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“Lily is fine,” Flint says impatiently. “Caden, close the door behind you. Sit down. All of you.”
He waves us down, and I swallow a grunt of displeasure, sensing I’m not going to like where this is going. Why is the nanny here?
“You remember Julian Weston?” Flint asks. “He specializes in family law.”
Julian acknowledges us, his eyes lingering on Aspen a moment longer than I would have liked.
“And you’re Ms. Palco?” the attorney asks.
“Great sleuthing,” Caden quips, clearly not enjoying the older man leering at our nanny. “This is what you charge a grand an hour for?”
Julian’s expression grows sour at Caden’s jab, but I almost smile. My friend has his witty moments.
“What is this about?” Aspen asks, crossing her long legs nervously. “I really should get back to Lily.”
Flint sighs and glances at us. “We need to tell her what’s going on. Any objections?”
Tension stiffens my neck, and I wait for Caden to cause a stink, but he doesn’t, much to my surprise. This woman has been here five days in total, and we’re allowing her into our most private affairs.
“Tell me what?” Aspen demands, her dark eyes shadowing. “What is going on?”
“People are coming for Lily,” Flint blurts out when neither of us speaks. “And I think we need your help to keep them from taking her.”
CHAPTER 6
Aspen
Each word slaps me until I’m sitting back against the comfortable chair, blinking wildly. Pike and Caden are unfazed by Flint’s blunt announcement, the story apparently old news to them.
“Coming for Lily?” I echo. “How? When? What do you mean?”
I fire out the questions, one after another, as Flint holds up his hand. “Allow me to explain.”
He draws in a deep breath and casts the others quick looks, as if asking them to assist in this conversation, but both Pike and Caden remain tight-lipped. The artist appears narrow-eyed, as if he doesn’t want to tell me at all, but he hadn’t objected originally. As always, however, Caden looks like he’s enjoying his friend’s discomfort and sits back to cross his arms over his broad barrel chest, fingers twining through his dark beard.
“As you already know, Ryker and Alexandra, our friends, appointed all three of us guardians of Lily. We’ve been caring for her since they passed.”
My eyes narrow as I hone my ears, listening for falsehoods in what he’s going to say. The thickness in the room is sliceable, the tension suffocating, like they’re all doing their best to hide something from me.
“They did that because they had no family to speak of, not really,” Flint continues.
“We were their family,” Pike growls defensively.
“Pike,” Flint says tiredly. “We’re not arguing the semantics of it right now.” He turns back to me and sighs. “Alex grew up with her grandparents, who passed away when she was in high school, and Ryker lost his entire family to a terrible fire when he was young. He talked a little about his past. But no one ever came by the house for visits, and they never went anywhere that wasn’t vacation related. They genuinely only had us and this community. There were no extended family visits, no aunts or uncles popping by.”
“Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do—oh!” Suddenly I understand. “Ryker did have a family!”
Flint seems impressed with my instant deduction. “Her name is Raya, and she’s a cousin on his father’s side—or so she claims. She says she’s willing to provide DNA samples, so I’m apt to believe she is who she says she is.”
“She can’t just waltz in here and take Lily!” I gasp, aghast at the idea. “You have been raising her! It’s in the will, isn’t it?”
Julian speaks now, taking over where Flint has left off.
“She is asking to come and visit, for starters,” the attorney explains.
“Hell no! She’s not welcome here with her boyfriend or fiancé or whoever that asshole claims to be,” Caden interjects. “She’s not stepping one foot inside this community. I’ll build a damn army if I have to.”
Flint rolls his eyes. “You and the retirees at the Sunside Retirement Village? Maybe the local softball team can help you out.”
