“Thank you.”
“What about Coop knowing?”Heath shot his sister and brother-in-law a sidelong glance before looking at Quinn again.
What could she say?That she didn’t trust their discretion?That she felt stupid telling people she was related to a king, like she thought she was something special because of it, which she absolutely did not?Quinn let out a deep sigh and shrugged.
“Is this duke guy going to be a problem?”he whispered.“We can tell him we don’t have any vacancies.”
“You can’t do that.”Quinn had to blink her stupid eyes again.“It’s a big deal if you can advertise that you’ve hosted royalty here.I won’t take that from your family.”
“Well, it appears we can claim we have royalty on our staff.”
The humor in his voice barely offset the sense of panic that flooded through her.She straightened and jumped from her chair.
“You can’t tell anyone.”
“Hey, I was kidding.”Heath felt like an idiot for upsetting her.
“What did you do now, bro?”Lia asked, sending her brother a glare.
“I’m sorry.It was a lame joke.Besides, we couldn’t make a claim like that without your permission.”His sister’s expression made Heath toss his arms in the air.“Her secret is safe with us.You want me to pinky swear?”He held up his right hand to Quinn, his little finger extended.“It’s the ultimate commitment in the Savage family.”
“Please sit down,” Lia said comfortingly.“We’re your friends.You can trust us.”
“Well, I don’t know.That depends on what she’s done.”Coop crossed his arms, his expression stern except for the wink.“Have you broken the law or anything?We don’t want to get into trouble for harboring a fugitive.”
Their joking took the steam from Quinn’s panic and made it seem manageable.Maybe they could help her figure out how to handle the situation without dragging her mother into it.She sat again.
“Who do you want to tell Coop?”Heath asked her.“You?”
“Every time I verbalize it, it makes everything seem more real, and I don’t want it to be real.”
“Quinn’s bio dad got in contact with her a couple of months ago,” Lia told her husband.
“I’m sorry.”Coop straightened.“I didn’t realize Don wasn’t your father.”
Quinn gave a low growl.“Heismy father, so that should help you understand how I feel about this other guy.”
“So, block him,” Coop said simply.“You don’t have to allow him a place in your life just because he’s decided to show up now.You’re what, twenty-three or twenty-four?You’re an adult.It’s not like he can claim any parental rights over you.”
Quinn glanced between Heath and Lia, and both of their expressions showed a question.Could the king force her to acknowledge their relationship?All he would have to do was go public with the information.With the article about her mother’s artwork so recently in the news, the press could make the connection to Quinn.
“Well,” Coop said, sounding a little irritated, “there’s obviously something you haven’t told me yet.Quinn, who is your father—sorry, your bio dad?”
So, Quinn explained.Coop sat still for a few seconds, and she held her breath, worried what might come next.
“Well, I didn’t see that coming,” the big man said.“But it doesn’t change things.You’re still an adult.”
Quinn let out the breath she’d been holding, her eyes stinging with relief.
“It’s gotten a little more complicated,” Heath said.“We just received a reservation request from some Glenlorian duke.It can’t be a coincidence.”
“Whatever else happens, you guys, this can’t go public,” Quinn said.“It would kill my mother.”
“How long have you known about him?”Coop asked.
“Eight years.”
“I think we should accept this duke’s reservation and see what his agenda is,” Lia said.
