Charlotte & Nate (Royals of Valleria #4) (28 page)

She also realized she wasn’t alone.

“Nate!” She tried to get up, tried to walk to him, but her body still wouldn’t cooperate with her; her mind may have woken up, but her body was a little behind.

“He’s just fine. He’s just under sedation, so he likely can’t hear you.”

Charlie turned towards the door and the voice, and saw Marcello standing there. “He’s really okay?”

Marcello nodded and walked to his brother’s bedside. “He’s a tough one, that’s for sure. He’s not likely to give up easily.”

“No, he’s not.” She gave him a curious look. “Did you move me into his room?”

“I’m afraid that was me,” the Queen said from the doorway. She walked over to Nate and gave him a kiss on the forehead, then walked over the Charlie and did the same. She settled herself on the edge of Charlie’s bed and took her hand. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, no,” Charlie said quickly. “Of course I don’t mind. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

Genevieve nodded. “I can understand that. I want you to know, Charlotte, that if you make Nathaniel happy, that’s all I really need, or want as his mother. Do you believe me?”

“Yes,” Charlie said eventually. “I can believe that, but you’re not just his mother, you’re also a Queen. What does the Queen want for her son, the Prince?”
 

“That’s a fair question.” Genevieve squeezed Charlie’s hand. “There’s a lot that you become when you marry a royal. Some of your priorities change, you’ll be constantly hounded by the press, and everything you say or do or even wear will be put under a microscope. I think you could handle it, Charlie, and the job managing the kitchens. You’re a very strong woman, and Nate wouldn’t love you if you weren’t.”

Charlie digested that. Most of it were things she’d already considered, but she picked out the one thing she hadn’t. “You mentioned Coco’s job. Does that mean you’re offering it to me?” The Queen nodded. “Are you offering it to me because Nate loves me, or because you feel guilty for the way you treated me earlier?”

“I’m offering it to you because you’re the very best person for the job, and
you
earned it and deserve it.”

Charlie nodded; she’d be a fool to turn it down. She glanced over at Nate, whose eyes were open and on hers. “Nate!”

The Queen immediately went to Nate’s bedside while Marcello called for the nurse.

Charlie wasn’t sure what look she had on her face, but he said, in a hoarse voice, “I’m okay, Charlotte-mine.” He smiled dimly at her and she just wanted to reach out and hold his hand.

The doctor came in with the nurse and they shooed everyone out of the room. A curtain separated Charlie from him while the doctor examined him, but she could hear the low rumble of his voice all the same.

“Will he be okay?” Charlie asked the doctor as soon as the curtain was pulled back again.

“He’ll need to stay in the hospital for a few weeks, which is longer than you’ll need to be here. His wound was deeper than yours, but he’ll be just fine,” the doctor said with a smile. “You know, you both have remarkably similar injuries, though you wouldn’t notice it at first glance.”

She looked at Nate. His eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn’t asleep. She drank him in, from his scruffy chin and chiseled jaw, to his full lips, and to the sweep of hair that had fallen over his eyes that she longed to push back. Yes, they both had scars, both physical and emotional. The doctor was right – they were remarkably similar, if only she hadn’t been so afraid to see it.

After the doctor and nurse left, she inched out of bed. She was down to just one IV line, which she used as a cane as she scooted across the floor.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Coming to see you.”

“You can see me just fine from your bed. Go back and rest.”

She finally made it to his side and sat down on the bed, facing him. “No.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

“Don’t be an idiot. Of course I’m going to sit with you.”

“I do love that smart mouth of yours.”

“I kind of like yours, too.” Charlie put her hand next to his and played lightly with his fingers; the IV drip would make the hand difficult to hold.

“Did you see what happened?”

She nodded, her head down, unable to face him. “I was so scared,” she said in a small voice.

“Don’t. It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

“The cameras cut out just after you were shot. No one knew what happened, or if you were all right.”

“I will be. So will you. We’ll even have matching scars to boot.”

“We can get matching tattoos to cover them up, if you want.”

Nate gazed at her, his eyes clear and assessing. “A woman who’d get matching tattoos sounds like a woman in love.”

Charlie swallowed. She’d never said the words to anyone, not even Lola. She’d been shot, but saying those few words was much scarier. “I do love you.”

“Charlotte.” He tugged at her fingers and she carefully leaned down over him. She gave him the barest kiss and then rested her forehead against his. “Say it again.”

“You go first.”

“I love you, Charlotte-mine.” He brushed her hair back, wincing a little at the pain it caused to lift his IV-laden hands.

“Don’t move around so much. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Say it again.”

“Nate,” she warned when his hands fisted in her hair.

“Say it.”

“I love you.” For some unknown reason, she gasped. “I love you, Nate. I do.” Tears staggered down her face.

“There, there. Don’t cry. It’s okay.”

She buried her face against his neck, the feel of his stubble surprisingly comforting. “I don’t know what’s come over me.”

He rubbed a hand down her back, his fingertips brushing her skin where the hospital gown gaped through. “It’s been an emotional day. An emotional week, really. It’s perfectly understandable.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” she murmured against his warm skin. “Maybe part of it, though.”

“Then what is it?”

“I think this is the first time in my life that I’m not alone anymore. It’s terrifying.”

He huffed a laugh, then moaned at the pain it caused. “Charlotte-mine,” he said lifting her chin up, “you will never be alone again.” He kissed her sweet and long, full of promise and just the barest hint of heat.

“You should get some rest,” she said as she shifted away from him.

“So should you. Come lie down next to me.”

Her mouth dropped. “I couldn’t do that. Your parents could be right outside.”

