Page 88 of Royally Wed

I changed my mind.

My God, she did it. She walked away.

“Obviously.” Asher glanced at his feet. His shoelace was completely severed now. He didn’t give a damn. New laces weren’t a problem... new shoes... a whole new life. “James is a good guy. You might want to think about giving him a raise.”

“Done.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Questions shone in her deep green irises. So many that there wasn’t room for anything else. “I never should have gone to the church to begin with. I thought I had to...” She paused, swallowed. “... but I should have stood up for what I wanted before it was too late.”

Asher nodded. The ache in his chest was almost unbearable.

“Is it too late?”She peered up at him. “Please tell me it’s not. I’m sorry. So sorry. I’ve never regretted anything more in my life.”

A gust of wind lifted her frothy tulle skirt in the air and blew an auburn curl into her eyes.

Asher couldn’t help himself any longer. He reached to sweep the hair from her eyes and ended up cupping her face in his hands and kissing her so hard he nearly suffocated them both.

“It’s not too late. You’re right on time. I love you, you know,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

“Tiara and all?” she said.

“The whole package,” he said. “Even the beastly dog.”

“I love you, too.” Amelia wound her arms around hisneck, anchoring herself to him. She snuck a sideways glance beyond the stone wall, toward the newly created enclosure, and lifted a brow. “So thisis where you wanted to take me? To the zoo?”

“Surely you know why.”

Her lips spread into a slow smile. “Not the leopard.”

“Yes, princess.Yourleopard.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then watched as the spotted cat prowled out from behind a cluster of trees.

Amelia gasped. “You found her.”

“I did, and today is her liberation day. No more cages. She’s got a wide-open space now. The LondonZoo just finished building the largest exotic-cat enclosure in the world.” He removed her arms from around his neck and took her hand in his, so they stood, side-by-side, watching the beautiful animal. “Isn’t it crazy? Who knew?”

“You did.” Amelia rested her head on his shoulder, and once again, music wound its way through Asher’s head.

Not just one song, but all of them. Every song he’d everheard. Every note he’d played before, and even the ones he’d yet to stroke to life with his bow.

It was the sweetest, purest sound, and on and on it flowed, while Asher and Amelia watched the newly liberated leopard find her way in the wide-open world.