AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Flint sighs. “In order to adopt Lily, one of us is going to have to apply for full guardianship. The boys and I have discussed it and decided that I will be that person.”
I lift my head. “Why you?”
Caden bursts out laughing as Pike snorts. Flint is less amused.
Blushing furiously, I stammer, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Inhaling, I collect myself and try again. “I’m only asking why, of the three of you, you were chosen. You’re equally successful; you all live here, and Lily adores each of you. It doesn’t seem fair…”
I trail off, realizing that I’m just making things worse.
“I’m the one with the most… stability,” Flint replies delicately. “The world of art is slightly unpredictable, and Caden doesn’t take his career as seriously as he should—especially after he changed his specialty.”
Caden grimaces at the reminder.
My eyes again stray toward him. I wonder what he did before plastic surgery.
What was he doing before? I shrug off the question and try to keep up with what’s happening around me, the comingling of all their masculinity overpowering me now, making me feel four feet tall as they encircle me with some secret I have yet to learn.
“But even with my stability and family name,” Flint adds, “Julian thinks it will make a much better case for the courts to have a female influence in the house. Lily is a little girl. She needs a maternal influence.”
I bob my head slowly. “She has Zoe, too.”
“A nanny is better,” Caden insists. “Or a wife.”
He leers at Flint, and I choke on my saliva as his friend scowls at him. “Stop being an ass, Caden.”
All eyes are on me now, the men waiting for me to say something, and I clear my throat. “I will do whatever it takes to ensure Lily’s happiness,” I promise them. “But please, don’t give me any reason to lie, okay?”
I turn to leave them alone in Flint’s office, my heart breaking for them a bit.
CHAPTER 7
Flint
I stand, dismayed, but Caden is also on his feet.
“Let her process all that,” he urges. “We just put a lot on her shoulders. Give her a minute.”
“Do you think she’ll commit to staying with us until the adoption is complete? What if it takes years?” Pike asks moodily. “She doesn’t look convinced.”
“She needs time,” Caden says again, and their bickering motivates me to head toward the door after her. “I really think you should give her some time to think, Flint,” Caden insists. “She’s probably with Lily now, anyway. It’s not like you can talk to her freely.”
He raises a valid point. “Dammit. We should have handled that better,” I mutter.
“You should have handled that better,” Caden caws, his semi-obnoxiousness returning as he jumps up from his chair. “Don’t be so glum, chum. You’re the stable one, remember?” he taunts me before heading out the door, Pike on his heels.
I didn’t ask to be the fucking stable one, I want to snap back at Caden, but I don’t. It’s what I’m used to—my role in life, I suppose.
I look at the lawyer, who merely leers at me as if he’s enjoying the show.
“Close the door,” I instruct him, and he obliges.
“Do you think it was a good idea to inform the nanny of such personal matters?” Julian asks me.
I throw up my hands. I’m in a never-ending loop of never pleasing anyone. “Were we just supposed to keep it from her?”
Julian grimaces lightly. “You don’t know this woman very well, do you?”
“She’s been here five days, Julian, and I’ve been here three of those five days. So no, not really.”
