peered at him until realization struck.
“Hey. Aren’t you the Prince?” she asked, placing her goodies on the counter. He went still and his dark, hooded eyes moved over her with unhidden masculine appreciation. It happened all the time.
“Yeah, Keith Morgan. And you?” he said in a nice, raspy voice.
For once, Liza felt nothing. She hadn’t driven halfway across the country to start up a fling. Not even with Keith Morgan, ex-pro tennis player, looking every bit like sex on a stick, with his wavy, dark hair and rock-hard body.
Earl chuckled behind the counter. “Hey there, Liza. You just get into town?” He jerked his head toward Keith. “Our famous new resident. He bought the old Victorian over on Carver. Gonna fix it all up and guess who’s helping him?”
“Hey, Earl. Can I have a skinny latte, please? Large.” Then she turned back to the Prince, now leaning against the snack display, wearing a curious expression. “Liza Palmer. I’d shake your hand but looks like it’s full.” She indicated his coffees to go. “I followed your tennis career, hated to see you retire.”
His lips curled into something resembling a smile as a look of pain flashed behind his eyes. “Thanks. You still live in Harmony?” he asked.
Earl handed Liza her coffee and she fished for her wallet inside her Louis Vuitton cross-body bag. “Not any more. Just visiting. Who’s helping with your home? Some big designer from Miami, I bet,” she said with a chuckle, handing Earl some bills. Liza remembered that Keith had lived and trained in Miami for years.
“No.” Keith shook his head.
“Now, why would the Prince go and do something like that?” Earl interjected as he opened the register drawer. “We’ve got the best right here in our own backyard.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Harmony didn’t have the best of anything, except maybe Annie Mae’s homemade desserts.
Earl half hooted, half laughed. “Oh Liza, Harmony may not be like your town, Chicago, but we hold our own.”
“Ah, the Windy City. Came home to thaw out?” Keith gave her a wink.
“Yeah, something like that. So who’s working on your house? I can’t think of any—”
“That’s funny,” Earl chortled. “Like you’ve been away that long. You know it’s Bertie.”
“Oh no.” Liza slid her gaze to Keith. “Really?” The Prince didn’t appear embarrassed, just uncomfortable. He nodded, confirming Earl’s gossip. Liza couldn’t stop herself. She threw her head back and laughed out loud for the first time in weeks. “This I’ve got to see.”
***
Keith said nothing as the pretty blond with the long ponytail had a good laugh at his expense. What strange luck today. First, sweet Gail who loved children and baking cookies, and now this big-city, edgier blond who loved to laugh…at him, and probably chewed small children up and spit them out for lunch. Plain Gail would be better mother material, hands down. Sharp Liza would be good company and maybe a good date, another distraction. And he could use all the distractions he could find. So far, he hadn’t found a cure or an escape, because he still wanted Bertie Anderson in a really bad, bad way. Keith dragged his mind out of the gutter and refocused on laughing Liza.
“If you’re finished doubling over with laughter, maybe you’d like to share one of those desserts. If you can manage to give one up. You’re clutching that bag as if you’re gonna get mugged.”
“Oh no. You’re not getting any of my dessert. I’ve waited way too long.” Her head shook, making her ponytail swing across her shoulders. “Who’s the other coffee for? You got some hot date waiting in the car?” she teased with a smirk on her face. Clearly she had read some of the tabloid stories.
“Nah, but I am meeting someone.”
Earl leaned over the counter. “You don’t know the half of it, Liza. The Prince here has to find a wife and he’s only got three months. Francesca Balogh, his aunt, has
“Hey. Aren’t you the Prince?” she asked, placing her goodies on the counter. He went still and his dark, hooded eyes moved over her with unhidden masculine appreciation. It happened all the time.
“Yeah, Keith Morgan. And you?” he said in a nice, raspy voice.
For once, Liza felt nothing. She hadn’t driven halfway across the country to start up a fling. Not even with Keith Morgan, ex-pro tennis player, looking every bit like sex on a stick, with his wavy, dark hair and rock-hard body.
Earl chuckled behind the counter. “Hey there, Liza. You just get into town?” He jerked his head toward Keith. “Our famous new resident. He bought the old Victorian over on Carver. Gonna fix it all up and guess who’s helping him?”
“Hey, Earl. Can I have a skinny latte, please? Large.” Then she turned back to the Prince, now leaning against the snack display, wearing a curious expression. “Liza Palmer. I’d shake your hand but looks like it’s full.” She indicated his coffees to go. “I followed your tennis career, hated to see you retire.”
His lips curled into something resembling a smile as a look of pain flashed behind his eyes. “Thanks. You still live in Harmony?” he asked.
Earl handed Liza her coffee and she fished for her wallet inside her Louis Vuitton cross-body bag. “Not any more. Just visiting. Who’s helping with your home? Some big designer from Miami, I bet,” she said with a chuckle, handing Earl some bills. Liza remembered that Keith had lived and trained in Miami for years.
“No.” Keith shook his head.
“Now, why would the Prince go and do something like that?” Earl interjected as he opened the register drawer. “We’ve got the best right here in our own backyard.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Harmony didn’t have the best of anything, except maybe Annie Mae’s homemade desserts.
Earl half hooted, half laughed. “Oh Liza, Harmony may not be like your town, Chicago, but we hold our own.”
“Ah, the Windy City. Came home to thaw out?” Keith gave her a wink.
“Yeah, something like that. So who’s working on your house? I can’t think of any—”
“That’s funny,” Earl chortled. “Like you’ve been away that long. You know it’s Bertie.”
“Oh no.” Liza slid her gaze to Keith. “Really?” The Prince didn’t appear embarrassed, just uncomfortable. He nodded, confirming Earl’s gossip. Liza couldn’t stop herself. She threw her head back and laughed out loud for the first time in weeks. “This I’ve got to see.”
***
Keith said nothing as the pretty blond with the long ponytail had a good laugh at his expense. What strange luck today. First, sweet Gail who loved children and baking cookies, and now this big-city, edgier blond who loved to laugh…at him, and probably chewed small children up and spit them out for lunch. Plain Gail would be better mother material, hands down. Sharp Liza would be good company and maybe a good date, another distraction. And he could use all the distractions he could find. So far, he hadn’t found a cure or an escape, because he still wanted Bertie Anderson in a really bad, bad way. Keith dragged his mind out of the gutter and refocused on laughing Liza.
“If you’re finished doubling over with laughter, maybe you’d like to share one of those desserts. If you can manage to give one up. You’re clutching that bag as if you’re gonna get mugged.”
“Oh no. You’re not getting any of my dessert. I’ve waited way too long.” Her head shook, making her ponytail swing across her shoulders. “Who’s the other coffee for? You got some hot date waiting in the car?” she teased with a smirk on her face. Clearly she had read some of the tabloid stories.
“Nah, but I am meeting someone.”
Earl leaned over the counter. “You don’t know the half of it, Liza. The Prince here has to find a wife and he’s only got three months. Francesca Balogh, his aunt, has
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