“Tell me about him.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I choose not to. Tell me about yours instead.”
“I choose not to.”
Her sudden smile causes me to chuckle, and I surprise myself by reaching out and grasping her hand, loving how she smiles and doesn’t pull away.
“Are you curious about your mother?”
“Not really.”
“Why not?”
“Because she left me with him. She didn’t die. She ran away, and even though I’m guessing Morgan used that to bait me, I can’t forgive her for that. What mother leaves her child to live with a man she couldn’t? It doesn’t make sense, and so the only family I care about are my sisters.”
She hesitates and then flashes me a guilty smile.
“I haven’t learned to care about you yet, Joseph. As my newest family member, you must give me some time on that.”
“I’m not offended.”
I raise her fingers to my lips and note the sudden glow in her smile, and it strikes me how easy this is and I never imagined for a second it would be.
I nod at her plate.
“Help yourself, you will need food because after this we have an appointment to keep.”
“An appointment?”
“Your grandfather.”
“He’s here?”
She appears shocked at that.
“Yes, he has offices in London, and my intelligence tells me he is leaving tomorrow, so there isn’t much time.”
“Will he see us?”
“Of course. Spencer has arranged it.”
“Does he, well, does he, um, know I’m coming too?”
“It was the only reason he agreed to the meeting.”
“I see.”
She appears disappointed about that.
“What do you see?”
“You’re using me.”
“Of course I’m using you.”
