The Texan's Royal M.D.

“I hope you’ll let Davy and me show our appreciation by buying you breakfast, Dr St. Sebastian.”

“Thanks, but I’ve already had breakfast.”

No way Mike was letting this gorgeous creature get away. “Dinner, then.”

“I’m, uh, I’m here with my family.”

“I am, too. Unfortunately.” He made a face at his nephew, who giggled and returned the exaggerated grimace. “I’d be even more grateful if you give me an excuse to get away from them for a while.”

“Well …”

He didn’t miss her brief hesitation. Or her quick glance at his left hand. The white imprint of his wedding ring had long since faded. Too bad he couldn’t say the same for the inner scars. Shoving the disaster of his marriage into the dark hole where it belonged, Mike overrode her apparent doubts.

“Where are you staying?”

She took her time replying. Those exotic eyes looked him up and down.

“We’re at the Camino del Ray,” she said finally, almost reluctantly. “It’s about a half mile up the beach.”

Mike suppressed a smile. “I know where it is. I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”

* * *

The Texan’s Royal M.D. is part of the Duchess Diaries series—Two royal granddaughters on their way to happily ever after!

The Texan’s Royal M.D.

Merline Lovelace

A career Air Force officer, MERLINE LOVELACE served at bases all over the world. When she hung up her uniform for the last time she decided to combine her love of adventure with a flair for storytelling, basing many of her tales on her own experiences in uniform. Since then she’s produced more than ninety action-packed sizzlers, many of which have made the USA TODAY and Waldenbooks bestseller lists. Over eleven million copies of her books are available in some thirty countries.

When she’s not tied to her keyboard, Merline enjoys reading, chasing little white balls around the fairways of Oklahoma and traveling to new and exotic locales with her handsome husband, Al. Check her website, merlinelovelace.com, or friend her on Facebook for news and information about her latest releases.

To Neta and Dave: friends, traveling buds and the source of all kinds of fodder for my books. Thanks for the inside info on research grants and nasty bugs, Neta!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

I seem to have come full circle. For so many years my life centered on my darling granddaughters. Now they’re grown and are busy with lives of their own. Quiet, elegant Sarah has an adoring husband, a blossoming career as an author and her first child on the way. And Eugenia, my carefree, high-spirited Eugenia, is the wife of a United Nations diplomat and the mother of twins. She fills both roles so joyously, so effortlessly.

I do wish I could say the same of Dominic, my impossibly handsome great-nephew. Dom still hasn’t adjusted to the fact that he now carries the title of Grand Duke of Karlenburgh. I’ve caught him rolling his shoulders as though he itches for his previous life as an undercover agent. Then his glance strays to his wife and his restlessness fades instantly. Natalie’s so demure, so sweet and so startlingly intelligent!

She quite astonishes us all with the depth of her knowledge of the most arcane subjects—including the history of my beloved Karlenburgh.

These days I live vicariously through Dom’s sister, Anastazia. I’ll admit I played shamelessly on our distant kinship to convince Zia to reside with me during her pediatric residency in New York City. She’s only a few short months away from finishing the grueling three-year program. She should be feeling nothing but elation that the end is in sight. Yet I sense that something’s troubling her. Something she doesn’t wish to talk about, even with me. I shan’t force the issue. I don’t condone unwelcome intrusiveness, even by the most concerned and well-meaning. I do hope, however, that the vacation I’ve engineered for the family over the coming holidays eases some of the worry Zia hides behind her so bright, so lovely smile.

From the diary of Charlotte,

Grand Duchess of Karlenburgh

One

Zia almost didn’t hear the shout over the roar of the waves. Preoccupied with the decision hanging over her like an executioner’s ax, she’d slipped away for an early-morning jog along the glistening silver shoreline of Galveston Island, Texas. Although the Gulf of Mexico offered a glorious symphony of green water and lacy surf, Zia barely noticed the ever-changing seascape. She needed time and the endless, empty shore to think. Solitude to wrestle with her private demons.

She loved her family—her adored older brother, Dominic; her great-aunt Charlotte, who’d practically adopted her; the cousins she’d grown so close to in the past few years; their spouses and lively offspring. But spending the Christmas holidays in Galveston with the entire St. Sebastian clan hadn’t allowed much time for soul-searching. Zia only had three more days to decide. Three days before she returned to New York and...