Page 125 of American Royalty

He gestured up to the entrance into the box.

Recognizing the woman, Dani hopped up and waved her down.Excusing herself, she stepped past Liam and made her way to the end of the row.

“Stephanie!” She hugged the young woman. “Oh my God, it’s been a minute! What are you doing here?”

Stephanie Evans, Yolanda’s younger sister, smiled. “Hoping to run into you! You look amazing.”

“So do you. Wait.” Dani turned to look down at the court. “Is Yolanda here?”

Stephanie nodded. “Yeah, she’s playing.”

Dani wrinkled her brow. “I thought they had a British player and someone from France.”

“They did. But Caroline tweaked her knee and she wanted to rest it up for Wimbledon, so she pulled out at the last minute. Since Yoli was already here preparing for the tournament, they asked her to step in and she agreed.”

Dani smiled. This was going to be more fun than she’d initially imagined.

Noting Liam’s interest, she turned and touched his shoulder. “Stephanie, have you met Liam Cooper?”

“No, I haven’t.”

He smiled and took her hand. “It’s a pleasure. And I’m a big fan of your sister’s, as well.”

“I’ll make sure to tell her that... after the match. Don’t want to distract her.” Stephanie laughed. “I have to go. I just wanted to come up and say hi.”

“I’m glad you did. Please tell Yolanda I’ll be up here cheering her on.”

“Will do. It was so good to see you. And nice to meet you, Liam.”

“I didn’t know you knew Yolanda Evans,” Liam said, once Stephanie had left and they’d retaken their seats.

“Yeah, we met at the ESPYs several years ago,” Dani said, referring to the annual ceremony that recognized outstanding achievement in sports but was attended by celebrities from all fields.

“She’s really good. I was looking forward to seeing her play at Wimbledon this year,” he said, the genuine interest in his gaze different from the almost customary flirting he’d been doing with her.

Interesting.

There was a movement on the court. To her left, two rows of young boys and girls strode out and stood.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the event to begin,” a female voice said from the intercom. “Please welcome onto Centre Court His Royal Highness Prince Jameson.”

Jameson strode onto the court to meet a young woman holding a microphone. Though Dani knew how much he hated these events, he looked incredible, possessing a sophistication and ease that was as natural to him as breathing. Other men might try to perfect that air, but with Jameson, it just was.

“On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and the rest of my family, it is my honor to welcome you here today. Prince John loved tennis, especially Wimbledon. He never missed a finals. It only seemed appropriate that as we honor him this week, we include something he enjoyed. I want to thank the players who took time out of their training mere days before Wimbledon to thrill and entertain you for a good cause. Join me in welcoming Pauletta Cornet and Yolanda Evans.”

The two players walked out of the club, through the rows of boys and girls, and the crowd went wild. Dani clapped when she saw her friend and when Yolanda looked up at the Royal Box and waved, Dani surged to her feet and waved back. Liam stood with her, and only after she stopped did she look around and realizethey were the only ones standing. With a playful grin, she sat back down.

“I also want to thank our guest musicians up there,” Jameson said, gesturing to where she and the other musicians sat.

The applause was deafening, but when their eyes met, she couldn’t hear anything but her own beating heart. Heat flowed through her. Was there any hope for them? Should they just end it now and spare them both pain?

When the applause died down, he looked away, severing the connection.

“Because of your generosity, more money has been raised to honor Prince John’s lifelong work on environmental causes.” Jameson smiled. “Now, let the game begin.”

THE SMILE SLIDfrom Jameson’s face the moment the double doors closed behind him and he was back in the clubhouse.

“Where was Julian?”