“Well, you’re moving in with me when we get out of here, so they ought to get used to seeing us together.”

Charlie, still sitting, put her hands on her hips. “What are you talking about? Moving in together? We’ve only been together a week, if that. And no public displays of affection. Holding hands, maybe, but the same bed? Are you crazy?”

His smile was broad when he reached for her again. “Crazy for you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Does that line work on anybody?”

“There’s not an ‘anybody’ anymore; there’s just you.”

How was she supposed to stay mad at that? “Well, I’m still not lying in bed with you.”

“I’m already aching for you, Charlie.”

“That’s the gunshot wound.” She pointed to her own. “Remember? I know what that feels like.”

“It’s not the gunshot. It’s you.”

“Are you two arguing already?” Marcello asked as he stepped inside, a smile on his face. “The family’s outside. You may want to hold off on the fighting until they leave.”

“Who’s here?” Nate asked.

“Everyone. It’s family dinner night, remember?”

Nate groaned, though Charlie didn’t think it was because of his injury. “So, why is everyone here? They should be at the palace.”

Marcello’s smile turned devious. “We’re having family dinner right here at the hospital, so you can be included.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Nate said. “It’s crowded in this room with just the three of us. You add – God, how many are we now? – and we won’t be able to move.”

“That’s why we’ve got permission to roll you out there, where we’ve set up a big buffet in the waiting room.”

“You should go, Nate,” Charlie said, laying a hand over his chest. “They came to see you.”

“Not so fast, Charlie,” Marcello said. “You’re coming, too.”

Her eyes widened. “Me? What do they want with me?”

“They want to meet the woman Nate loves,” Marcello said.

Charlie looked at Nate. “You told them?”

“Of course I did,” he said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Charlie looked back at Marcello and quirked an eyebrow. “They really want to see me? You didn’t tell them you accused me of conspiring against Nate or the crown?”

“What?” Nate bellowed. “What the hell? You interrogated Charlie? When?”

Charlie didn’t want to come between two brothers. “When I woke up. Wait,” she told Nate. “If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have gotten to the Council chamber in time. I’m not saying I approve of being treated like a criminal, but it saved your lives.”

“You and I are going to have a word later,” Nate said to Marcello. “And when I’m better, my fist is also going to have a word with a delicate part of your body.”

Marcello grinned. “I’d like to see you try.”

Charlie shook her head; working in kitchens, she’d seen all kinds of male posturing like this before. “Enough, both of you. Look, I couldn’t possibly meet your family looking like this.” Her eyes traveled down to her simple cotton hospital gown again and she shifted on the bed wondering just how much of her was showing through the gaps in the back.

“Don’t worry,” Marcello said. “They already love you.”

“They don’t know me,” she said, echoing their earlier conversation.

Marcello paused. “You’re right. They don’t. But he does,” Marcello said as he pointed to Nate. “And that’s enough. See you in a few minutes.”

Nate rubbed a hand over her leg. “Don’t worry so much. Marcello’s right, you know, as much as I loathe to admit it. They’ll love you because I do.”

“Knock, knock.” Charlie turned to see Rebecca standing there. “I hope it’s not too presumptuous to assume that you may want something else to wear.”

Charlie almost sagged in relief. “It’s not. Do you have something I can borrow?”

“No, I don’t. But
we
do.” Rebecca stepped into the room, with several women following behind. Charlie sat agog while they all greeted Nate, who introduced Charlie to them in turn. She barely caught their names – Cat, Sarah, Carolina, Grace, Arianna – before they had managed to transform her simple hospital gown.

A second gown was added to hide the openings in the back, followed by a sweater, then a thin robe added over them. A soft, purple scarf was added and a pair of simple slippers unearthed from somewhere. A brush was run through her hair, a light powder added to her skin, and a simple tinted balm was slicked over her dry lips.

All of these women were strangers to her, but they were showing her kindness she’d never known before. It might be a simple scarf to them but, to Charlie, it was much, much more.

Nate gently gripped one of his sister’s hands. “Ari, we weren’t sure if you would make it to family dinner this time around. You just got out of the hospital about a week ago.”

A dreamy smile spread across Arianna’s face as she touched a hand to her stomach. “Well, the baby was putting up quite a fight. I don’t have morning sickness, but instead have pretty-much-all-day sickness.” She chuckled. “But the baby’s growing and everything looks good.”

Charlie was well aware of what had happened to Arianna, since it was barely a month ago. Though she’d become engaged to the crown prince of Brazenbourg, Henry, it was really his brother, Finn, she had fallen in love with. When she went back to Brazenbourg to meet Finn, she’d accidentally fallen into a trap – a bomb attack – set up by Henry and had been injured. Fortunately, neither she nor Finn nor their baby had suffered any serious injuries.

“No one, not even Mama, would have faulted you for staying back home in Brazenbourg,” Nate said.

“Mama won’t say anything,” Cat agreed. “Especially since you’re carrying her grandchild.”

“And my niece,” Sarah piped up.

“Or my nephew,” Carolina said as she bumped shoulders with Sarah.

“Or both,” Nate said with a wink from the bed.

Arianna laughed. “Don’t joke about twins, Nate. Anyway, as far as the sex of the baby goes, well, you’ll have to wait to find out. We’re waiting until the birth.”

A chorus of ‘Awwws’ broke out from everyone in the room. “You know,” Rebecca said mischievously, “we could still find out if the baby’s a girl or a boy and just not tell you. Win-win.”

Arianna shook her head. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Mama. That’s exactly the sort of thing she would say.”

“That it is,” Nate agreed and turned his face to Rebecca. “Besides, everyone here is going to remember that suggestion when you get pregnant one day.”