The Doctor Prince and the Outsider by Cami Checketts
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Hattie was busy helping Sadie and Wolf give healthcare exams, vaccinations, and treat illnesses in some remote mountain village in Belize. They had a partition and a small tent sent up for women’s exams. Sadie was in the tent right now, and Wolf was directing the villagers and assessing needs as he had the best grasp of Spanish. Hattie had become proficient at giving needed shots and putting on Band-aids.
Crazily enough, she adored the children, and they adored her right back. She didn’t even mind the work or being dusty and dirty most of the day.
Who knew? She’d rarely been around children, and it had been years since she’d worked. She used to work a lot with her parents as a teenager, but once she graduated college and they became billionaires, she’d started traveling. Then after Jane was killed, she’d started her playgirl lifestyle, then her parents had died and everything had spiraled downhill.
Until she’d met Steffan. He was so great. She missed him. Horribly.
It was silly because she should hardly know him.
She couldn’t wrap her mind around being dead. If she wasn’t dead, she’d be an international fugitive. From what she’d heard from Wolf, things weren’t good on that end. William Rindlesbacher had set her up very well. The snake had skills.
On the bright side, she had been declared dead and all the money that hadn’t gone to her favorite charities went to Sadie, so they were both still very, very wealthy.
In better news, she’d really taken to this praying stuff and found she loved her Savior and was overwhelmed with gratitude for Him and His sacrifice for her. Knowing she was loved by heaven made the hurt over losing Steffan at least manageable.
She smiled as she put a Band-aid on a little boy who had accepted his malaria vaccine with a tough grin. “You’re as brave as an island facing a storm,” she told him, though he didn’t understand her language. She loved saying things like that, things like Steffan had said to her.
Standing to stretch, she smiled at the next small girl in line.
Her eyes lifted at an unfamiliar sight. Standing behind the child was a very large man. A very handsome man. A very princely man. The man she’d been thinking about and missing for the past two weeks.
“Steffan?” she whispered.
He grinned. His blue eyes swept over her. “There’s my brave, independent, and irresistibly beautiful Hattie.”
He looked irresistible in a short-sleeved white shirt and gray chinos. His dark skin and hair were a great contrast to the light material. His face was handsome as ever, but it was his blue, blue eyes she’d really missed.
Hattie pushed her ponytail over her shoulder and pulled off her gloves, pressing the back of her hand to her shiny, sweaty forehead.
She looked a mess. She’d looked a mess every time she’d seen him. He was a handsome prince and he’d never seen her dolled up like a princess as she could easily be. He didn’t even seem to care.
“Sadie,” she squeaked. “I need to go on break.”
“Everything all right?” Sadie laughed as she came around the partition. Her eyes widened. “Prince Steffan.”
“Shh.” He put a finger to his lips. “Trying to stay incognito.”
It was impossible for him to stay incognito. He was too regally beautiful.
“Luckily, none of these people speak English,” Sadie said. “Or have TikTok.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Sadie,” Steffan said. “I’d shake your hand, but I know how it is to have to wash up again. I met your husband Wolf. Fabulous guy.” He gestured back to the sign-in table of sorts. Wolf lifted a hand, grinning. “He said you might have need of a doctor’s assistance.”
“Steffan?” Hattie whispered. She was going to faint.
As if sensing her need for him and for some support, he hurried to her and wrapped her up in his arms. “We’ll be back.” He tilted his head toward the forest and some privacy.
“Take your time. We’ll be here,” Sadie called.
Hattie didn’t care where Steffan took her. It turned out working with Sadie and helping people was more satisfying than visiting the seven wonders of the world, but here in Steffan’s arms was the home she’d longed and searched for, even before meeting him. They walked slowly to the forest. When they were alone, he turned to her.
“There’s so much I need to say, but …” He bent and kissed her.
Hattie flung her arms around his neck and kissed him back with gusto. When they had to draw in oxygen, she stared into his blue eyes. “You look so good.”
“You look amazing. I loved watching you interact with the children. They adore you.”
“How long have you been watching?”
“A while.”
“A metric while or standard while?” she teased.
“Metric, of course. We Europeans are civilized, after all. I could have watched for a kilo-while, as you’re not very observant.”
“Obviously. I’ve been framed for murder twice now.”
That took some of the happiness from the moment.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Well, Curt and Aliya called me out. She said I looked like crap warmed over in a microwave, not even an oven.” He grinned, and she couldn’t have cared less that she was a murderer twice over and dead as well. He was here. “Interestingly enough, I called Curt out before he went to declare his love to Aliya in Georgia.”
