“I was just a bit surprised you showed up unannounced. You could have called first.”
He stops walking, right outside his car door. “I could have, but I came here as much to see Luca as to talk to you. I honestly wasn’t sure if you were here, at Great Falls, or hanging out someplace on a Sunday afternoon. It’s been a while since you’ve been home.”
“You mean the new place,” I say. It doesn’t feel like home, at least not to me, but I know he’s moving here permanently, and it is their home. They didn’t just move out here for Mom’s job or the team. Dad moved the team here, in part, for me. I hate knowing I’m the reason, but I also appreciate why he did it. “I’ll try to visit you more often.”
“We know you’re busy and I’m sorry about Liam, not accepting him at first. I really do want to get to know him. We should have dinner, aside from Thanksgiving, sometime, the four of us. Five, if you want to bring his sister along. We’d be fine with that.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
I give him a quick hug goodbye, watch him climb into his car, and I hurry back inside the house where it’s warm and toasty. Shivering, I shut the door and lock up the house, making sure we’re safe.
Liam and Luca don’t talk to me about what happened, about Harper’s abduction, or how they managed to rescue her.
What I’ve heard and learned was entirely from Jaxson, which has given me a greater respect for the work Mom does, and while changing colleges wasn’t entirely because Liam is here, it certainly factored into the equation. I just didn’t tell anyone.
And I never will.
I snag the seat next to Liam on the sofa and Zeke climbs right back into my lap, returning to his position from just a few minutes earlier, curled up in my arms.
I love kids, and while I’m not ready to have any of my own, I’d be happy to be around Luca and Harper’s two little ones.
And maybe, just maybe, I’m already considering changing my major, again. It’s not like I’ve even started any classes yet. But seeing the difference that Jaxson made, without having to be in the field and physically risking his life, dare I admit, I’m hooked.
“You’re quiet,” Liam says, his fingers finding the back of my neck, his touch featherlight as he plays with my hair.
My eyes lazily close with a smile curling on my lips.
I love when he touches me. Even just simple, light touches are relaxing.
“Just thinking about things.”
Liam’s breath tickles my ear as he whispers, “What kinds of things?”
I smile and my eyes lazily open. “That I might want to change majors.”
“Didn’t you just declare your major when you applied for EU?” Liam asks. He’s curious, not prying, there’s a difference in his question, his tone.
“I did, but after what happened with Harper,” I glance at Liam, doing my best to keep the conversation as discreet as possible. I don’t want to worry the little one seated in my lap. “I think I might actually want to work for Jaxson one day, more than just as their intern.”
Liam raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
I laugh under my breath. I’ve learned my lesson, jumping to conclusions. “Yes, he’s a good guy.”
“Oh, I know. He helped with things—” he gestures, avoiding saying certain words and phrases as well, glancing at Zeke. “I think it’s a great idea. You’d make a great spy.”
I snort. “I am not going to be a spy.”
“Of course not. At least you can’t tell anyone you are,” Liam jokes, winking at me.
Thirty-Four
Harper
“I’ve got some exciting news,” Luca says as he wraps his arms around me from behind.
“Hmmm?” I ask. I can’t quite explain how tired I’ve been, maybe it’s Zeke, or it could be the fact I’m expecting.
Waking up slowly from a nap, I feel just as easily that I could drift right back to sleep and wake up in the morning.
