Page 78 of Road to Redemption

SPENCER

The teenage attendant droned on and on about the rules as I adjusted the velcro on my sensor vest — no contact, no moving furniture, no breaking shit — but I wasn’t really listening. Instead, all of my attention was devoted to Kiera and the kids, monitoring from a distance how things were going between them.

“Nervous I'm gonna kick your ass in front of the kids?” Leo nudged my shoulder. But as she followed my gaze, her expression turned serious. “Nervous about Kiera?”

“No. Well, yes— I mean…” I shook my head as I smoothed the velcro in place. “I’m sure about Kiera. It’s just nerve wracking introducing anyone to the kids.”

It was a multifaceted concern. Firstly, I wanted to make sure that the kids were okay, and I took vetting anyone I brought around them pretty seriously. It was months of living with Dom and Leo before I even mentioned them to Abi and Caleb.

But then there was the matter of how well a new person would take to the kids.

“I can’t imagine myself with anyone who adores those two any less than I do.”

“Well I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Leo smirked. “I don’t think Kiera’s stopped smiling since she met them.”

It was true — we’d been here less than an hour, and already, I could see the way her face lit up when she chatted with them. Though mostly, she was talking to Caleb.

I scoffed. “You know, you’d think that the little girl who’s been begging me to bring home a girlfriend since she was ten would take a bit more interest now that I have.”

“Girlfriend? Is that what you’re calling Kiera now?”

“I mean, not explicitly, but sort of. We haven’t talked about it, if that’s what you mean. But it has a nicer ring than ‘captive,’ no?”

“Depends on the context,” Leo smirked devilishly before shaking her head. “Sounds like I’ve gotta step up my game though. Don’t want her getting any ideas about you pulling rank on me.”

“Oh yeah, you should be super worried, Major,” I rolled my eyes before returning my gaze to Abi, who was squealing as she hung off of Dom’s bicep. “But seriously… you think the girl’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Leo smiled. “She’s just watching from a distance, sussing out the stranger. Give it a few hours, and I’m sure she’ll warm right up.”

“You’re probably right.” I nodded.

“I usually am.”

It made sense that Abi would cling to Dom and Leo — she’d known them forever. But the more she saw that Kiera was cool with us and her brother, the more cool she would feel about Kiera… I hoped.

Mostly, I was glad to see that Kiera didn’t seem to be taking it personally. Kids could be fickle, and I’m sure a lifetime of entertaining Maura’s scummy boyfriends had shown Kiera just how weird meeting a new grown-up could be.

I was proud of Caleb, too. Despite it being his special day, Caleb had really taken an interest in getting to know Kiera. He made sure to ask her real questions about herself: where she was from, what sorts of things she did for fun, how she met us.

She was purposefully opaque with some of those answers — and after having her face plastered all over the news for months, I didn’t blame her — but when it came to the safer topics, I could tell she was really willing to share, looking for common ground the two of them could bond over.

“He’s a sweet fucking kid,” Leo smiled as Caleb started talking to Kiera about the comic books he read, pulling up pictures of the art on his phone.

“I know. I can’t believe it.”

“Isn’t he supposed to turn into a grouchy little teenager at some point?”

“He’s saving that for the next time the two of us are alone. Or when I finally corner him about that engine oil.”

“God,” Leo laughed. “Its hard not to give him a pass, though. He’s really beaten the odds with Bill as a role model.”

“Fucking Bill,” I grumbled. Even hearing his name made me sick with rage. “Sometimes I think that Caleb is so sweet just to prove that motherfucker wrong.”

“Or maybe he found a better role model to look up to,” Leo nudged my shoulder.

I hoped that was true — on a good day, I let myself believe that being around me had unwired some of the bullshit toxic masculinity his father pushed — but it was hard to take credit for anything when the boy’s heart was so good.

I shook my head, hoping to blow past the compliment. “Poor Kiera’s so worried about him recognizing her. I don’t know how to break it to her that he’s still a teenage boy under all that sweetness. I doubt he’s clocked much outside of his own little bubble, let alone whatever news cable is running.”