Hand-Me-Down Princess (41 page)

“King Antonio!” one of them yelled. “What’s going on? Where’s Malachi?”

She glanced up to see the king glare at them. “It is His Royal Highness, Prince Malachi, to you,” he growled, not stopping to say anything else as the doors whooshed open in front of them.

Once in the hospital, they were taken to a conference room in the administration part of the building.

“How much longer?” Jessabelle asked the room as she stared out one of the windows.

No sooner had she asked than a speck on the horizon became more visible. A rescue helicopter. Moving very quickly with another one behind it.

“Is that them?” She turned, sure her eyes were wide. “Can we go?”

An administrator walked in and bowed in the general direction of the entire family. “They will be seen in the emergency department, ma’am. We will make certain you can see your husband as soon as possible.” Then he sighed. “But I am afraid the story is already leaking.”

The door opened, and a woman walked in. She was introduced as the hospital’s media liaison. “I’m afraid the photographers have already uploaded their pictures to the gossip sites.” She picked up a remote and clicked it in the direction of the ceiling. After a few seconds of whirring, a picture appeared on the screen at one end of the table.

A picture of herself, looking more frazzled than she had in some time, filled the screen. The woman clicked something again and the picture changed. This time, the king was next to her, leading the royal phalanx with his hand on her back. He glared at the photographers, a look that would make most people wilt.

“The early speculation is that something has happened to Prince Malachi since he was not with you. We’ve started to receive phone calls from more mainstream news outlets, but every question will be answered with ‘no comment’ until we have further direction from you, Your Majesty.” She nodded at King Antonio. “News crews have already started to arrive.”

The man glanced at the phone in his hand. “I can take two of you to see the prince.”

Jessabelle stayed still. She wanted to charge ahead, but something held her back. Was she really one of the first ones to go? Not his parents?

“Jessabelle?”

She looked up to see the king standing by the open door.

“Go on, dear.” The queen had taken a seat at the table. “He’ll want to see you before his mother. The way it should be.”

Overwhelmed, Jessabelle nodded and hurried to catch up with the two men.

“Is he awake yet?” the king asked.

“I haven’t been told.”

Awake yet? The king knew Malachi had been hurt and hadn’t told the rest of them?

They reached the emergency department through a hospital-employees-only route. The few people in the corridors all reacted the same way. Wide eyes. Moving to the side. Bowing their heads or bobbing a quick curtsy. The administrator stood to the side, holding a curtain back just enough for them to slide in.

When the king motioned for her to go first, Jessabelle didn’t protest. She walked through, tears overflowing her eyes when she saw him.

With a small cry of “Kai!” she rushed to his side.

His eyes blinked open and he reached for her. “
Mia belle
,” he whispered. “Are you really here?”

“I am,” she whispered back. “Are you okay?”

He closed his eyes again, his hand gripping hers tightly. “I hurt everywhere, but I will be.” Malachi groaned and tried to sit up further. “What about Tommy’s mother?”

Jessabelle wiped her cheek with her other hand then reached out to press lightly against his chest and keep him in his bed. “Who?”

“Tommy. His step-father pushed his mother over the cliff.” He settled back against the mattress. “Can you find out?”

“His mother is in surgery but expected to pull through,” the king answered, moving to the end of the bed. “Tommy is being taken care of at the palace right now. He’s getting a bath and clean clothes. They’ll bring him back here when his mother is able to have visitors.”

Malachi shook his head. “What about his stepfather?”

“Arrested. Handcuffed to his hospital bed.” His mouth settled into a grim line. “He’s about to find out what happens when someone attacks any one of my children or tries to kill his wife and step-son. I may not have been the best husband or father at all points during my life, but there’s simply no excuse for what he tried to do.”

“He would have killed me.” Malachi’s eyes closed. “Those self-defense and martial arts classes came in handy.”

“My children need to know to defend themselves.” He turned to Jessabelle. “Which reminds me, you will need to spend some time learning, as well.”

“Me?”

He gave her the tenderest smile she remembered getting from anyone except perhaps Malachi. “You are my daughter. You have security with you nearly all the time, but, like
all
of my children, you need to know how to protect yourself.”

Her heart warmed. He was including both of them in the statement. He was in a room rather than a curtained partition, but there was always a chance someone could overhear what was being said, but if they did he could point out she was married to his son. The reality though? He was reminding both of them that they were his children, no matter the biology.

A doctor walked in and distracted them from the conversation. Jessabelle turned her attention to the woman who would tell her if her husband was really all right.

* * *

Malachi hurt in more places than he knew he had. He hadn’t tumbled down the cliff like he’d feared when the fight started, but according to Rick, Junior had clubbed him with the branch then kicked him a few times before someone could rappel down to fend Junior off.

He had been released into the care of the royal doctors and taken back to the palace to recuperate. For now, he had a hospital bed set up in one of the spare bedrooms. Malachi wouldn’t get to sleep in the same room as his wife for several days, though that bed would likely be more comfortable.

Three nurses had been assigned to him, each taking a shift and staying in the palace in their off time, just in case he coded or something, he supposed.

Jessabelle walked into the room looking more tired and pale than he’d ever seen her.

“Hey,” she called softly as she approached. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I hiked for two days then got beat up.” He tried to frown, but it hurt. “You look awful, though. I know it’s impolite to tell one’s wife that, but you look like you need a nap far worse than I do.”

“It’s the stomach bug I caught a few days ago.” She sat on the edge of his bed, taking his hand. “I don’t want to give it to you, so I won’t stay long. It’s knocked me for a loop, and I can’t imagine what it would do to you if you got it, too.”

