Page 16 of Summer on the Ranch (Royally Wed #1)

‘‘T his was my favorite place to come for dinner when I was a kid,’’ Mitch said as he held open the door to Ruby’s Diner.

He leaned close to Alex and lowered his voice.

‘‘They don’t get many of the royal set, so don’t expect much except good, plain food, okay?

There’s not going to be salmon mousse or paté on the menu. ’’

She glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled. ‘‘What? No paté? Then I’ll just have to stamp my royal foot in a dainty manner and demand they buy some for me.’’

Mitch was still grinning as he followed her into the diner.

The large, brightly lit restaurant was just as he remembered.

Booths lined three walls, their red vinyl seats as shiny as ever.

Different-size tables filled the space between the booths and the counter seating.

All the tabletops were red and gray Formica.

Menus stood between metal napkin holders and bottles of mustard and ketchup.

Country music blared out of the speakers, and the smell of grilled hamburgers and steaks filled the air.

Alex paused to take it all in. She’d dressed casually for their trip to The Sunshine Home, and her still-too-new jeans outlined her slender hips and long legs.

She’d pulled a navy jacket over her white shirt.

Her hair was back in some fancy braid, and she didn’t have on much makeup.

Even so, she was obviously high-class and incredibly beautiful.

Mitch saw the interested glances in their direction and knew that he’d have some questions to answer.

‘‘Sit anywhere you’d like,’’ a female voice hollered from behind the counter. ‘‘The T-bone is better than the rib-eye tonight, and the mashed potatoes are so good they’ll make you cry.’’

Alex pointed to a booth in front of the main window. When he nodded, she led the way over and slid onto the bench seat. ‘‘I’ve never cried over potatoes before,’’ she admitted as he took a seat across from her.

‘‘Then you’ll have to try them, won’t you?’’

‘‘I suppose so.’’ She slipped off her jacket and glanced around. ‘‘I like this place. It reminds me of that movie —American Graffiti. The one set in the early sixties. Did you see it?’’

‘‘Many times.’’

‘‘Me, too. It’s a favorite of mine and my sisters.’’ She took a menu and opened it. Her eyes widened as she took in the list of steaks and all the ways they could be cooked. ‘‘This isn’t a place for a nonmeat eater, is it?’’

‘‘They have salad.’’

She grinned. ‘‘One salad. Amazing. And…’’ She paused to count. ‘‘Three dishes made with chicken. Four, if you count chicken-fried steak.’’

‘‘Hey, Mitch.’’

He looked up and saw an older man standing next to the table. ‘‘Tom.’’ Mitch shook the man’s hand. ‘‘How’s by you?’’

‘‘Good. I haven’t seen you in town for a while. Keeping busy on the ranch?’’

‘‘Yeah. With my folks gone and John away, there’s plenty of work to fill my day.’’

Tom Bucannan’s spread was about five miles from Mitch’s.

Tom and his dad had always been friends, but unlike Mitch’s father, Tom would never retire.

The rancher always said he didn’t see the point of leaving the one thing he’d worked for all his life.

He was a tall man, strong but lean, with gray hair and a handlebar mustache that stuck out straight for nearly four inches before curving into graceful half circles. His sharp gaze settled on Alex.

Mitch drew in a deep breath. How exactly did one explain the presence of royalty at Ruby’s Diner?

‘‘Tom, this is Alex. She’s a friend of the family and is staying with me for a little while. Alex, Tom Bucannan, our closest neighbor.’’

She gave the rancher one of her best smiles and shook hands with him. ‘‘This is such a beautiful part of the country,’’ she said graciously. ‘‘I’m very pleased to have had the chance to see it.’’

Tom continued to hold her hand in his. ‘‘If you’ve just been around Mitch’s place, you ain’t seen nothing. Ride on up to my spread. I’ll show you some countryside that will keep you talking for days.’’

‘‘I would like that very much.’’

Mitch wondered if the older man was ever going to release Alex’s fingers. He finally did so, then tipped his hat and left.

‘‘We have some colorful characters up here,’’ Mitch said by way of explanation.

‘‘I liked him.’’ Her blue eyes danced with amusement. ‘‘Although you were glaring.’’

‘‘I was not.’’ Tom was old enough to be her father and then some. He hadn’t been glaring. He cleared his throat, then changed the subject. ‘‘I hope you don’t mind that I introduced you as a friend of the family. I didn’t think you wanted everyone knowing who you were.’’

‘‘That’s fine.’’ She rested her forearms on the table. ‘‘I liked that, too. No one has ever said that about me before. Probably because no one would be comfortable with that kind of familiarity.’’

Mitch stiffened at her comment. He knew in his head that she was a royal princess, but with her exercising the horses and living in his house, he often forgot it on a day-to-day basis.

