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We’d arrived at different times. Grant had gone to California weeks earlier. We couldn’t risk anyone putting together that the King family had all headed west.
Only Connor and Kalen had shown up too.
“Liam,” Mom’s voice crossed the room as she ran toward me. “My baby,” she said, hugging me something fierce.
When she let go, she looked behind me. “There’s my daughter-in-law and my grandson,” and I was left in the dust.
Dad came over. “My boy.”
It was still surreal the man I’d thought of as my uncle had been my father all along. “Thanks for everything,” I said, quietly.
His eyes widened.
When I’d pestered Connor about paying him back for the ranch and the business he’d bought for me, he finally admitted that my Dad paid for it all. Connor speculated that Royce had given Dad his share of inheritance from their father, but Dad had yet to speak about the conversation.
“You deserve it,” Dad said.
We didn’t say more because Griffin walked in and he wasn’t alone. The woman from the dive bar he couldn’t keep his eyes off of walked in with him. I caught his gaze and lifted a brow.
* * *
Natalie
I handed my son over to Liam’s mom who was practically in tears. She was fantastic and I loved her as much as my own mother. But I felt like a fish in a bowl in a large room with lots of eyes on me. I rubbed my arms.
“Hey,” Lizzy, bold and beautiful as the first time we met, came over. “How was the ride over?”
We’d arrived on the main island, then had taken a boat to another smaller island that had a resort. Once night came, we boarded a boat and rode over under the cover of darkness to this secluded private island.
“Fine,” I said at first. “A little scary. Liam’s only driven a boat once. Thankfully, the waters were clear.”
“He wouldn’t risk you guys if he couldn’t do it. I remember Connor driving a boat. He taught me how to do it in less than ten minutes when he needed me to take the wheel.”
My eyes widened.
“Hey, brother of mine,” she said to Liam. “How was flying commercial?”
Funny enough, Connor thought it would be safer for us not to have Liam fly us to the main island on Turks and Caicos.
“Good actually. I see how the other half lives,” Liam joked.
Truth was Liam preferred helicopters to planes, I probably enjoyed not flying even though he could fly anything from a prop plane to a fighter jet and everything in between.
Lizzy’s eyes fell on my belly. “I see you are percolating with number two.”
I blushed. “Yeah. I didn’t expect to be pregnant so soon.”
Given that we hadn’t been thinking that first time we saw each other, I’d known I’d get pregnant soon enough.
Bailey laughed. “We’re pregnant together,” she said patting her belly before looking at her best friend.
Lizzy held up her hands. “Don’t look at me. Connor is still coming to terms with being a father. He needs time.” I suspected she’d be pregnant soon too. She waved Jo and Griffin’s mystery guest over. Jo, my sister-in-law, was closer and came in for the hug.
“Not a secret anymore,” Jo said to me. “I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Thanks,” I said, because despite still being in hiding, I was happy. Mom was doing well but not enough to ride on a commercial flight. We didn’t want to risk her being exposed to any germs that could get her sick. She stayed back with her new guy. A widower who was making his mission to get Mom to say yes to a ring.
Lizzy turned her question to Jo. “What about you? Pregnant or what? The King boys are potent.”
“That goes for you too,” I teased as my sister-in-law blushed.
“I just found out. We aren’t far enough along to tell anyone. But…” She shrugged. “Grant is thrilled.”
We squealed and Griffin’s mystery date looked nervous as she came closer. We stifled our laughter and settled down.
“Don’t be nervous. The unofficial reunion of all the King’s sons’ wives has now begun,” Lizzy announced.
I smiled but I didn’t quite feel it. “I’m not a King,” I said, reminded of how good it felt to be with everyone, but it wouldn’t last. We’d be back in Montana in a week.
“Oh, honey, maybe not your fake name. But your husband is a son of one of the King brothers. That makes you a King too,” Lizzy declared.
“Queen. You’re a queen. We all are,” Bailey said, and Jo nodded.
The gorgeous woman who hadn’t introduced herself yet said, “I’m not a King or Queen.”
“Griffin is family. He’s practically Kalen’s brother,” Bailey insisted.
“But I’m not with Griffin. I work for him.” She’d glanced away and I suspected she wasn’t telling the entire truth.
Lizzy smirked. “Does he call you darling?”
She shook her head.
