“Of course, I do.” I pulled my chair closer to his. “I’ve loved you from the day you were born. That didn’t stop when you were adopted.”
He nodded. “Is it too soon for us to love you?”
I smiled and took his hand in mine. “Love doesn’t know things like time and space. I loved you for fifteen years even though I knew you didn’t know me. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Vicky loves you. She thinks you’re the best thing ever. So does Landy, but I think he’s scared. I don’t know why he won’t talk to you.”
“If he doesn’t want to talk, let him be.” Vicky made a sound from her spot on the blanket pallet close by. I picked her up andfaced Dom once more. “Dom, all I want is for the three of you to be happy. I know Logan and I can help with that.”
He looked away and focused once more on the book in front of him. “We are happy. I mean, obviously I’m worried. I don’t want the fact that people are after me to hurt the two of them. Or you or Logan. I want you all to be safe, too.”
“Is that what’s bothering you?”
With a quick shake and a little color to his cheeks he looked away again. “No.”
I took a guess. “Is this about a girl?”
“Tiffany Snow asked me to the Sadie Hawkins dance. None of the girls in our group like her. Apparently, she wasn’t nice last year when she was still in middle school either.”
I knew that last name. They were one of the richest families in Marina De Ferrier, owning one of the hotels and a few of the tourist traps. They weren’t very nice people and flaunted their wealth. They hated the fact that my family had as much money and power as them around town. They called us mercenaries and threw out terms likenouveau riche. It didn’t bother me. But I also didn’t want it to hurt Dom.
It was my guess the reason why the girls didn’t like the daughter was because she displayed many of the same qualities. “Do you like her?”
Dom smiled, that goofy one when boys were trying not to think about girls. “She’s pretty and she asked.”
“If you want to go with her, your friends will understand.” He didn’t look convinced.
“Shy said she would ask Holden to go with her if I didn’t want to go alone. Cat is going with that asshole Charles Ripper. No one likes him either.”
I let out a deep breath as it occurred to me what he was actually doing. “Dom, you can go to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Logan will drive you to fetch her, and he will pick you both upafter. That way we get to meet her and her parents can meet you, too.”
His shoulders sagged from relief. “It's not that I like her.”
I pinched my lip and frowned. “Of course not.”
A beep on my phone told me someone was in the driveway. Logan was still on shift. Nick, Oliver, and Jake were on a mission in Florida. All the women were working.
It could only be Jared. He had been working at the office most days, but when he’d picked up Landon earlier, he said he had some information and wanted to run it by me. He was bound to stay a while after he picked the boys up from preschool.
I checked the app to make sure it was his car and watched as he got out. One by one, he helped all three boys out.
I quickly disarmed the alarm and opened the door for them. The three boys ran to the door and the world turned as I heard the most beautiful sound.
Landon came running to me with open arms. “Bets.” His shriek was full of glee and I swear I’d never heard anything more beautiful. He was holding a paper and what looked like a drawing.
I didn’t even think as I pulled him up into my arms as soon as he reached me. “Hello, sweet boy. Did you have a good day?”
He nodded and I didn’t even care. He could use head gestures all the time if he was this happy to see me after school. He shoved the piece of paper at me. “You.”
“Me?” He nodded and I took the page from him and straightened it as best I could. There was a very rudimentary face drawn with big brown circles for eyes and long brown strokes for the hair. “Is this me?”
He nodded. “Pretty.”
“It is very pretty.” I lowered him to the floor and he made his way over to Dom. I, on the other hand, went searching for tape. I knew we didn’t have fridge magnets and I would rectify that thenext time I did some online shopping. In the meantime, I was determined to display the picture on the fridge and show Logan as soon as he got home.
Jared followed me inside. “I have news.”
I turned to Dom. “Will you watch the boys in Landon’s room?”