“I remember that story.”
He barked a laugh. “You and Aliya got through a lot of stories.”
“So you came because your brother guilted you into it.” Her heartbeat was all over the place. She wanted him to declare he came because he wanted to declare his love to her.
“No. I came because I want to date the most intriguing international fugitive in the world, even if she is declared dead.”
“I’m a walking zombie.”
“No.” He smiled and looked over her face as if feasting on the view. “An angel, that’s what you are. Angelica.”
“You want to date me?” She was no angel, but she was trying.
“Yes.” He nodded somberly. “I want to date you, kiss you, volunteer with you wherever you are, get to know you, and make you fall in love with me.”
She found herself smiling. “I don’t think you can make me fall in love with you.”
“I can sure try. I am a handsome, charming doctor and a prince. Some women go crazy for that kind of thing.”
She tugged him closer. “I think I’m one of them.”
“Oh, good.” He bent and claimed her lips, kissing her deeply and making her heart soar with a future she hadn’t dreamed was possible for them. He pulled back and framed her face with his hands. “Someday your name will be cleared and we can go anywhere you want.”
“You want to be in Augustine, back at your hospital.”
“I love my hospital. I love my country and family more. But I couldn’t pass up the chance to be with you, Hattie. Aliya was right to have Curt call me out. I’d regret missing out on a chance to be with you for the rest of my life.”
“What if my name is never cleared?”
“Then we’ll have an interesting life hiding from the authorities, particularly Chief Jensen,” he winked, “and volunteering in villages throughout the world.”
“I thought you said ‘date’.” Her heart was racing. Was he really willing to give up everything for her? “You’re jumping straight to hiding from authorities with me.”
“Our dating might be a little unconventional. Our meeting definitely was, and I’m sure our life will be the same. As long as I’m with you, I don’t care about the details. My family can come visit and I can use my doctor skills to help a lot of people in places in like this.” He tilted his head to the side.
“Steffan, it is far too early to have you saying things like ‘our life’.”
“It is?” His brow furrowed.
“Yes.” She nodded. “So I think it is only fair to tell you … that I love you.” Hattie was always bold and sometimes brash, but that was a big one and it was very, very early and very, very fast. “Now you may talk about our life.”
His face broke into a happy grin. “Well, you had better be desperately in love with me. I just gave up my family, my hospital, my country, my royal privileges, and a comfortable bed and shower for you.”
She giggled, though it was a lot to give up. “Wolf actually has an incredible RV. He calls it ‘Little Mule.’ The beds are wonderful and so is the shower. I’ve got an order in for one of my own, with a few adaptations. Maybe I’ll let you stay with me. As long as you cuddle and kiss me through the night.”
“Done.” He bent and he kissed her. When he pulled back, he said, “I think it’s only fair to tell you … that I love you. I love you enough that giving up everything else in the world was no sacrifice.”
Hattie’s eyes pricked with tears. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. Who cared about glamorous travel and five-star hotels? She had the chance to be with Steffan. He’d given up everything for her.
She’d give him every piece of her heart and all the love she had stored inside of her in return. Who would have ever thought that she’d find what she had longed for in her wildest dreams in a tiny medical clinic in a humble village, and not in all the acclaimed travel hot spots and five-star hotels in the world?
Steffan. He was all she’d ever want and need.
Her prince. Her love. Her home.
* * *
Ihope you love Steffan and Hattie’s story as much as I did. I was thrilled when my toughest editor said about the cabin scene, “This is awesome! What a cool set up. I hope when you concocted this scene, you laughed a satisfied little villain laugh, because it’s deviously brilliant. Surprising, yet inevitable. The goal of any suspense story, and you’ve done it!”
I’m stoked about the twists with this series and it keeps getting more intriguing, and ‘deviously’ fun, with every new story.
Read on for the first chapter of Prince Malik and Ellery Monson’s story - The Ninja Prince and the Investigator.
Hugs and thanks for the support,
Cami
Sweet Royal Romance Suspense
The General Prince and the Nerd
The Brave Prince and the Teacher
The Doctor Prince and the Outsider
The Ninja Prince and the Investigator
The Charming Prince and the Single Mom
The Crown Prince and the Traitor
The Police Chief and the Musician
The Royal Major and the Personal Trainer
The Impulsive Princess and the Soldier