paparazzi? They always show up,” she said, her eyes darkening with fear.
“I have electric fences and gates. I don’t usually have to close those gates, but I can and I will. Plus there’s Hildie. She took on a brown bear one time. The bear turned tail and ran.”
Tina stared at him for a long moment, then laughed. “Oh, my goodness, I can easily visualize that.”
The sound of her laughter eased something inside him. He smiled. “I’m not stretching the truth. The only thing that scares Hildie is the dentist. I had to take her to fix a broken tooth. That’s how I found out you were pregnant.”
Tina lifted her hand to her throat. “At the dentist’s office?”
“I was in the waiting room killing time. I saw your photo in one of those gossip sheets.”
She winced. “The bump article,” she said. “I received an anonymous tip from someone that the article was going to be published and left Chantaine just before the story hit. I was hoping to avoid the first wave from the media while I figured out how to handle everything.”
“France wasn’t far enough,” he said.
“Nowhere is far enough,” she said woefully. “I’m afraid you don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into by bringing me to your home.”
“I’ve been through worse,” he said, his own personal tragedy never far from his mind.
She widened her eyes. “With the media?”
He shrugged. “With life,” he said. “Don’t worry about me. The media is the least of my concern. Get some rest. If you need anything, let Hildie or me know. I’ll let her take you into town so you can get what you need tomorrow.”
She still looked vulnerable. His hands ached to pull her against him, but he resisted the urge. She wasn’t exactly the same woman who had gone to bed with him months ago. Back then, he hadn’t known she was a princess. Back then, she hadn’t wanted him to know. She’d wanted one anonymous night just as he had. Now, everything was different. In a way, they were strangers more now than ever before.
She licked her lips and a flash of that dark night of need snapped through him. “Thank you for taking me away. For bringing me here.”
Zach gave into the urge to stroke her hair and cup her head. “I know you’re still wound tighter