She glanced at Konni, her expression a mix of uncertainty and hope.
“My grandparents are returning today,” he said.“They wanted to attend the gala with us last night, but Mom thought it would be too obvious.So they agreed to wait until?—”
A door banged somewhere at the back of the house.
“Where is my new granddaughter?”a woman asked, her voice carrying excitement.
A spear of panic shot through me—from hearing the label and from the unexpected arrival since I hadn’t been mentally prepared for either.
Konni wrapped his arm around my shoulders.“Breathe, kitten.”
His grandparents entered the kitchen.His grandma embodied svelte elegance in pearls, a pantsuit, and an excited, welcoming smile.His grandpa was…stoic.Incredibly handsome, though, with thick, silver-white hair and amber eyes like Konni’s.
His grandma spotted me.
“Sophia?”
I nodded, and she hurried over to hug me.
“Welcome home,” I said.
“Oh, you are too sweet.”She gave me an extra squeeze before releasing me and stepping back to give me a head-to-toe sweeping glance.“You are as gorgeous in person as you were in those trashy articles, no matter how hard they tried to make it otherwise.Come sit next to me.Tell me about yourself.What do you like?Jewelry?Properties?Cash?”
Stunned and amused, I let her lead me away from Konni.
“Becky, you’re making Konni restless,” his grandpa said.
“Then distract your grandson.I’ve been waiting weeks for this.”
“Weeks?”I said faintly.
She grinned at me, the lines on her face barely creasing her skin.
“Konni called after he went to your uncle’s bar to see you the first time.He knew he’d scared you and asked how Palmen had approached me without scaring me away.I told him the truth.He hadterrifiedme.The intense way he watched me.The way he wouldn’t leave me alone.
“I had a boyfriend at the time.A gentleman I was quite smitten with.He was incredibly handsome and rich.And he had this lovely way of?—
“Becky.”The pleading way Palmen said her name set off her laughter.
“Do you see?He’s incredibly jealous, even now, but he learned to temper himself, and his instincts, to be what I needed.I told Konni he needed to do the same or you would run like I had back then.
“Now, tell me what type of welcome gift you’d like.”
“Can I think about it and get back to you?”I asked, reeling a little.
She patted my hand and gently pinched my cheek, something no one had ever done in my life.
“Of course.”
When she went to hug Kaya, Konni stole me back, not letting go of my hand.Amused, I watched Becky turn to Mom, who clearly didn’t know how to respond to Becky fussing over her broken arm and everything she’d been through.It was obvious Konni or his mom had kept his grandparents informed.
Mom was in the middle of insisting she didn’t need a welcome gift from Becky when my phone rang.
I saw “Sperm Donor” and turned it over.
Konni’s grandparents saw.
“You can answer it,” Becky said.“We’re not going anywhere.”
