Page 76 of Full Throttle

I pulled back, resting my forehead on hers. “I’m sorry, baby. I wasn’t listening. You were right.”

“I was?”

“Yes. And it’s you and me, Cherry. We’re together, and nothing is changing that, you understand?” I stood straighter, holding her cheeks. “I love you. I need you. You are my world, and we’ll figure out Josh and how we all fit together, as a family. We’ll do that together. You hear me?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Yes.”

“Then let’s go home. I need you alone so I can show you how much I love you. And I have to feed you.”

“In that order?”

“Whatever order you want, as long as we’re together.”

“Okay then, Dom. Take me home.”

“Let’s go.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dom

Ispent a month doing exactly what Halton told me to do. I didn’t argue with Roxanne. I picked Josh up on Saturdays and had him back at lunch the next day. We spent time at the garage. As a family. He helped us paint, enjoying the camaraderie of the crew as they gathered, once again helping one another. Charly and Cherry took him to choose furniture for his room, and he came back excited about having a double bed and a big dresser. They’d even bought sheets and a comforter, and he showed me the checked blue-and-black plaid, proud to tell me he’d picked it out himself. He was excited to be with us the day we got the keys and moved in, carrying in boxes with the rest of “the guys.” Sitting and eating pizza afterward. Joking and laughing. Stefano let him have a sip of beer, and the comical face he made when he tasted it had everyone laughing. He decided to stick with soda.

Unable to sleep, I wandered the new house. Cherry was down for the count, exhausted. We had bought new furniture since neither of us had any, and the beds and sofa had been delivered. Mary gave us an extra table and chairs, so we had a place to eat. Chase and Hannah brought over all of Cherry’s boxes, and she had put them in an empty room to unpack as we settled in. I checked on her, smiling at how right it looked to see her in our new room. Even devoid of much furniture aside from the bed, it looked like home, because she was there. I peeked in on Josh, surprised to find him awake. He was normally out fast, but he was propped up against his new headboard, the small lamp on his nightstand casting a glow in the room.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Can I ask you something, Dom?”

I stepped into his room and sat on the bed. “Anything.”

He fiddled with his comforter, looking upset.

“What is it?”

“I keep remembering things. Like the swing. Did we go to the beach once?”

“A few times. You loved the water. I used to have to drag you out of it to eat a sandwich.” I laughed as a memory hit me. “Once, I gave up, and we sat in the water, eating your favorite—peanut butter and banana sandwiches—and you dropped it into the water and plucked it out and ate it anyway, sand and all, before I could stop you. Your mother gave me shit about that for days,” I said with a chuckle. “I put the umbrella over you, and you played in the water for hours with your trucks and pail. Ate your snacks there, everything. You cried so hard when it was time to go.”

“We never go to the beach now,” he said.

“We can. Summer is coming.”

“You have a meeting with Mom and the judge next week. She told me.”

I met his gaze. “I’m asking for more time with you, Josh. If you want that.”

I explained Halton’s idea and let him think about it. “If every weekend is too much, I understand. I know you must miss spending time with your friends⁠—”

He interrupted me. “Not really. I see them at school, and Mom isn’t big on having them over. I told you that before. I like coming here.” He paused. “I like Cherry.”

“She is pretty awesome.”

He played with his comforter again. “I like you too,” he said softly.

“Good. I like you a lot, Josh. I know you’re not ready to hear that I love you, but you’re my son, and I do.”

For a moment, there was silence. “Did you really try to find me? You didn’t forget about me the way Mom said?”