His parents had built their lives around the family, raising a tight-knit group of children with love, laughter and bucketfuls of patience.
Charles knew he’d been a particular challenge, always into mischief as a boy and usually pulling one or more of his siblings along with him. It was all in good fun, and as much as he pushed the limits of his parents’ patience, he never once doubted their unconditional love.
He’d spent enough time with his siblings and their spouses to know they were raising their children with much the same philosophy. His family set the bar high, and this was the first time Charles felt the need to live up to those standards.
If only he knew how.
He didn’t have the first clue about being an instant family man, and it wasn’t just Flynn that scared him. The beautiful blonde from a year ago had occasionally flitted across his mind, leaving him with a satisfied smile and a trace of longing. Seeing Alice again had felt like a swift blow to the head, knocking him off his game and instantly breaking through the self-control he’d so carefully cultivated. He tried to tell himself it was simply because she was now the mother of his son, but it felt like something more. It felt as if she might be the answer to a question he hadn’t even thought to pose.
He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and quickly texted Lucie. A part of him dreaded telling anyone in his family about this monumental development in his life, but they were bound to discover it sooner than later. One thing that came with having such a close family was the inability to keep anything secret.
But his younger sister had managed to keep her marriage to Chase Parker under wraps for ten years. Technically, Lucie had believed that the marriage had been annulled shortly after it had taken place, but still...
Lucie texted back almost immediately and agreed to meet him for breakfast in an hour. He forced himself out of bed, then took a hot shower in the hopes of reviving himself a bit. He was on his third cup of black coffee in the hotel restaurant when his sister sank into the chair across from him.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, folding her hands in front of her on the table. “I thought you were heading to Horseback Hollow this morning.”
“Plans changed,” he said, his leg bouncing under the table. It probably hadn’t been the best idea to overcaffeinate before this conversation.
“Official royal tourism business, I assume,” Lucie said with a smirk. She took a drink of water from the goblet set at her place. None of his siblings ever tired of teasing him about the ad campaign.
“I have a son,” Charles answered, the older brother in him slightly gratified when she choked and coughed, her eyes widening in shock as she lifted a napkin to her mouth.
“How... When... Who...?” Lucie looked as gobsmacked as Charles felt, but it was good to say the words out loud. Not that holding Flynn in his arms hadn’t made it real, but he’d almost wondered if lightning might strike him down for actually claiming the boy as his own.
A waiter approached their table, and Charles glanced at the menu. “I’ll have the eggs Benedict,” he told the young man. “How about you, Luce?”
She didn’t move but continued to stare at him, mouth agape.
“She’ll have tea and the granola and yogurt, I believe.”
With a curious glance at Lucie, the waiter nodded and walked away.
Charles picked up his coffee cup, then set it down again, as his head was still buzzing. He waved his fingers in front of his sister’s face until she blinked. “Which question would you like answered first?”
Patting the napkin to her lips, she leaned forward. “How did this happen?”
He felt the corner of his mouth curve, since that was the exact question he’d first asked Alice. “The usual way.”
Lucie blinked a few more times. “How old is the boy?”
“Four months.”
“And the mother?”
“I don’t know her exact date of birth, but I’d guess midtwenties.”
“This is serious, Charles.”
“Trust me, Lucie,” he said, as he ran a hand through his hair, “I know that.”
She gave the barest nod of acknowledgment. “Who is the mother?”
“Her name is Alice Meyers.”
“The woman who called when we were out the other day?”
“Yes. She lives here in Austin and heard I was in town.”
“Why hadn’t she told you about the baby before now?”
He shrugged. “She didn’t think I would want to be involved.”
Lucie tilted her head, considering that.
“I’m not certain she even wants me involved,” Charles continued. “She seems to be managing fine on her own.”
“Are you sure...” Lucie trailed off as the waiter brought a small tea service to the table.
“That he’s mine?” Charles finished when the waiter had left again. “Yes. His name is Flynn, and he looks just like me and quite a bit like Ollie when he was that age.”
Lucie met Charles’s gaze as she unwrapped a tea bag and poured steaming water over it. “Still...how well do you know this Alice Meyers? If she’s one of your usual girls, you should have proof. There are tests—”
“Alice offered, but I refused.” He took a deep breath as he thought about Alice’s big eyes and sweet smile. “She wouldn’t...there’s no question. I’m the father.”
“So what now?”
Charles had a minute to think about his answer as their food arrived. “I’ve put in a call to the family attorney,” he said, then took a bite of egg. “The first order of business is making provisions for the boy.”
“There’s more to being a daddy than ‘making provisions,’ Charles.” Lucie’s tone was chiding.
“I understand that, but I have to start somewhere.” He pointed his fork at his sister. “Cut me a bit of slack, Lucie. This was a shock, to say the least.”
She nodded. “Well, if this Alice Meyers isn’t asking for anything, then I suppose you have options.”
“What kind of options?” Charles demanded, his breakfast suddenly churning in his stomach. He tossed his napkin over his barely eaten plate of food. “Are you suggesting that I ignore the responsibility I have to my son?” He said the words through clenched teeth, hating that they were exactly what he’d been thinking earlier. A child meant commitment, and everyone knew Charles didn’t do commitment.
But he wanted to now. He wanted to be a decent father to Flynn. He wanted someone to believe he could.
“You wouldn’t ignore it,” Lucie said gently. “I’m fully aware of how you’ve lived to this point, Charles, but you are a good man in your heart. You’re our father’s son. You will make this work.”
His sister’s words were a salve on the wound of his self-doubt. Lucie was right. Charles might not have any idea of how to be a father, but as he’d told Alice, he’d had the best role model anyone could ask for in Sir Simon. Still, he wondered where to even begin. “He’s so tiny,” he said to Lucie. “Like a miniature old man. Only soft and cute.”
Lucie grinned.