Chapter 18
“It’s weird,” Bram said as they stood in the entrance to their apartment block waiting for Royal to pick them up Friday morning. “He thinks in a weekend he can convince you to leave Pittsburgh behind to help
him raise his niece?”
“Yup.”
“And you told him I had to come?”
“I’m not leaving you alone.”
“You do realize I’m eighteen. I don’t have to come. I could stay home alone.”
“Five days before Christmas?”
“It’s going to be weird.” Bram shifted uncomfortably. “What if you get attached to the kid and they change their mind? Prince did it. Why wouldn’t they?”
She was starting to regret telling her brother a version of the truth when he’d turned sixteen and the rest now. Back then he had brought up a memory of her with a rounded belly, so she had given him the basics. Now he knew more of the story, it was making him even more cynical than she was, and she was a tough act to follow. She shrugged, “I don’t know. He’s paying for my shifts to be covered and we both know the curiosity will eat me alive if I don’t go.”
“I’m coming because I have your back, but this is weird.” He scratched his head subconsciously along the scar, a movement he typically made when feeling out of sorts.
Famke rubbed his arm, “I know, and I thank you. I don’t think I could do this without you.”
She noted a black SUV at the end of the walkway, and she saw Royal climbing out of the back of the car.
“Jeez, he’s huge. I feel like a runt. How tall is he?”
“I don’t know but he’s over six feet for sure.”
“I’m five eleven. He’s also wide. I bet he played ball, football,” he clarified. “Probably a quarterback. I bet he works out a minimum of three hours a day.” He adjusted his overnight bag as he whispered behind her as they walked to the car. “He’s hot.”
She elbowed her brother behind her and shook her head at his exaggerated grunt when she connected with his abdomen. “Quit it,” she hissed over her shoulder. She gave a wave at Royal as they got close, “I thought you had your sports car yesterday?”
“I had my security bring it back and we’ll travel in the Escalade until we get to the airfield.”
1/2
“Airfield?” she paused.
“Yes. We’ll take the chopper back to New York. I didn’t want to subject either of you to nearly five hours of my singing. The flight to the house will be under one and a half hours.”
“You have a chopper?”
“My company has a chopper. Occasionally I have clients I need to meet with in a hurry. Are you okay with flying? Neither of you have phobias?” He extended his hand to Bram, “I’m Royal Robinson. Nice to meet you, Bram.”
“Nice to meet you. I don’t know if I have a flying phobia because I’ve never flown,” he said as he tossed his bag into the trunk of the vehicle, casting the driver, who was clearly muscle for Royal, serious side eye.
“Me either,” Famke said. “Worst case scenario I panic and black out or I vomit everywhere.”
“Let’s pray for a best-case scenario then,” Royal laughed and waved them into the vehicle.
The silence was awkward as the trio sat in the back of the vehicle while it pulled away from the curb. Famke sat in the middle between the two men, her fingers knotted on her lap and her eyes staring straight ahead. She noted her brother had pulled his earbuds out of his pocket and had them in and she wished she had thought of packing hers.
From her peripheral vision she could see Royal was on his phone, scrolling through messages and emails. She nervously exhaled and squeezed her fingers. She was far too aware of this man. The way he sat with his legs spread, their knees touching made her want to pull her legs in tight, but it would be obvious. He smelled spicy and hair was shiny as if he’d showered before collecting them. He was warm and knowing how cold it was outside, she wanted to lean into him. She forced her spine to stay erect.
