Page 52 of Royal Secret

“Is he expecting us?” Courtney asks.

“Trust me. He will be happy to meet you,” I assure her.

I’ve never introduced him to a girlfriend before — let alone the mother of my future child. In addition to that, I already know he will be greatly moved to meet the granddaughter of his childhood sweetheart.

I park the car, and together we walk up the path to the front door. It’s a walk I’ve done countless times, yet each step feels buoyant, a promise of our new and exciting future.

“Ready?” I ask, glancing at Courtney. Her hand finds mine, a silent pact formed in the space between our intertwined fingers.

“Ready,” she echoes.

I ring the doorbell and see a curtain moving in the adjacent window. My grandfather’s housekeeper motions for us to enter, and so I push open the door.

We step into the cool shade of the entryway, and there he is — Grandfather Rolph, a figure as sturdy and timeless as the oak beams that cradle the roof overhead. His smiles at me before his gaze slowly travels over Courtney.

“Grandfather, meet Courtney,” I say, guiding her forward.

“Ah, my dear boy,” he begins, but his words trail off as his gaze falls to the sapphire pendant resting just above Courtney’s heart.

The room fills with a silence thick enough to touch, and then the dam breaks; tears glisten in his eyes, carving rivers down his weathered cheeks.

“Is this…?” He reaches out, his hand trembling slightly as it hovers near the necklace.

Courtney nods, gently taking his hand in hers. “It belonged to my grandmother, Anna.”

“Anna,” he murmurs, the name a sacred utterance. “I gave her that necklace when we were no more than children ourselves.” His voice catches, a lifetime of memories flooding back in an instant.

Courtney’s own eyes brim with compassion as she steps closer, enfolding Rolph in an embrace that bridges generations. “She kept it all these years,” she says softly, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes.

“Anna was…” Rolph starts again, clearing his throat. “She was very special to me.”

“Let me tell you about her life,” Courtney offers.

“Yes, that would be amazing.” He leads her to an ottoman, where they sit next to each other.

“She spent her later years in Texas, volunteering at the food pantry every week. And she was a teacher, Rolph. She touched so many lives.”

He listens, rapt, each word painting a portrait of a life lived with love and purpose. A faint smile plays upon his lips, and I understand now why he once told me true love never dies — it transforms, it gives, and it lingers long after we’re gone.

“Thank you, Courtney,” Rolph says when she finishes, his eyes reflecting a peace I’ve not seen in years. “You’ve brought her back to me, if only for a moment.”

Courtney swipes a tear away from the corner of her eye. “Thank you.”

“You two are a blessing to each other,” he says, and there’s a tremble in his voice that speaks volumes of the joy he feels. He leans forward, pressing a tender kiss to Courtney’s forehead, then clasping my shoulder with surprising strength for a man of his age. “Go on, live your lives together. You have my blessing.”

As we walk out of Rolph’s cozy house, the affection of his words settles over me like an embrace. It’s not just his acceptance I feel — it’s the responsibility, the exhilaration of what comes next.

“Thank you, Rolph,” Courtney says, turning to wave at the figure in the doorway. Her voice is soft, but I hear the emotion threaded through it.

“Are you all right?” I ask as I unlock the car and we slide into the leather seats.

She nods, her fingers tracing the sapphire at her throat. “I’ve never felt more connected to my grandmother than I do now.”

I start the engine, the purr breaking the silence of the late afternoon. “Courtney,” I begin, “stay with me, here in Bergovia.”

She turns to look at me, her brow creasing ever so slightly. “Jakob, I?—”

“Listen,” I interject, perhaps a bit too hastily. “I will take care of everything. Financially, you won’t need to worry.”

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