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Once Upon a King
Holly Jacobs
Prince Antonio Michael Paul Mickovich Dillonetti blew in and out of our ibeloved Perry Square at record speed (three months ago. We all thought he'd come to visit his sweet sister, Parker, but instead he was spotted strolling arm in arm with her best gal pal, Cara Phillips.The quiet bookstore owner might keep it all bottled up but the expressions on both their faces said it all! Well, now the kismet couple is about to be reunited in the future (king's homeland…. And, according to our source, Cara has some "news" that sure explains the king-to-be's swift departure….
“You’ll have to admit that the night we met neither of us was particularly cautious.”
Some emotion the prince couldn’t quite identify passed over Cara’s face as she nodded.
“I guess you could say that.”
“About that night, I’d like to—”
“Sorry, Michael. No time to reminisce. I’ve got to plan these weddings and there’re only a few weeks left.”
“We’re going to have to talk.”
“I don’t see why. It was a passing fling. A one-night stand. There’s nothing to talk about or analyze. It was over almost before it started. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to freshen up before my next meeting.”
This time Michael took the hint.
Cara looked pale and a bit shaky and he didn’t want to upset her further.
“Fine, I’ll let it go for now. But you’re here at the palace for these next few weeks, cara mia. You won’t be able to run from me forever.”
Dear Reader,
To me, September is the cruelest month. One minute it feels like just another glorious summer day. And then almost overnight the days become shorter and life just hits. It’s no different for this month’s heroes and heroines. Because they all get their own very special “September moment” when they discover a secret that will change their lives forever!
Judy Christenberry once again heads up this month with The Texan’s Tiny Dilemma (#1782)—the next installment in her LONE STAR BRIDES miniseries. A handsome accountant must suddenly figure out how to factor love into the equation when a one-night stand results in twins. Seth Bryant gets his wake-up call when a very pregnant princess shows up on his doorstep in Prince Baby (#1783), which continues Susan Meier’s BRYANT BABY BONANZA. Jill Limber assures us that The Sheriff Wins a Wife (#1784) in the continuing BLOSSOM COUNTY FAIR continuity, but how will this lawman react to the news that he’s still married to a woman who left town eight years ago! Holly Jacobs rounds out the month with her next PERRY SQUARE: THE ROYAL INVASION! title. In Once Upon a King (#1785), baby seems to come before love and marriage for a future king.
And be sure to watch for more great romances next month when bestselling author Myrna Mackenzie launches our new SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE miniseries.
Happy reading,
Ann Leslie Tuttle
Associate Senior Editor
Once Upon a King
Holly Jacobs
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This one’s for Haley. I hope you’ll always find the magic in books!
You’re such an amazing young woman!
For Dr. Baxter and Carolyn Flear…there’s no Philharmonic
or bowling here, but still, thanks for the inspiration!
And for Peter…hope you’ve enjoyed the series!
Finally, for Dort. You had the biggest heart and
such a gift for blarney. We all miss you every day.
Books by Holly Jacobs
Silhouette Romance
* (#litres_trial_promo)Do You Hear What I Hear? #1557
* (#litres_trial_promo)A Day Late and a Bride Short #1653
* (#litres_trial_promo)Dad Today, Groom Tomorrow #1683
* (#litres_trial_promo)Be My Baby #1733
† (#litres_trial_promo)Once Upon a Princess #1768
† (#litres_trial_promo)Once Upon a Prince #1777
† (#litres_trial_promo)Once Upon a King #1785
HOLLY JACOBS
can’t remember a time when she didn’t read…and read a lot. Writing her own stories just seemed a natural outgrowth of that love. Reading, writing, chauffeuring kids to and from activities makes for a busy life. But it’s one she wouldn’t trade for any other.
Holly lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with her husband, four children and a 180-pound Old English mastiff. In her “spare” time, Holly loves hearing from her fans. You can write to her at P.O. Box 11102, Erie, PA 16514-1102 or visit her Web site at www.HollyJacobs.com (http://www.HollyJacobs.com).
Dear Reader,
When I brought royalty to Perry Square and planned a trilogy, I knew I wanted Cara’s story to be last. Of the three friends who make up PERRY SQUARE: THE ROYAL INVASION!, Cara’s the true center of the trio. And as a tried-and-true bookworm, she’s a woman after my own heart. She believes in love and has cheered on Parker and Shey in Once Upon a Princess and Once Upon a Prince. Now it’s her turn to take a journey of the heart as she leaves Perry Square to travel to Eliason to plan Parker and Shey’s secret double wedding. There she meets her own Prince Charming. Well, not exactly meets. You see, one night, three months ago she found, then lost, the man of her dreams. But Cara never imagined her mysterious Prince Charming was in fact a prince!
