Royal Holiday Baby

“To who?” Hildie asked crossing her arms over her chest.

“Just a few members of my family,” Tina said, wondering why she felt the need to answer questions from staff.

“Humph,” 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.”

“Neither 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.”

“I’m really not that fragile,” Tina insisted, moving to the table where Hildie had placed her breakfast.

“Uh-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—”

“With all due respect, Miss Highlyness,” Hildie interjected. “Please eat your breakfast. We’re wasting daylight.”

Thirty minutes later, Tina joined Hildie in a black Ford truck. 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 road.

Tina gripped the door with one hand and the edge of her seat with the other. “Are we in a hurry?” she asked.

Hildie shrugged and turned the country radio station to a higher decibel. “Not really. I just don’t like to waste time getting where I want to go.”

Tina swallowed over a knot of panic in her throat. “How far to the store?”

Hildie waved her hand and guided the steering wheel with her knee. “Not long,” she said and cackled. “You can be sure I’ll get there in no time.”

If we don’t meet our maker first, she thought and continued her death grip. Hildie gave a running commentary on the history of the area and talked about her niece, Eve, apparently her pride and joy.

When Hildie pulled into a parking lot and screeched to a stop, Tina breathed a sigh of relief.

“Here we are,” Hildie said and winked at her. “They have a maternity department here.”

Tina walked into the store and felt as if she’d stepped into a foreign country. The truth was that her assistant often shopped for her. Tina rarely visited retail stores. She was too busy.

She felt Hildie studying her. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Don’t they have what you want?”

“They seem to have everything. I just don’t know where to start. I’m overwhelmed,” she said.

Hildie laughed. “Okay, let’s start with the basics, then. Underwear,” she said and led her to the intimates department.

Tina chose several pairs of stretchy panties and a couple bras.

“You’ll get bigger there, too,” Hildie warned.

Feeling self-conscious, Tina shrugged. “I’ll deal with that later. I’d like to get a couple of skirts and a few tops.”

“The maternity department is over—”

“I’m not quite ready for that,” Tina said. “I’ll just buy a size larger than usual.”

“If you’re sure,” Hildie said.

“I’m not that big yet,” Tina whispered. “I’m not that far along in my pregnancy. I’m not ready for everyone to know—”

“Your Highlyness, if Zach noticed your baby bump in that newspaper, then everyone knows,” Hildie said dryly.

“Everyone doesn’t know at first sight, though. I could just use a little breathing room,” Tina said.

Hildie studied her for a long moment. “I can understand that. Let’s find you a nice little skirt or two.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, they left the store with toiletries, underwear, two skirts, three tops and a dress.

“You won’t be able to hide it much longer, dear,” Hildie said.

Tina’s stomach knotted. “I know. I’m just buying a little time.”

“Are you ashamed?” Hildie asked.

“Well, you have to admit it’s not the optimal situation,” Tina said, gazing out the window as they whizzed past the barren landscape.

“Are you ashamed of Zach?”

Tina whipped her head around to look at Hildie. “No. I’m embarrassed because I should have been more careful, more responsible. It’s not as if I were a teenager.”

“From what Zachary told me, you were busy being an adult when you were a teenager. No time for impulsiveness or getting into trouble.”

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