Free Her Foreign Affair by Shea Mcmaster

Away.”
    Randi reached past Court and flipped a switch for a fan overhead, then leaned to listen at the door while he finger combed his hair into place.
    Court raised a brow but she shook her head. The old man remained in place. Randi reached over and flushed the commode, and he turned on the water in the sink.
    Finally, the footsteps retreated, and they both let out their breaths.
    “Give me a couple minutes,” Randi said, straightening her clothes. “If I don’t talk with him now, he’ll keep pressing for the truth. I’m sure he’s figured out you’re ‘the damn bastard who knocked his girl up and sent her home.’”
    Yeah, her father would see it that way. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers to keep from reaching for her again. He’d have it out with the old man. Today. However, it didn’t stop him from giving her his best sad puppy dog look.
    “Oh for heaven’s sake,” she blew out the words. “I’m still mad at you.”
    “And this conversation isn’t over. Not by a long shot. I’m pretty pissed myself.”
    A moment later, she was out the door, leaving him alone and wishing everyone else in the house to Mars.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    “Good heavens, can’t a person take a potty break every once in a while? It’s the first time I’ve been off my feet all day.” She gave her father a good glare for emphasis.
    “If you’re feeling poorly, and judging by the sounds coming from the powder room, you might be ready for the hospital, you can go lie down for a bit.”
    Rolling her eyes, she threw up her hands. “So now you’re spying on me by listening at bathroom doors?” Not that she wouldn’t put it past him, the man was that nosy.
    “I don’t call it spying when motivated by concern for your wellbeing.” Bushy white brows lowered in his customary scowl.
    Randi snorted and began to pull champagne glasses from a cabinet. “Did you do a head count?”
    “I did, but came up short by two.”
    “Well, count me in. I’m pretty sure Court will be interested as well.” She set six fluted champagne glasses on the counter in front of her dad.
    “So are you going to confess, yet?”
    “Confess what?” Time to baste the turkey, she turned away and reached for the hot pads. Court had returned them to their hooks. Good man. Been playing bachelor father for the past six years? Did it translate to knowing his way around a kitchen? So far, he’d proved helpful. And distracting.
    Before she could get the oven open, her father crowded her from the left. “About the man who contributed the other half of the genetic material to create your daughter. Don’t try to tell me the name is a coincidence.” White brows lowered in an angry V. A look nowhere as intimidating as it had once been. “After Wyatt filed the birth certificate I asked him about her name and he said you’d named her after the father. The name is too close to be an accident.”
    Hadn’t Wyatt been the chatty one when it suited him? “Smart man to put two and two together. And you’ve waited all this time to bring it up?”
    “You were too ill, and then after, well, it didn’t seem so important anymore.”
    “Because you fell in love with her. Well fine, now you know my biggest secret. Keep it to yourself. I’ll tell her later. In the meantime, don’t let her and Drew get cozy, if you understand my meaning.”
    “No problem.” Dad straightened and began ripping the foil from around the cork. “But we’re still going to talk about why he never came looking for his child.”
    “I never told him.”
    Let him think about that. Bending to see to the bird, Randi silently apologized to her daughter for siccing Grandpa on her. It was for the best, honestly. The less she and Drew cuddled up together, the less revulsion they’d feel later.
    Family meeting. Tonight. The moment prying old grandpa disappeared with his guest.
    Almost as if he’d heard the reference to him in her thoughts, Jordan entered on cue. She had