Perry Square’s going on the road…going international! I hope you enjoy the trip and this final book in my Perry Square royalty trilogy!
Enjoy!
Holly
Contents
Prologue (#u407ca821-795f-5f52-9463-b46a3c2d4550)
Chapter One (#u5c1dea58-e298-5f06-a9a1-ac91f23a019b)
Chapter Two (#u015bf44c-b909-5ee8-9282-fe62ffa82d4a)
Chapter Three (#u03d01958-dfbf-5ba9-99cd-7e1641613ed2)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
Cara Phillips looked out the window of the plane as it made its approach to Eliason, a small European country that most of the world overlooked.
But to Cara, Eliason was magical.
A real-life kingdom.
For a minute she wondered what it would be like to know an entire land was yours…your responsibility, handed down generation after generation. To protect, to guide, to cherish.
Cara’s best friend, Parker Dillon, had been born here. Parker was a princess. Princess Marie Anna Parker Mickovich Dillonetti of Eliason.
But Parker had traded away her legacy and chased after her dreams…dreams that had led her to Perry Square in Erie, Pennsylvania, and to Jace O’Donnell, the man she was going to marry in just a month.
Four short weeks.
Their friend Shey Carlson and her fiancе, Tanner Ericson, were going to be married as well.
A double ceremony.
Cara’s romantic heart gave a small twist.
Truly, Parker and Shey’s romances were more than sigh-worthy.
Shey hadn’t been looking for love. Especially not with a prince. Prince Eduardo Matthew Tanner Ericson of Amar had come to Erie to claim his bride—Parker. But instead he’d claimed Shey’s heart.
Shey was rock hard on the outside, but that was just a veneer. On the inside she was caring, concerned and so deserved having a prince.
Cara sighed again. It was all so wonderful.
Her two best friends had found their other halves, men whom they loved and were willing to commit their lives to.
Once upon a time, Cara had thought she’d find a similar path.
For one brief moment three months ago, she thought she had.
Mike King.
He’d appeared in her life, bringing with him a whirlwind of emotion and hope…hope that she’d found what she’d been looking for. But he’d disappeared, leaving behind a longing for what-might-have-been.
She’d had just one night, one special night when she’d believed all her fantasies could come true. On that night she’d believed in love at first sight and happily-ever-after.
Then it was morning and Mike was gone. In the light of day, Cara had awoken to the reality with a thud.
She and Mike had been just a hazy dream, a misty longing she had thought could grow into something solid. But, like a mist, the morning sun had burned her dream of him away. All she had left was a memory of the dark-haired man whose deep blue eyes had seemed to touch her soul, and the knowledge she’d deceived herself into thinking he’d felt a connection, too.
But he’d left her something tangible. Something solid and oh-so-real.
The plane touched down and Cara allowed herself one last wistful sigh.
She was going to see to it that Parker and Shey and their grooms had the most perfect fairy-tale wedding ever.
They’d have someone to love forever.
And in the end, so would Cara.
Not Mike King. He had come and gone. No, she was going to have a real someone.
She was going to have Mike’s baby.
One
“Michael, stop your pacing. You look like a nervous bride on her wedding night rather than a commanding prince of the land.”
Try as he might, Michael couldn’t help but smile. “A bride, Marstel? You couldn’t at least have said bridegroom?”
“A figure of speech,” Marstel Marriott said with a smile.
Michael gave his childhood friend a lot more latitude than most employees had. As Michael’s personal assistant and right-hand man, Marstel was privy to many things, but as a lifelong friend, he knew even more.
All joking aside, Marstel suddenly looked serious. “Just take a deep breath and settle down.”
“Settle down?” Michael raked his fingers through his dark hair in utter frustration.
“Settle down?” he repeated. “I shouldn’t be here playing host to my sister’s friend. I shouldn’t be playing surrogate wedding planner.” His sister, Parker, was getting married soon and was sending her friend ahead to help finalize the plans. “I should be back in Erie, looking for her.”
Her.
He didn’t even know her name.
Cara mia, he’d called her.
