Royally Lost by Stanton Angie

Author:Stanton, Angie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperTeen

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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17

Becca pictured half-naked Nikolai lounging in Dylan’s bed. Crap! She stepped forward and pulled the door almost closed so her dad couldn’t see in the room.

“Uh, yeah. We were up really late talking.” Which technically wasn’t a lie.

“Vicky and I wanted to get an early start as it’s our last day of the cruise. Nuremberg has a lot of World War II history, and after missing half of yesterday, we don’t want to waste a minute.”

She fought to keep calm and act normal, but wondered if Nikolai could hear, and if he was as panicked as she.

“Okay, well I guess Dylan and I will explore on our own.”

“Before we take off, Vicky suggested I check out how you’re feeling after that run-in with the biker yesterday.” He pushed the door wide open and brushed past Becca into the cabin.

Becca rushed to defuse the explosion that was about to ignite.

“Where’s Dylan?” he asked, looking at the bed Nikolai had been sleeping in moments earlier.

She frantically searched the cabin, but didn’t see any signs of him. “Um, ah, he’s in the bathroom.”

“Oh. I have a few minutes to spare.” Her dad sat on Dylan’s bed and looked around the cabin, taking in every detail.

Becca’s eyes flashed from one corner of the room to the other. Was Nikolai in the bathroom? Or was he hanging from the rail outside the room? She even glanced up to see if he was perched on the ceiling like Spider-Man.

“You don’t have to, Dad. Sometimes he’s in there a long time.”

“I’ve barely seen the two of you the last few days. You know, Vicky was really hoping that this trip would bring us all closer. I guess we’re not much for family time.”

What was Becca supposed to say? He hadn’t made an effort to be a part of his kids’ lives since her mom died. She had no interest in getting closer to Vicky. The woman was just someone her dad married to fill the void.

“Yeah, it’s been a crazy trip,” she offered, unsure what else to say. Then she realized Nikolai’s shoes lay in plain sight. Would her dad recognize that they weren’t Dylan’s?

He sighed. “That it has. So are you okay after that bike crash yesterday?”

“I’m fine. Just a couple of bruises.”

The longer her dad stayed the more Becca wondered what other evidence of Nikolai might be lying around. His Vienna hat lay on the dresser, his clothes were neatly folded on the chair, his backpack leaned against the dresser.

“You got some sun,” her dad said.

Becca touched her cheek. She’d forgotten that a day at the lake would leave evidence. “Oh, yeah. I fell asleep up on deck.”

“Well, at least you got some fresh air.”

“So, where’s Vicky?” Becca prompted, hoping this would help get him out of the cabin before he discovered Nikolai popping out of the bathroom.

“She forgot her lip balm and is meeting me in the lobby. We’re taking the early bus into the city center. Did you know

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