‘‘You have company,’’ his mother said, her voice bright with excitement. ‘‘Who is she?’’
‘‘Doesn’t matter who she is,’’ his dad announced. ‘‘Mitch, you finally went out and found yourself another woman. Good for you. I’m sure we’ll like her very much.’’
Alex had moved to the sofa and taken a seat. She looked beautiful in an elegant dark green dress that more than hinted at the curves it concealed. She’d piled her hair on top of her head, leaving only a few curls to tumble down to her shoulders. She looked regal and unapproachable.
‘‘It’s not what you think,’’ he said quickly into the phone. ‘‘Alex is a friend and nothing more. She’s in the area, looking for relatives.’’
‘‘Do we know her?’’ his mother asked. ‘‘What relatives? Was she adopted like John?’’
‘‘Not exactly.’’ He hesitated, not wanting to tell them too much.
‘‘Is she pretty?’’ This question came from his dad. ‘‘I guess it doesn’t matterwhyshe’s visiting, as long as you take advantage of the situation.’’
‘‘Robert! I can’t believe you said that to our son. Mitch is a gentleman. He would never take advantage of a young woman.’’
‘‘I didn’t say for him to take advantage ofher.I said the situation. The ranch can be a real romantic place.’’
Alex motioned for him to cover the mouthpiece, which he did.
‘‘I’m sorry I started talking without noticing you were on a phone call,’’ she said quietly. ‘‘Now that they know I’m here, you might as well tell them the truth. Otherwise, they’re going to assume you’re keeping a woman here.’’
‘‘Too late for that one,’’ he said. ‘‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’’
‘‘They’re your family, Mitch,’’ she answered, as if that explained everything.
He returned his attention to the call and found his parents were still quarreling. ‘‘It’s a nonissue,’’ Mitch said. ‘‘Yes, she’s very pretty, but she’s also Princess Alexandra of Wynborough. You’ve probably seen several pieces about her and her sisters on the news. The four princesses are here in America to publicize their father’s upcoming celebration.’’
There was a moment of stunned silence from the other end of the phone. ‘‘A princess?’’ his mother asked. ‘‘In our house?’’
‘‘Yeah.’’ He winked at Alex. ‘‘Hard to believe, huh? She’s really nice. Almost like a regular person. I have her helping me with the horses.’’
‘‘Mitch, you don’t!’’
‘‘Not cleaning out the stables, but she is exercising some of the mares. Don’t worry, Mom, she likes it.’’
Alex nodded in agreement. ‘‘Tell her that her house is lovely.’’
‘‘Alex says to tell you that she thinks the house is lovely.’’
‘‘You call her Alex?’’ His mother sounded as if she were in shock.
‘‘I do, but Betty uses her whole title.’’ He hesitated. ‘‘It’s okay that you two know about her being here, but you can’t tell anyone. She’s in the area looking for relatives, and she doesn’t want the press finding out that she’s here. To be honest, neither do I. The last thing the cattle or the horses need are to be invaded by news vans and helicopters.’’
‘‘We won’t say a word,’’ his father promised, then chuckled. ‘‘Well, I’ll be. A real princess, just like on television.’’
‘‘Mitch?’’ His mother cleared her throat. ‘‘Tell Betty to use the good china when she serves dinner, and be sure to take a couple of photos for the family album.’’
‘‘I’ll do that,’’ he promised. They chatted for a couple more minutes, then hung up.
Alex raised her eyebrows. ‘‘Let me guess. They were in shock.’’
‘‘Actually, they took it pretty well. Mom wants me to take your picture so we can put it in the family album.’’
‘‘Then I would be part of your history.’’ She tucked a loose curl behind her ear. ‘‘I believe I like that idea. We’ll have to plan it so that you can see I’m actually in the house.’’ She flashed him a smile. ‘‘It will make her bragging rights so much better.’’
‘‘Thanks for understanding about my folks. They won’t tell anyone.’’
‘‘I know. I trust them. After all, look what a great job they did with their son.’’
