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They glared at each other, but neither said a word.
“Damien—I am completely aware I don’t need to work. You’ve made it very clear that I have a job with the family business, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to steamroll into it. And, Adrian? Thank you. That was thoughtful of you to call and of the chief to hold off terminating my consultancy with you.” I put my hands on my hips. “I’m not going to stand in this kitchen and discuss that right now. I’m here to have my brother meet my daughter.”
Adrian deflated. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
Damien didn’t apologize, but I wasn’t expecting him to.
I blew out a long breath. “I’m sorry I snapped. I just—”
“You’re on edge,” Adrian finished for me. “It’s all good, firecracker.”
The nickname that once bugged me made my lips curl into a smile.
“Detective Potter,” Damien said, looking to Adrian.
“Adrian,” he cut in.
“Adrian,” Damien corrected himself. “I’d like to extend a personal apology for my father when he spoke to you on the phone. And a thank you for taking care of my sister and my niece.”
Well, shit the bed and call me Sally.
That was something I never thought he’d say.
Adrian smiled. “Thank you for the apology—both times. It was and is appreciated. As for your sister and niece,” he said without looking at me. “There’s nothing I’d have rather done with my time the past few weeks.”
That sounded a lot like goodbye.
Like this was the final time we’d be together.
I swallowed.
I wanted to throw myself into his arms. Wrap mine around his neck and kiss him until I felt so numb it barely mattered that this felt like the end.
“Lola!” It took everything I had inside me to keep my voice together.
“Her bag is by the front door,” Adrian said, nodding to Damien and dipping his head as he joined Zac in the living room.
Lola shuffled through with Dolly hugged to herself. “Yeah, Mommy?”
The door to the living room shut.
I beat down the emotion that wanted to force its way out of me. “There’s someone here that I’d like you to meet.”
“The strange man there?”
“Yes, the strange man.” I smiled when she stared at him.
“Oh no, is that your boyfriend?”
Damien cough-snorted.
“No! God—no.” I laughed. “That’s Mommy’s big brother. He’s your Uncle Damien.”
The tension and horror that had grabbed hold of her dissipated. She relaxed and dropped her shoulders, sighing in relief. “Phew, Mommy. You scared me.”
Dear God, she loves these guys, too.
“Well, I’m very sorry for scaring you,” I said slowly. “But maybe you could say hi now?”
Lola craned her neck and leaned to the side. “Hi, Uncle Damien.”
“Hey, Lola. Are you hungry?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
“Would you like to go for lunch?”
“Mommy, too?”
“Sure.”
“Can we go to Polka’s?”
“Wherever you wanna go.”
I closed my eyes. Goddamn it. Not Polka’s. Anywhere but Polka’s. “Awesome.”
Damien paused. “Is that not good?”
I wanted to laugh at his naivety. “She wants to go to Polka’s, we go to Polka’s.” I straightened, and with Lola tugging at my hand while I tried to gather both of our bags, I followed my brother out of Adrian’s house.
For what felt like the last time.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Perrie
“I’d like to offer you the job,” Abby said, looking at me. “You’re more than qualified, and with some training, I really believe you could be awesome.”
I chewed on my lip. I wasn’t sure. So much had happened today, and I needed time to process it. To process the bank card, the new relationships, the possibilities…
The goodbye.
I pushed the loose strands of hair from my bangs away from my face and tucked the longer locks behind my ear. “That’s…amazing. Thank you.”
“Is that a yes?”
I swallowed. “Could I…Could I have a little time to think about it?”
Abby smiled even as she looked skeptical. “I can give you three days. How does that sound?”
I nodded. “That sounds good. Sorry—it’s been a crazy day.”
“I know.” That smile held a hint of sympathy, while her eyes hinted at respect. “Take your time.”
“Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent. Call me when you’re ready.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Perrie
Twenty-four hours.
It’d been twenty-four hours since I’d walked out of Adrian’s house and into The Scarlet Letter and been offered a job. Twenty-four hours since I’d seen his face and smiled at the way our kids fought and laughed and smiled.
Twenty-four hours since my stomach had plummeted into the depths of the Earth, taking my heart with it, never to return.
Dramatic, I knew, but that was how it felt. Like that was the place my heart was destined to be. At the same time, my phone glared at me like a candle flame in a pitch-black warehouse.
I twirled my wine glass between my fingers, spinning the circular base on my yoga-pant clad kneecap. All I could think about was the cop who’d inadvertently stolen my heart and my daughter’s. How his son had become a part of my own.
