Page 18 of Baby Daddy Protector

“I—”

He held up a hand to stop me from speaking. “It’s fine, my darling. More than fine. My only regret is that you have to handle this yourself. I should have done more to get the laws of Prylea changed when I had the chance. But there never seemed to be a right time, then your mother was ill and my concentration was elsewhere. By the time I realized how serious the situation was, I’d lost the control I once had over parliament and—”

I reached out and covered my father’s hand with mine, amazed that he was taking this in stride. “I don’t blame you, Papa. Really. I think it will all turn out for the best. Z is a good man, and he’d signed the appropriate the contracts, so it’s all legally binding and aboveboard.”

He watched me for a moment, his eyes narrowed. “Yes. He is a good man. I had him checked out myself after the staff told me you had shown an interest in him.” At my shocked look, he chuckled. “They were my staff before they were yours, my darling. And they only have your best interests at heart. Don’t judge them too harshly, eh? Listen, before we get into that, I’ve received word that Silvester has held a meeting with the arms committee in the Prylean parliament. My guess is he’s trying to consolidate power and put some kind of transition plan in place. If things go his way and we lose the goodwill and guardianship of the US military, he’ll need contingencies.” He sighed. “My hope was to fight this battle myself, but with the doctors prescribing hospice care for me from here on out, I’m not sure that will be possible.”

“I know, Papa.” My heart ached at the thought of what was to come, of losing my last surviving parent, but I had to be strong for my country, for the child that would hopefully be conceived soon through my efforts with Z. “I’m prepared to handle Silvester. Don’t worry.”

“You’re such a treasure, my darling. So smart, so kind, so generous with your time and love.” He stroked my hair. “Your Zachary is lucky to have you.”

“Oh, Papa,” I said, kissing his palm before sitting back in my seat. “It’s not like that and you know it. This is a business deal. Nothing more.”

“Hmm.” My father adjusted his blankets, the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced now as fatigue set in. The doctors had said his stamina would lessen as the cancer overcame him. “We’ll see. He’s a good man. Tragic background, but that builds character, I believe.”

Intrigued, I sat forward again. The most I’d been able to find out about his past was that his parents were deceased and that he’d been removed from his SEAL unit due to “insubordination,” but there’d been no other explanation of either incident. Perhaps my father, with his power and influence, had been able to uncover more about Z’s mysterious past. “Tell me.”

My father gave me a small, knowing smile. “Your Zachary’s father worked for the World Health Organization, traveling all over the world to prevent future outbreaks of deadly diseases. He took his wife and young son with him on a trip to Egypt. While there, a street bomber killed his mother and father. Your Zachary was only six at the time and went into foster care after that. No extended family to speak of. Perhaps that’s why he’s a bit of a loner now.”

I stared down at the floor, my thoughts swirling. That would certainly explain some of his odd mannerisms I’d noticed. Like how he always stood with his back against a wall whenever possible, most likely because he felt protected that way. Also, his reticence to discuss anything personal about himself. It also explained why he was so keen to return to his SEAL team. They were probably a replacement for the family he’d lost. Finding out about all this from my father felt a bit like an invasion of Z’s well-guarded privacy, but I needed to know. Especially since we were planning to have a child together. I resolved to ask Z myself about these things later when the opportunity arose.

“Why was he pulled from his SEAL team?” I asked, my voice quiet amidst the hum and beep of the monitors in the room. “He rarely talks about himself and avoids my questions. I’m assuming it wasn’t anything too awful or he wouldn’t have been allowed to work on my security team in the first place.”

“That, my darling, you’ll have to ask him yourself. All I was able to find out was that he was on a black-ops mission and things went south. He was injured rescuing a fellow SEAL team member and put on administrative leave pending an investigation into the matter.” My father yawned then snuggled down in his bed. “Now, forgive me, my darling, but I need to sleep for a bit.”

With that, he closed his eyes. I sat there for several long moments, considering the new information I’d learned. The minutes stretched, and I picked up my knitting, working on finishing a small blanket for the NICU here at the hospital. Knitting always relaxed me and helped clear my mind and organize my thoughts, which I badly needed since my life was so chaotic right now. Soon, I lost myself in my work, the sound of my needles clacking filling the air.

By the time my father stirred again, I glanced over at the clock on the wall to find two hours had passed. My butt was numb from sitting so long in one spot. I shifted my weight and glanced out into the hallway to see the guards still posted there and Z walking by. He looked in and caught my eye, raising a hand in greeting as he passed. I nodded then turned my attention back to my ailing father.

“You’re awake,” I said, carefully removing the pretty, pastel-green blanket, now complete, from my needles then folding it and setting it aside to give to the nurses later. “Can I get you anything? Water? Food?”

My father rubbed his eyes then pushed himself up into a seated position on his bed. “How about telling me where you are in your plans with this Zachary fellow.”

Heat prickled my cheeks, but I glossed over the more torrid sections of our tryst, instead focusing on the more political aspects. “I’m researching the exact rules of succession and terms needed for a regency. It’s been slow going and difficult, doing it all in secret, given the sensitive nature of what we’re planning. Plus, being an ocean away from home and the ancient documents I need to see doesn’t help, either. I really need to get together with our University of Prylea and the museums when I get home to make sure they update their online library databases and archives.”

“My staff will provide you with anything you need, my darling. You know that, right? You can trust them. The advisors, however, I would steer clear of until this is all settled. They can be more easily swayed by the promise of power and position, and Silvester will use any means necessary to get what he wants.”

“I know, Papa. And I haven’t told anyone about this, but you and…” I shrugged. “The staffers who had the contracts for Z drawn up for me. Obviously, they leaked the information to you, though.”

My father gave a rueful snort. “Being king has some perks, daughter.”

“True.” I smiled.

“Do you like this Zachary?” he asked, far too perceptive for my comfort.

“He’s very nice. And he’s suitable for my purposes.” And gorgeous and great in bed and tender and… I cut off the images of us entwined together before my face ignited from embarrassment. My father did not need to know about that. “Suffice it to say that the contract between us is in full effect.”

“Yes, I can see that.” He reached out a trembling hand to me, and I took it. “But are you happy, my darling?”

I exhaled and realized Iwashappy—as happy as I could be under the circumstance. I nodded. “Yes, Papa.”

“Good. That’s all I really care about.” His hazel eyes sparkled with a bit of their old fire. “And if you and your Zachary make a good team, in and out of bed, then I say go for it. Make it a real deal. Monarchies have been made on much less. And you will be a better leader for the people of Prylea than I ever was, daughter.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued. “I never had your tenacity or foresight.”

I snorted and shook my head. “I don’t know about that, Papa. All of this with Z is strictly a Hail Mary pass. We’ve only been together a few days. Besides, I doubt Z would choose to stay married to me over returning to his SEAL team at the end of all this.”

My father gave me a cryptic smile before yawning again, his words drifting off as his eyes closed again. “Wait and see, my darling. Just wait and see. Life has a way of giving you what you need exactly when you need it.”

TWELVE

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