“You looked better yesterday,” he protested.

“I know, and I was feeling better. But I didn’t sleep well last night, and it hit with a vengeance about three this morning.”

Malachi gripped her hand a bit tighter and stroked the back of it with his other hand. “Take care of yourself for me,
Mia Belle
. I don’t want to be the cause of you getting even sicker because you’re looking after me. There are nurses here to help with that.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “You really want one of them helping you to the bathroom?”

He gave her his best fake shocked look. “I’m a prince,
Mia Belle
. We do not do such plebeian things as go to the bathroom.”

She rolled her eyes and gave him the smile he’d been hoping to elicit. “If you say so.” She hesitated. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What’s that?”

“During all of this, I met the security guard who’s been staying in my house. He said their house is going to be a total loss after all. I want to let them stay there indefinitely.”

Malachi gave her the best smile he could. “I think that’s a great idea.”

She grinned like the Cheshire cat. “His wife is a nurse, so Tommy and his mother are going to stay there until they can get back on their feet.”

Malachi hadn’t know. “That’s great. Now, seriously, please go get some rest. You look about like I feel.”

Jessabelle gave him a weak smile. “I feel about like you look, so I suppose it is a good idea.” She stood up, but must have done so too quickly because she pressed a hand to her stomach and closed her eyes as she swayed.

Not waiting to see if she righted herself, Malachi pressed the call button. In two seconds, the door opened with a nurse rushing in.

“I’m fine,” he called, “but my wife needs someone to help her to bed. She’s not feeling well.”

“Of course,” the nurse replied, taking Jessabelle’s elbow. “Let’s get you to your room, ma’am.”

Malachi picked up the phone and called his assistant, asking him to have the family doctor check on Jessabelle. Having done what he could, Malachi closed his eyes and napped.

A few hours later, the door opening woke him up. The family doctor walked in with Jessabelle at his side. A couple of aides moved a recliner next to his bed. So she was going to convalesce next to him?

“I wanted to talk with both of you,” the doctor explained when it was just the three of them.

Malachi reached for Jessabelle, and she tucked her hand snuggly inside his own. “What is it?” she whispered.

She must fear the worst and now that she did, Malachi wasn’t sure what to think.

“It’s nothing so dramatic, thankfully,” he told them both with a smile. “In fact, I hope I’m not too presumptuous saying it’s quite a blessing.”

He shared a look with his wife. “Blessing?” he asked.

The doctor’s grin widened. “Yes. In fact, your parents will be quite thrilled I’m sure.”

Jessabelle glanced at him, her brow furrowed. “Pardon?”

“You’re pregnant, Your Highness. You are going to be parents.”

Stunned silence descended on the room.

“What?” Jessabelle finally whispered. “Pregnant?”

The doctor’s smile changed to a smirk. “I am certain you are both well aware of how such a thing occurs.”

“Of course,” Malachi murmured as he too tried to assimilate the information. “You’re sure?” he asked to clarify.

“We did a urine test and have the blood work being done now.” He glanced at his phone. “In fact, the results just came in.” After a few taps on his phone, he nodded. “As I suspected. You are definitely pregnant.” He hesitated then, “If you like, I can arrange to have an ultrasound machine brought here, and we can get some more detailed information.”

Malachi looked at Jessabelle who nodded. “That would be wonderful.”

The doctor smiled again. “All right then. I won’t share the information with anyone, you know. And I’ll have an obstetrician friend bring the equipment.” He nodded at Malachi. “He’s the one who delivered all three of you, so he can be trusted.” And he left.

They sat in silence for several minutes. “A baby?” Jessabelle whispered. “Is that what he really said?”

Malachi rolled onto his left side as best he could to face her. “Yes. Are you happy about that?” He was. He wanted to be. But not until he knew for sure she was.

“Yeah. I guess.” She blinked rapidly. “Just not expecting to hear I am, well, expecting. I had no clue.”

“None?”

“No. I haven’t felt well for a while, but I figured it was just stress.” She shook her head as though to clear it. “Wow. A baby.”

“Yep.” He looked at their joined hands. “When do you want to tell our parents?”

Jessabelle looked lost in thought but turned. “What? Tell them?”

“That they’re going to be grandparents?” he reminded gently.

“Yeah. I guess they are. Your father will be the biological grandparent and so will your mother, even though it’s more convoluted
how
than anyone would suspect.”

“Do you want to tell them now? Or wait?” His cautious excitement would spill over soon, and he’d have to, but not unless she was ready.

“After the ultrasound,” she told him. “Not until I see for myself.”

* * *

Jessabelle stared at the fuzzy black and white image on the screen. “That’s a baby?” she whispered.

“Yes.” The doctor smiled at her and pointed at the screen. “This little peanut looking thing is your baby. He or she is about the size of a peanut, too.”

“Wow.” She looked over at Malachi to see a grin on his battered face. “That’s incredible.”

The doctor smiled. “Everything looks great. The machine wasn’t working quite right so I couldn’t get a couple of the measurements I need to give you an estimated due date. Best guess based on my observations and experience is that you’re only a few weeks along.”

Jessabelle did some mental math. “Yes. That would be about right.” So not long after the night she first kissed Malachi with something more than a kiss in mind.

He smiled again. “All right then. I’ll have my people get with your assistant and set up regular appointments to check on you. If you need to get in touch with me before then...” He handed her a card. “Call anytime, day or night.”