Dom gave him one of those easy smiles. “That’s Zuma, yes.” He walked over to the small kitchen table. “We practically have all morning. Landon will watch TV all day if we let him. My Mom doesn’t… didn’t… didn’t let him watch for more than an hour at a time.”
I nodded while I put the eggs and sausage on the table. “That’s good to know. You should probably make a list of their routines and stuff like that so we can all pitch in. Also, a shopping list of everything we’ll need. Someone will make a run to the mall a little later.”
“I’ll get my mom on that.” Bex sat opposite me at the table, allowing Dom to take a spot between the two of us. “Retail therapy for grandchildren is a good way to distract her from how pissed off she is at me.”
Dom frowned at her then stole a glance at Landon who was giggling at the TV. “Language.”
Bex offered a small smile and nodded. “Sorry. I’ll be more careful.”
“Anyway. I’m not her grandchild so she may not seem as willing to do my shopping. It’s fine, I can order things online. I’ll just need some money or a credit card. I’ll pay it back.”
Bex placed a hand on his arm. But I was the one to speak up. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Dom. Hope Salinger will declare you her grandchild along with Landon and Victoria and it will have nothing to do with biology. She will spoil you and you will let her because unfortunately you have bigger problems than an overbearing, yet delightful, woman who you will never refer to as old. Am I understood?”
“Understood.”
As we ate, we got to know Dom. He didn’t trust us and he was scared as hell but we did learn he had a happy childhood. Even after his dad passed away, his mother had made sure he felt like he belonged. His father’s mother was still alive but she was nearly eighty and admitted she wasn't fit enough to look after a teenager, a toddler, and a baby. That was a problem we’d need to solve as well. Dom didn’t want to lose touch with her. Family was important to the kid, something both Bex and I understood.
He’d loved his mother, that much was obvious. I was glad he’d had that. It was something I never had growing up. No, the only family I knew was the one I found in the Salingers. I’d spent my time after school on the farm. I wish I could say it was because my mother worked hard. But it had more to do with the amount of time she spent looking for the bottom of a bottle and trash talking my father who had walked out on us before I started school.
I shook off thoughts of my toxic family and decided to pay attention to the one I had in front of me.
Dom was explaining his school situation. “So, I play football and basketball. Not brilliant at either but I’m better at basketball. Straight As, mostly.” He smiled at Bex. “And, you’re some badass commando GI Jane, huh?”
Bex smiled, relishing that description. “Former Army Ranger, got out about a year ago to join the family business. We run a tactical training and paramilitary company.”
“Because you’re all former military, right?” The kid had done his research. “Is that why your address was so difficult to find? Are all of you all like, under cover, or something?”
There was no mistaking Bex’s joy at talking to the boy she must’ve missed every day for the last fifteen years. I know I had. “My address is not listed because I live with a bunch of other women in a house that belongs to my sister-in-law. It's called Forte Femme. I’ll take you there some time. Anyway, there is no lease agreement and our company’s information is highly encrypted. But you did the right thing in coming here. This building is safer than the house I live in.” She turned to me and held up a finger. “I don’t want to hear about it.”
As it turned out, Forte Femme hadn’t ever been broken into, but the women hated the idea of being watched and it had been a struggle to convince them to at least lock the damn front door. Last year the women had agreed to an alarm and some cameras after one of our friends who had been renting the attached cottage, had a stalker break into her house.
Before Dom could question her further, a buzz from the intercom had my attention. Checking the screen to make sure it was Jake, I released the entrance door which allowed him into the building.
Bex gave her brother a big hug and gestured for him to come in as she picked up her phone and let us all know she would be back as soon as possible.
Jake smiled at me, his brown eyes so similar to Bex’s. “So, I’m guessing your evening didn’t go according to plan.”
All I could do was show him the middle finger.
Chapter Eight
BEX
By the time I pulled up in front of my parents’ home, I was a nervous wreck. I’d called the family meeting in our family text group. I also made sure everyone understood that it was urgent. Jake had texted Mason a heads-up to make sure he didn’t worry. At least not about attending. I had no doubt my twin wanted every single detail about Dominic.
My childhood home had been converted to the B&B my mother ran and my parents now made my grandparent’s cottage their home. They did, however, extend somewhat to make room for when the grandchildren all slept over together. They had four grandsons and two granddaughters with Cassie and Anna each pregnant with their second child. That’s not counting the honorary grandkids like Skye and Aidan, and now I was adding Dominic and his siblings to the mix.
He had lost so much, and while I couldn’t replace the mother he’d had, I could give him the family I had. Nosy uncles, a mischievous grandfather and a grandmother who didn’t know how not to love the people around her. Dom will miss his mother in the same way I miss Debbie, for the rest of his life. It wasn’t the same thing. Losing Debbie four years ago had nearly broken me so I couldn’t imagine losing my mom yet, and I wasn’t afifteen-year-old boy. But we’d make sure he never forgot he was loved. No matter where he landed.
Both my older brothers' cars were parked at the side of the house. Since there was only a two-car garage and no driveway, we all just parked where we could at family gatherings. Even with Mason on honeymoon and Brie’s sister looking after the twins and then Jake at Logan’s place, the house would still be quite busy.
Even Jared's car was parked outside. It took a long time to convince him that he was, in fact, family. And not just because he was the father of Debbie’s son.
Before I even made it to the porch, I spotted Cassie’s car driving up the single lane path. As she parked next to me, I tensed a little. I wondered why she hadn’t joined Jake at Logan’s place. Had Jake already told her?
She climbed out of the car and I smiled at her little bump which was slightly more pronounced than the day before because of the fitting dress she wore.
“Hey.” I met her gaze. “I wasn’t sure if you were coming.”
