A Bride for the Island Prince / The Last Goodbye. Rebecca Winters

been a terrible time for you.”

      “It was, but I had Zoe. Her smiling face made me want to get up in the morning when I didn’t think I could.”

      Moisture filmed her eyes. “I admire you for the wonderful life you’re giving her.”

      “She’s worth everything to me. You do what you have to do. Don’t forget I’ve had a lot of help from family and the staff.”

      “Even so, your little Zoe adores you. It means whatever you’re doing is working.” She pushed herself away from the table and got to her feet. “Good night, Your Highness. No, no. Don’t get up. Enjoy that second cup of coffee in peace.

      “What with worrying about your grandmother, too, you deserve a little pampering. From my vantage point, no one seems to be taking care of you. In all the fairy tales I read as a child, they went to the castle and lived happily ever after. Until now I never thought about the prince’s welfare.”

      Her comment stunned him before she walked out of the dining room.

      Two nights later, while Alex was going over a new schedule he’d been working out with his internal affairs minister, a maid came into his office with a message. He wasn’t surprised when he heard what was wrong. In fact he’d half been expecting it.

      “If you’ll excuse me.”

      “Of course, Your Highness.”

      Pleased that he’d been able to arrange his affairs so he could eat dinner with Zoe and Dottie from now on, he got up from the desk and headed for Zoe’s bedroom. He heard crying before he opened the door. Poor Sofia was trying to calm his blotchy-faced daughter, who took one look at him and flung herself against his body.

      Alex gathered her in his arms. “What’s the matter?” he asked, knowing full well what was wrong. She’d been having the time of her life since Dottie had come to the palace and she didn’t want the fun to stop.

      Sofia shook her head. “She was asleep, and then suddenly she woke up with a nightmare. I haven’t been able to quiet her down, Your Highness. She doesn’t want me to help her anymore.”

      “I understand. It’s all right. You can retire now. Thank you.”

      After she went into the next room, where she’d been sleeping lately, Zoe cried, “I want my mommy.”

      She’d never asked for her mother before. From time to time they’d talked about Teresa. He’d put pictures around so she would always know what her mother looked like, but this was different. He pulled one of them off the dresser and put it in her hand. To his shock, she pushed the photo away. “I want Dot. She’s my mommy.”

      Alex was aghast. His daughter had shortened Dottie’s name, but the sound that came out would make no sense to anyone except Alex, who understood it perfectly. “No, Zoe. Dottie’s your teacher.”

      She had that hysterical look in her eyes. “No—she’s my mommy. Where did she go?”

      “Your mommy’s in heaven.”

      “No—” She flung her arms around his neck. “Get my mommy!”

      “I can’t, Zoe.”

      “Has she gone?” The fright in her voice stunned him. Alex grabbed the photograph. “This is your mommy. She went to heaven, remember?” “Is Dot in heaven?”

      Obviously his daughter’s dreaming had caused her to awaken confused. “Dottie is your teacher and she went to her room, but she’s not your mommy.”

      “Yes, she is.” She nodded. “She’s my new mommy!” she insisted before breaking down in sobs.

       New?

      “I want her! Get her, Daddy! Get her!” she begged him hysterically.

      Feeling his panic growing, he pulled out his cell phone to call Hector.

      “Your Highness?”

      “Finds Mrs. Richards and tell her to come to Zoe’s suite immediately.”

      “I’ll take care of it now.”

      Alex could be thankful there was no one more efficient than Hector in an emergency.

      When Dottie walked into the room a few minutes later with a book in her hand, his daughter had calmed down somewhat, but was still shuddering in his arms.

      “Dot—” Zoe blurted with such joy, Alex was speechless.

      “Hi, Zoe. Did you want to say good-night?” “Yes.”

      “She thought you were gone,” Alex whispered in an aside.

      Dottie nodded. “Why don’t you get in bed and I’ll read you a story. Then I have to go to bed, too, because you and I have a big day planned for tomorrow, don’t we?”

      Zoe’s lips turned up in a smile. “Yes.”

      Like magic, his daughter crawled under the covers. Dottie pulled up a chair next to the bed. “This is the good-night book. See the moon on the cover? When he’s up there, everyone goes to sleep. Freddie the frog stops going ribbbbbit and says good-night.” Zoe laughed.

      Dottie turned the page. “Benny the bee stops buzzzzing and says good-night.” She showed each page to his daughter who was enchanted. “Charlie the cricket stops chirrrping and says good-night. Guess who’s on the last page?” Zoe didn’t know. Dottie showed it to her. There was a mirror. “It’s you! Now you have to say good-night.”

      Zoe said it.

      “Let’s say the g again. Mr. G is a grumpy letter.” Zoe thought that was hilarious. “He gets mad.” She made a face. “Let’s see if we can get as mad as he does. We have to grit our teeth like this. Watch my mouth and say grrr.”

      Alex was watching it. To his chagrin he’d been watching it on and off for several days. After half a dozen tries Zoe actually made the grrr sound. He couldn’t believe it. In his astonishment his gaze darted to Dottie, but she was focused on his daughter.

      “You sounded exactly like Mr. G, Zoe. That was perfect. Tomorrow night your father will read it to you again. Now Dot has to go to sleep. I’ll leave the book with you.” She slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.

      Zoe clasped it to her chest as if it were her greatest treasure. Alex’s eyes smarted because lying before him was his greatest treasure. She fell asleep within minutes. As soon as she was out, he left the room knowing Sofia was sleeping in the adjacent room and would hear her if she woke up.

      He strode through the palace, intending to talk to Dottie before she went to bed. Hector met him as he was passing his grandmother’s suite on his way to the other wing.

      “The queen wants to see you before she retires.”

      His brows lifted. “You wouldn’t by any chance be spying on me for her, would you, Hector?”

      “I have never spied on you, Your Highness.”

      “You’ve been spying for her since the day Stasi and I were born, but I forgive you. However, Stasi might not be so forgiving once he’s crowned, so remember you’ve been warned. Tell the queen I’ll be with her in ten minutes.”

      He continued on his way to Dottie’s apartment. After he knocked, she called out, “Yes?”

      “It’s Alex.”

      The silence that followed was understandable. He’d never used his given name with her before, or given his permission for her to use it. But considering the amount of time they’d been spending together since her arrival at the palace, it seemed absurd to say anything else now that they were alone. “Would you be more willing to answer me if I’d said it’s Zoe’s father, or it’s your Royal Highness?”

      He thought he heard her chuckle