“Not at all.” I dropped my backpack so I could pull her into a hug. Her hair was down, and I buried my face in it as we embraced. Lily gave me a squeeze and I ignored otherfeelingsat the press of her body to mine and took comfort in her affection.
“All okay?” she whispered before I forced myself to release her.
I gave her a tight smile, not wanting to talk about it in front of her sister.
She seemed to understand and smoothed a hand down my arm. “Come meet my mum and dad.”
Lily led me into what appeared to be a new addition on the house. It was a large open-plan family kitchen/dining/living area with bifold doors onto a larger garden than I would have expected. The kitchen was fairly new, very modern, and a bit of a showpiece, really. Gleaming white quartz countertops, dark green cupboards with brass fixings, and an expensive white and brass range oven.
Beyond noticing that, my attention was taken up by the couple in the kitchen.
I knew Lily looked like her mother but now I realized she was a perfect combination of her parents. Her father was grinning at Lily’s mum, and he had dimples.
His grin, however, disappeared when he turned to find me standing next to his daughter.
He eyed me behind a pair of smart spectacles with the same suspicion January had.
Didn’t her family realize we were just friends?
“It’s okay, Dad,” January announced as she strolled in behind us. “I warned him. He’s duly terrified.”
Their father nodded. “I trust you did.”
“Sebastian, it’s so nice to see you again.” Lily’s mum put down the knife she was using to cut vegetables and rounded the island to greet me. She pulled me into a hug, and I relaxed a bit when she said, “It’s always nice to meet one of Lily’s friends.”
“It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Sawyer.”
“Oh, call me Liv, please. I’m not even Mrs. Sawyer at the library.” She gestured to her husband. “Nate.”
Lily’s dad wiped his hands on his apron and strolled over. He was shorter than me, perhaps only five ten or eleven, but for an older guy he was all lean, wiry muscle. I remembered then Lily told me her dad was a martial artist.
“Sebastian, is it?”
“Yes, sir. Nice to meet you.”
Her dad nodded. “I hope you like veggie burgers.”
“Sounds great.”
“Lil tells us you’re a member of the royal family.”
“Dad!” Lily looked as if she wanted the earth to swallow her whole as Liv groaned at her husband.
“What?” He shrugged. “It’s the only thing I know about him so far and it’s interesting.”
Chuckling, I smoothed a reassuring hand down Lily’s back. “It’s fine.”
Nate Sawyer zeroed in on my hand on his daughter’s body so fast and sharply, I dropped my arm back to my side.
“Yes.” I shrugged, sticking my hands in my pockets. “My mother is the daughter of Princess Mary.”
“The Queen of England is your great-aunt?” Nate was visibly surprised as he rounded the island again. “When Lily said you were a distant member of the royal family, I thought she meant distant, distant.”
“Well, I am distant. I’m thirtieth in line to the throne.”
“That’s not that distant.” Nate chuckled.
“So, you’ve, like, talked to the Queen of England?” Jan asked, hopping onto a stool at the island.
