Her Crown Jewel (Hygge Royal Romance Series, Book 1)

Put Me Up

"Hiya, Dad," Danny said. "This is Kajsa Larsson. Kajsa, my Dad, Owen Carter."

Kajsa outstretched her left hand. Carter Snr gave her an uncertain look but shook it. She was ambidextrous, which really helped in such situations. He muttered something that must have been a 'pleasure to meet you' or something of the sort, and grew silent. Kajsa thought that, perhaps, it was best if she took control over the situation.

"Shall I make us tea?" Kajsa asked in a light tone and glanced at Danny. "Could you grab my bag as well, please, when you're bringing the shopping in?"

Danny nodded.

"Could you show me to the kitchen, sir?" she addressed the older man. "Oh I see where it is." She placed her Matt & Nat handbag on a marginally pretentious console table by the wall and walked in. "Have you had supper already? Perhaps, I could turn on the oven already. I think Danny bought some frozen pies."

Walking and asking questions tended to force people to follow the one talking, and Owen Carter wasn't an exception from the rule. The kitchen was predictably posh, full of dark wooden surfaces and copper knobs.

"Heaven above, this machine has more controls than an aircraft," Kajsa exclaimed at the view of a Neff oven built into a faux stone wall. "I can't judge obviously. If anything, you'd know better," she added with a small laugh. "Danny mentioned you'd served in the RAF."

She headed to the sink to wash her hands, leaving Carter Snr lingering just one step into the kitchen. The front door banged, Danny must have gone to the car. Kajsa was starting to wonder if she'd chosen the right approach to Owen Carter, when he suddenly announced in a low voice, "It's the same one they use in Great British Bake Off on telly, you know."

Kajsa suppressed a self-satisfied smirk and looked at the man. He showed much more of his emotions than his son. She could clearly see the veteran's uneasiness.

"Well, let's hope the instructions on the box will be easy to follow," she said. "And now for the kettle."

Kajsa faced an aquamarine Kenwood - the same one she had in her kitchen.

"There's the– what's it called– the water gizmo," Carter Snr said and pointed at the water cooler tucked in the corner.

It looked like something from a sci-fi film.

"Surely, this is unnecessary," Kajsa said. "I heard that tap water was perfectly safe, especially in the country."

"It is!" Carter Snr confirmed, looking almost enthused - as much as his military poise allowed. "It's all rubbish, it is. They test it, you know."

"Well then, since we're in agreement..." Kajsa gave the man an impish side glance and turned on the tap. "Horses for courses and such, but I think we'll be just fine with tap water."

Danny showed up in the door frame with the shopping bags.

"Where are you putting us up, Dad?" he asked.

"The other guest room," his Father answered. "In the extension."

Kajsa was pretending to study the controls of the oven, letting Danny deal with the sleeping arrangements - and the possible awkwardness of discussing them.

"Is it the one upstairs? With that large window?" Danny asked, deftly and methodically putting the shopping away. "Why didn't you take it?"

"Navraj wanted me to, but what do I need all that space for?"

The kettle clicked, and Kajsa stepped to the floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. Once she opened it, she couldn't help but giggle.

"Let me guess, your brother's husband is very tall as well," she said and looked at the Carters over her shoulder. "I'm hardly short, but I can't reach anything."