Most of the time she was just a smart, intriguing, attractive woman who had taken up temporary residence on the ranch.

‘‘So how many rules of etiquette have I violated in the past week and a half?’’ he asked.

‘‘Nearly 750.’’

‘‘I’m being serious.’’

Her smile faded. She reached across the table and touched the back of his hand.

‘‘Please don’t be.’’ She paused and drew in a deep breath.

‘‘You’re the most genuine person I know, Mitch. You treat me like I’m very normal.

My guess is that you forget the princess part, and I don’t want that to change. ’’

She pulled her hand free and leaned forward, staring at him intensely.

‘‘You can’t know what it’s like for me. Everywhere I go, I’m treated differently.

It can be very isolating. I never have the opportunity to just be myself.

I’m expected to dress a certain way or act a certain way.

I’m not supposed to be irritable or too quiet or even make off-color jokes.

But at the ranch, around you, I’m safe to be myself. That means the world to me.’’

‘‘I hear the words, but they don’t make any sense,’’ he admitted.

‘‘Then just accept them on faith and promise you won’t change. I don’t want you worrying about the rules. I want you to be yourself.’’

‘‘So whatcha gonna have?’’ the waitress asked as she came toward the table. She was a redhead, but unlike Alex, the color of her hair was closer to neon than nature. She winked at Mitch, then turned her attention to Alex. ‘‘You made up your mind, sweetie?’’

Alex looked faintly startled at the endearment, but offered a friendly smile. ‘‘Yes. I’d like the T-bone steak with mashed potatoes.’’ She hesitated. ‘‘Is there a vegetable served with that?’’

The waitress rolled her eyes toward heaven. ‘‘Of course. We serve corn with everything.’’

‘‘Corn,’’ Alex repeated softly. ‘‘Perfect.’’

Mitch grinned. ‘‘I’ll have the same. Oh, and we’ll both have blueberry milk shakes.’’

The waitress eyed Alex. ‘‘We might have a box of wine somewhere in the back if your lady friend would prefer that.’’

Boxed wine? Mitch doubted Alex would be able to choke it down. ‘‘No, the milk shake will be fine.’’

When the woman left, Alex laughed. ‘‘Wine in a box? I haven’t heard of that before.’’

‘‘It’s not what you’re used to.’’

‘‘Neither is a blueberry milk shake, but it sounds lovely. I can’t wait. Thank you for bringing me here, Mitch. I’m having a wonderful time.’’

Her gaze was direct, and he read the pleasure in her face.

Wanting slammed into him, nearly making him wince.

The situation was completely ridiculous.

Here he was, a rancher from Arizona, attracted to a royal princess.

They had absolutely nothing in common, they came from two different worlds, and he knew better than to get involved.

There was only one problem. He liked her.

It wasn’t all about her long legs and pretty face.

He actually enjoyed Alex’s company. She made him laugh, she made him think and she didn’t let him get away with anything.

So he was stuck. Liking and wanting were allowed as long as he didn’t do anything about either.

After all, he hadn’t been able to keep his first wife happy.

Of course he’d matured since then. He knew a lot more about relationships and doing his part in one.

But however much he’d learned, it wasn’t going to be enough to travel in royal circles.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a couple walking toward them. He motioned with his head. ‘‘Little people approaching at three o’clock.’’

Alex looked momentarily confused, then started to laugh. ‘‘Stop teasing,’’ she told him. ‘‘What if someone overhears?’’

‘‘They’ll think you’re a snob.’’

‘‘That’s so nice of you. Thanks. As if I don’t have enough trouble in that department.’’

‘‘You’re the one who’s bossy and imperious. I’m just a nice guy.’’

‘‘You couldn’t be more wrong.’’ Her blue eyes danced as she teased him.

He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could do so, the couple had reached the side of the table.

‘‘Mitch, it’s good to see you,’’ Reverend Tucker said as he clasped Mitch’s shoulder. ‘‘You’ve been hiding up at the ranch for too long.’’

Mitch leaned toward Alex. ‘‘Translation—how come I never see you in church these days? If you don’t show up soon, I’m going to call your folks in Washington and rat you out.’’

The reverend chuckled. ‘‘I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a thought.’’

‘‘I know how your mind works.’’ He smiled at the man he’d known most of his life. ‘‘Okay, Reverend, I’ll do my best to pop in some Sunday. Reverend Tucker, Mrs. Tucker, I’d like you to meet Alex. She’s a friend of the family and is staying out on the ranch for a while.’’

‘‘What a pretty lady,’’ Reverend Tucker said as he took Alex’s hand. ‘‘I don’t remember seeing you around here before. Is this your first trip to Hope?’’

‘‘Yes. I’m enjoying myself tremendously.’’