“The vasectomy?” Easton finishes.
Callum’s eyes cut to me before shifting back to his son. “You know about that?”
“I told them.” I jut my chin. “There are too many stupid secrets in this house.”
“I agree,” Steve declares. He turns to pin those familiar blue eyes on me. “Callum,” he says without taking his gaze off mine. “Now that I’ve answered all your questions, perhaps you can respond to one of mine. Who is this delightful young woman?”
Reed’s hand tightens over my thigh. The knot in my stomach feels like a block of cement now, but at some point, the truth had to come out. Might as well be now.
“Don’t you recognize me?” I ask, smiling weakly. “I’m your daughter.”
4
Ella
I don’t think Steve O’Halloran is a man who’s caught off guard too often. Pure shock stiffens his body and floods his expression.
“My…” He trails off, turning to Callum for…assistance? Support? I’m not sure.
But for a man who so casually asked if someone had “offed” his wife, he doesn’t seem equipped to handle the less dramatic revelation that he’s sitting at the same table as his kid.
“Daughter,” Callum finishes gently.
Steve blinks in rapid succession.
“Do you remember the letter you received before you and Dinah left for your trip?” Callum asks.
Steve slowly shakes his head. “A letter… From whom?”
“From Ella’s mother.”
“Maggie,” I say, my voice hoarse. Thinking about my mom always makes my heart ache. “You met her eighteen years ago when you were on shore leave. You two…uh…”
“Hooked up. Knocked boots. Did the horizontal mamba,” Easton supplies.
“Ella’s mother got pregnant.” Callum takes over before his son says the million inappropriate things we all see dangling at the end of his tongue. “She tried to track you down during the pregnancy but was unsuccessful. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she sent a letter to your old base, hoping they’d find a way to get it to you. And they did. You received the letter nine months ago, right before you left.”
Steve is blinking again. After a few seconds, his eyes focus and he stares intently at me. Curious. Pleased.
I squirm in my chair, which causes Reed to stroke my leg in reassurance. He knows I don’t like to be the center of attention, and right now everyone in the room is looking at me.
“You’re Maggie’s daughter,” Steve says, his tone a mixture of wonder and interest. “She passed away?”
I nod, because the lump in my throat is too big to speak around.
“You’re…my daughter.” The words come out slowly, as if he’s testing their flavor.
“Yep,” I manage to get out.
“Wow. Well. Okay.” He rakes a hand through his long hair. “I…” A wry smile touches his lips. “I guess we have a lot to talk about, huh?”
A spark of panic ignites my belly. I’m not ready for this. I don’t know what to say to this man or how to behave around him. The Royals might have known Steve for years, but he’s a stranger to me.
“I guess so,” I mumble, staring down at my hands.
Callum takes pity on me by suggesting, “But that can wait until later. After you’re settled.”
Steve glances over at his old friend. “I assume you’ll let me stay here until the police release my penthouse?”
“Of course.”
My anxiety intensifies. Can’t he check into a hotel or something? Yes, the Royal mansion is huge, but the thought of living in the same house as my presumed-dead father makes me nervous.
But why? Why aren’t I throwing my arms around this man and thanking God he’s alive? Why aren’t I ecstatic at the idea of getting to know him?
Because he’s a stranger.
That’s the only answer that makes sense right now. I don’t know Steve O’Halloran, and I’m not good at letting new people in. I spent my entire childhood moving from one place to another, trying not to get close to anyone because I knew that Mom would just pack us up again and then I’d have to say goodbye.
When I came to Bayview, I didn’t plan on forming any real bonds. Somehow, I wound up with a best friend, a boyfriend, surrogate brothers whom I adore, and a man—Callum—who, as screwed up as he is, has become a father figure to me.
I don’t know where Steve fits in. And I’m not ready to figure it out yet.
“That will give Ella and me time to get to know each other on her own turf,” Steve is saying, and I realize he’s smiling at me.
I muster up a smile in return. “Cool beans.”
Cool beans?