Page 75 of Expecting Royal Twins!
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said firmly.
Still telling her what to do. Well, she always knew Niko wasn’t Prince Charming. Izzy blew out a puff of air.
“Don’t worry, your heir and spare are safe.” Her voice came out harsher than she intended. “I would never do anything to risk the babies.”
Izzy knew he cared about the babies. She wished he cared about her. The hurt stabbing her heart was beyond tears.
The sounds of banging, shovels and axes surrounded them.
Izzy tightened a loose coil. On the next try, the generator started. Thank goodness. She stood and wiped her hands on the coveralls that Boyd had sent her with an embroidered name tag that said Princess Izzy in cursive writing. A way of saying thanks. Boyd really liked his new truck.
“I know you would never intentionally put our children at risk,” Niko said.
Izzy could see his feet walking toward her, and she hated that her pulse quickened.
Niko stopped. “But I cannot stand the thought of anything happening to you.”
“Me?” Hope flared, but she tapped it down. She wouldn’t be swayed by charm-laced words or his pretty face or his wide shoulders or blue-green… “You only married me because you had to.”
“I could say the same thing about you.”
At least he admitted it. She tucked the thought away and marched past him. “Come on.”
He followed her as she negotiated her way around the rubble.
She picked up two shovels and handed him one. “Know how to use one of these, Highness?”
“I do.”
Izzy forced herself not to look at him. With so much work to be done, she needed to remain detached. She gestured with her own shovel. “Clear the rubble from the clinic’s door.”
“I want to talk to you.”
She shut out any awareness of him. She couldn’t afford the distraction. “Not now.”
“What are you doing here?” He took her elbow with one hand.
“I’m doing what we’re supposed to be doing.” She shrugged away from him. “Helping our people.”
With that she walked away, forcing herself not to look back.
Hours passed. Izzy worked, clearing, comforting and repairing. She even managed to get another generator started.
Taking a break, she rubbed her lower back. All the bending and kneeling had taken its toll.
The sun was starting to set. It looked as if a bomb had exploded in the village square. Only a few buildings had survived intact. Most had walls missing. Some had collapsed to the ground in a heap of rubble. But help kept arriving from every direction. More survivors continued to be rescued.
Niko handed her a bottle of water. “Drink.”
She thought of the children in the hospital tent. “Someone else might need it.”
“You need it.” He shoved the bottle into her hands. “More supplies are on the way. Aliestle, San Montico and the U.S. are sending assistance. Vernonia is not on our own. We have help, and we will recover.”
“The people will need to hear you say that.” She sipped from the bottle. The refreshing water slid down her dry throat. “Okay, I did need that.”
“You’ve worked hard, Highness.”
“So have you.”
Izzy glanced Niko’s way. His pants and jacket were ripped and dusty. Drops of red—blood?—were spattered on his sleeve. Stubble covered his dirty face. His hair was tangled.
He’d never looked more like a prince than he did now.
She swallowed a sigh and drank more water.
When she finished, Niko took her grease-covered, dirty hands in his. Her heart hammered. “You look so much like the mechanic who walked out of that garage in Charlotte and stole my heart.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “What?”
His eyes shone with affection. “You are the most perfect princess I could hope to find.”
“Yeah, right. I look nothing like a princess.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Exactly.”
She stared at him confused. “Huh?”
“Isabel, Izzy, Princess, Your Highness, my wife. Your name doesn’t matter.” Niko pointed to her heart. “What matters is here. You have the heart of a princess.”
Izzy was both excited and aggravated. “So why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
