Page 14 of Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire

“Sounds like you have quite the busy week.”

“I do, but I seem to thrive on chaos. I hope you don’t mind Ruby. It’s my favorite tea. I get it at a little tea shop and bookstore in Twin Bluffs. They have about twenty kinds of tea and all of them are good, but Ruby is the best…in my opinion.”

He didn’t know what to do with his hands. They didn’t need to be in his pockets, but putting them flat on the table wasn’t right either. Finally, he leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table, trying for all the world to look comfortable. “I haven’t had it before, so I look forward to it. Actually, I’m surprised you make tea from leaves. I thought all Americans used tea bags.”

She laughed.

The sound was musical to his ears.

“You’ll find I’m not really typical of anything.”

“I am discovering this.” He sat up straight and laced his fingers together on the table in front of him.

The tea kettle boiled.

She walked to the counter, unplugged the kettle, and then walked back to the table, where she added the hot water to the teapot. “That will take four minutes.” She set a timer and set it on the table in front of her chair. “So, what would you like to know?”

“What about your ex-husband? You said the restraining order is against your ex-husband, correct?”

“Yes. I couldn’t get Ed to leave me alone after the divorce and had to get a R.O. I don’t want him near Erin, and he’s trying to take her from me. He’s filed for sole custody, which I have been able to fight given his violent history.”

All of Alex’s protective instincts went on high alert. “Violent history?”

She folded her hands on the table in front of her. “Yes, he hit me, and that’s why we’re divorced. Once was the limit. I don’t believe a man who would hit a woman once will not do it again. And he wouldn’t think twice about hitting Erin. I couldn’t let that happen. That is one reason the judge didn’t give him shared custody, much less sole custody.”

He reached over and placed a hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. I agree with you. I don’t believe a leopard can change its spots any more than a man can change his propensity for violence.”

“Actually, I think the only reason he’s trying to get custody of Erin from me is to make me go back with him. I’ll never do that. If necessary, I would take Erin and run. That’s why we have passports. I’ve never been outside the country, so, of course, neither has Erin.”

“Erin must have been a baby if you’ve been divorced for over five years.”

Michele nodded. “She was only eight months old. That’s another reason I divorced him. She was still young enough that she didn’t bother him. What would’ve happened when she got to the curious age, or when she discovered her voice and yelled all the time?”

Alex chuckled. “Gregory went through that and nearly drove us all insane. The poor child practically had two fathers and four mothers between his parents and all of his siblings, reminding him to use his indoor voice.”

She laughed softly. “I felt sorry for Erin, just having me. Your poor brother had all of you.” She shook her head. “Poor Gregory.”

The timer sounded, and Michele poured their tea. “So now you know about me. What about you? Any marriages, divorces or close calls?”

Alex pulled his hand back, the intimate moment past. “I’ve had a couple of close calls, but no marriages or divorces…thank goodness.” He waved the back of his hand over his forehead. “Whew.”

Michele laughed and then sipped her tea. “Won’t you need to get married when you become king?”

“Yes, but I don’t expect that for many years to come.”If I have my way, the women of Batrovia will be very disappointed when their prince marries his princess…Michele Williams.

CHAPTER4

July 8th - Batrovia

Nicolai Fedorov, the Duke of Larkov, had always coveted what was Gregor’s. His brother was king by three minutes. Three minutes and everything could have been different. If he’d been born three minutes earlier instead of Gregor, everything would be different. He’d have the crown and Reina would have married him.

But no, he didn’t have the crown or Gregor’s beautiful wife. He’d always wanted her. He’d even courted her for a short time before she refused to see him again. Then, one drunken night, he tried to force himself on her. Two months later, Gregor began to court her. Nicolai lived in fear that one day Gregor would challenge him, but he didn’t, and they married a year after that.

Their father had lived for another twenty years after that, so Gregor had only been king for ten years. But he’d made sure that Nicolai was never home. He was named ambassador to various countries—one after the other.

Nicolai could only imagine what marriage to his beautiful Reina was like. And Gregor, even as Crown Prince, in deference to his beautiful Reina, had kept Nicolai away from court, continuing hisexileas ambassador, until just this year. He’d returned in January and now it was June. He’d waited so he could show Gregor he could be trusted.

He never gave up on his desires. Nicolai would soon make Reina his, just as the crown would be. First, he needed to get rid of his brother. Gregor was a vigorous man who loved sports, like hunting and fishing. Arranging an accident on a hunting expedition would be easy enough. Or even better, an ambush. One in which Nicolai was also wounded, so it would exonerate him for his brother’s death.