Page 42 of The Prodigal Prince

“I think it’s about time for us to go,” Fiona said quietly. “I understand all of it, but there’s a reason why I’ve kept Gray out of the public eye.”

“Agreed.” Mac stood as Gray ran toward him.

A few minutes later, they were back in Mac’s car and headed toward his cousin’s house.

It took a concerted effort to think of the Quatremaines as family, but they were. Did any of them know?

If any of them did, King Benjamin seemed like the obvious choice, but would he have told anyone else?

This time the vehicle in front of them contained security, in part because Mac wasn’t entirely certain where he was going.

“Do you think that accomplished what they wanted it to?” Fiona asked quietly enough that little ears in the back seat wouldn’t pick up on it.

“I hope so. That kind of thing isn’t my favorite. If I’m going to a function or event, that’s one thing, but when I’m out for a snack with my family, I’d rather keep it a bit more private. I understand why they wanted us to do it, but...” He let out a sigh. “I wish it wasn’t necessary.”

Fiona stared out the window at the passing scenery. At certain points, the water was visible. Gray exclaimed every time he could see it, and every time, it made Mac smile.

“Do you know the princess very well?” Fiona didn’t look at him as she spoke.

Mac pulled to a stop behind the security vehicle as a light stopped them. “Not well. We’ve met a few times over the years. I think I’ve met the whole family, but I’m not certain. There’s ten kids in the family. Ten cousins.”

Once they all knew he was part of the family, would they embrace him? Would they be invited for Christmas? Or would they remain distant but polite to the son of the black sheep of their family?

Did you call a criminal mastermind the black sheep? Or was that too mild?

It always seemed Mac had more questions than answers. Would it ever be the other way around?

The irony of the thought wasn’t lost on him.

It didn’t take overly long to get to the estate on the shore of the island. The lead car drove through the gate then pulled to the side to allow Mac access to the drive near the main entrance.

A member of the staff appeared to open Fiona’s door for her. Before they could make it to the stairs, Beau and Angie had come out to greet them as well.

Mac made the introductions, including introducing himself to Beau.

Angie looked Gray in the eye. “There’s a couple of other kids in the garden if you want to go play for a little while. If it’s okay with your mum, of course.”

Unless he was mistaken, Fiona looked a bit relieved. “Go on,” she encouraged him. “You’ll have fun.”

Mac’s cousin pointed toward a gate on the other side of the house and told Gray to go through it and follow the path.

“Could he get lost?” Fiona’s voice was filled with the kind of parental concern Mac still found himself getting used to.

“Unlikely,” Angie told her as they started up the steps. “There’s not many other places to go from there. The path goes straight to the back area where the other children are.”

Taking Fiona’s hand in his, Mac squeezed it gently, trying to convey that he understood her concern, but that she didn’t need to be too worried.

“I don’t think I realized you had children,” Fiona continued. The main door closed behind them.

Angie laughed. “We don’t. Some of my family showed up to surprise us. They brought their children with them. That’s one reason why I reached out to Esme. I thought Gray might like to have someone closer to his own age to run around with. We also thought the two of you could use some time outside of the public eye, but also not in the palace.”

“We’re grateful,” Mac answered for both of them. “The palace can be a different kind of fish bowl.”

“It definitely is.” Another male voice entered the conversation.

Mac turned to see who it was and blinked as recognition settled in.

His eldest cousin.

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