DESPITE Reas’s assurance, Lauren was still a bundle of nerves. The closer they got to the front door, the louder and faster his heart beat. Once they actually stepped inside, he felt like his heart might just give out. The only thing keeping him calm was the warm, steady feel of Reas’s hand holding his.

He looked around as they stepped inside. The house felt lived in. A comfortable looking sofa took up much of the living area, its cushions softened from years of use. The walls were covered with framed photos of family and landscapes. A wooden shelf held rows of books and a collection of small carved figures. The air carried a pleasant smell of herbs and something sweet from the kitchen. From another room, he could hear the gentle sound of music playing.

“Come on,” Reas said as he gave Lauren’s hand a gentle tug. “They’re probably in the dining area right now.”

Lauren nodded and followed Reas through the house. They arrived at the entrance to the dining area. Inside, a petite woman with long, ice blue hair was carefully arranging dishes on the table. Two men were helping her. One was the man from outside, with his silver hair and sapphire blue eyes. The other man was much bigger, with a muscular build and shaggy brown hair. He wore a black patch over his left eye. His right eye, which was visible, was a striking shade of teal.

They stopped what they were doing when they noticed Reas and Lauren. The woman, who Lauren assumed was Reas’s mother, blinked at him in surprise. The man from outside looked confused for a second, probably because he had seen Lauren in a disguise earlier, but his expression quickly shifted to open curiosity. The large man, who had to be Reas’s father, just looked him over with a calm, assessing sort of interest.

“Hello! Good afternoon,” Lauren said quickly. He gave a small, polite bow. “I’m Lauren Watts. I’m a friend of Aster and Reas. I apologize for arriving with no warning. I just wrapped up a shoot nearby and remembered Reas was here on vacation. Since it was so close, I thought I’d surprise him. I hope I’m not intruding.” Remembering the gift, he pulled a small, stylish analog timepiece from his space ring. It was a delicate clock set into the branches of a miniature silver tree. “This is a small token for your hospitality. I hope you like it.”

The sudden appearance of the young man surprised Emmy. Her father had mentioned Reas was talking to a friend outside, and she had assumed it was an old classmate from secondary school. Then Reas walked in with him and she knew that wasn’t the case. But the young man still looked familiar, so she tried hard to place it. Just as she was about to remember, he introduced himself as Lauren Watts. Before she could even process the name, he launched into a rush of polite speech, explaining his visit and offering a gift. It was a lot to take in all at once.

That’s why she wasn’t able to move or take the gift he was holding. Gage was quicker. Her husband stepped forward and accepted the timepiece. “Thank you,” he said, looking at it. “This is very nice. You really didn’t have to go to any trouble.”

Lauren shook his head, his expression earnest. “Please, it’s no trouble at all. I’m the one showing up unannounced. It’s really the least I could do.”

Gage smiled and held out his hand for a shake. “I’m Gage. Aster and Reas’s father. It’s good to meet you.”

Lauren quickly reached out and shook the man’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you too, sir.”

“Just ‘Gage’ is fine,” Gage said with a friendly nod. He held up the timepiece. “I’ll go put this somewhere safe for now.” Then he turned and walked out of the dining area.

“Hi, I’m Emmy, by the way,” she said after a moment, finally getting over her surprise. She offered a warm smile. “It’s lovely to meet you. Any friend of my sons is always welcome in our home.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Lauren said, the words coming out a bit shy. He couldn’t help it. Reas’ mom was really pretty.

Seeing this, Reas raised an eyebrow. He said nothing though. They would have to talk about it later, in private. And he would make sure that talk ended with a small, punishing kiss.

Not that he was mad Lauren was shy around his mom. This guy probably thought she was pretty, which was true. His mom was the prettiest woman he knew. Reas just wanted a good excuse to kiss him as hard as he could later.

Then he noticed Lauren glancing toward the Duke, who was standing quietly to the side. It looked like Lauren was waiting for him to introduce himself too.

The Duke seemed to catch the cue. “I’m Anthony. Astrid and Andreas’…” He stopped there, his words trailing off as if he didn’t seem to know how to finish.

“He’s our grandfather,” Reas finished.

He saw the Duke glance sharply at him, his eyes wide as if he couldn’t believe Reas would just say it like that. Reas just shrugged. It’s the truth. The man was their grandfather. It would be weird to call him anything else, especially when he was sitting at their table for lunch. But from the way the Duke’s eyes softened as he looked back, you’d think Reas had just done something life changing.

Lauren noticed the strange look between them, but he said nothing. He was already a little surprised to hear the man was Reas’s grandfather. He had thought he was maybe an uncle, so learning he was their grandfather was unexpected.

Lauren offered the man a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

Anthony cleared his throat and gave a short, formal nod. “And you as well.”

When Gage returned, Emmy turned to the group. “Please, everyone, sit down. Let’s eat lunch before it gets cold.”

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