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“That makes sense.” Cassidy nodded. “My dad said I had to wear shorts, too.”
“She wanted to wear her Cinderella costume,” the dad added. “Anyway, sorry for disturbing you. You two are on your honeymoon, right? Cassidy is obsessed with princesses, and we all watched the televised version of your wedding.”
“I have to admit, it looked pretty romantic.” The mom pressed a hand to her heart. There was a beat of silence, then Xander realized it was probably his turn to say something.
“It certainly was romantic for us. Although not more romantic than this honeymoon. Kanalea really is gorgeous, isn’t it?”
The parents nodded. Cassidy tugged on Maisy’s hand.
“What’s it like being a princess in real life?”
“It’s really wonderful.” Maisy smiled again. “But of course, I’m not a princess by birth. I’m just one because I married a prince.”
“Do you love him?” Cassidy asked. Xander’s heart skipped a beat. What was Maisy going to say? There was no way she loved him, but she couldn’t well admit that to this little family. Maisy hesitated.
“Of course,” she said after a beat. It was no real admission of love, but Xander still felt a little thrown by it.
Cassidy beamed. “That’s so great. I hope I meet a prince someday, too.”
“Any guy can be like a prince, as long as you love each other and he’s good to you,” Maisy said. “So, keep your eyes peeled. You might find your prince where you least expect it.” She winked.
Then the parents urged Cassidy to keep moving. They said their goodbyes, and the little family continued down the stairs. Xander looked at Maisy, who was biting her lip and watching them go.
“You handled that really well.”
“Thanks.” Maisy bit her lip again. “This is really weird. Pretending that we’re a couple, I mean.”
“You’re pretending nothing.” Xander and Maisy turned to see Safa standing on the stairs just above them. “You’re creating a historical record. But Xander is right. Maisy, you handled that well. I got a few useable shots.” She gestured to her camera. “Now, let’s keep moving.”
The rest of the hike went more or less smoothly. They climbed the remainder of the stairs and spent a while at the top admiring the view of the island and posing for pictures. A few more tourists came, but no one seemed to recognize Maisy and Xander — or at least, no one else spoke to them. Maisy seemed a little subdued, but she still remarked on the beauty of the view.
On the way back down the stairs, Safa asked if they were still interested in renting an ATV. Xander couldn’t see Maisy’s face, since she was walking in front of him, but he smiled when she said she was interested.
Back at the car, Safa explained that the driver could once again drop her off at her hotel, then come back to pick them up.
“Or you can take a taxi,” she added.
“Let’s do the taxi,” Xander suggested quickly. If they had control over when they left, hopefully they could enjoy the afternoon a little more and spend some time out of the spotlight. Plus, it would make it easier to find Kanalean food for lunch if they were on their own.
“That works for me,” Maisy agreed.
So, the driver dropped Maisy and Xander off in front of the ATV rental company.
“Don’t forget the selfies!” Safa called out of the window as she drove away. Xander gave her a thumbs-up, then turned to Maisy.
“Free at last. Am I the only one who feels like we just made a great escape?”
“We practically dug our way out of prison with a spoon.” Maisy’s tone was sarcastic, but Xander could see a glimmer of enthusiasm in those beautiful green eyes. “Let’s rent one ATV. I’m not sure if I want to drive on these roads.” As she spoke, she removed the floppy hat, set it on a nearby stump, and pulled a hair tie out of her pocket. Then she gathered her long brown hair into a messy bun. As a final touch, she bent down and tightened her shoelaces before straightening up and putting her hands on her hips. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay, Adventure Barbie.”
Maisy glared at him. “I am the farthest thing from a Barbie.”
“I just mean that with your hair up and dirt on your face, you look so different from how you normally do.”
“Dirt on my face?” Maisy swiped a hand across her cheek. “Did I get it?”
“No.”
