Page 24 of Her Courage

I'd believe that when pigs flew, but I wasn't about to say it out loud. We loved Lottie's sass, and wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

We loved her, yes, but we also knew she was a brat and wouldn't ever be fully good.

But I knew we all loved it that way.

"Come back and snuggle with me, little girl." I patted the couch beside me. "You need to finish a few more bites before we watch TV."

She nodded, hopping off Andrei's lap and moving to the spot next to me. "We need to watch the episode of Hell's Kitchen we missed."

She got straight to the point, saying exactly what she knew was going to happen.

"I dunno," I tapped my finger against my chin. "Have you been a good enough girl today to warrant the reward?"

Lottie's lips parted and her braids bounced as she shook her head. "I've been good all day."

I gathered her into my arms and pressed my lips to the top of her head. I inhaled the fresh scent of her shampoo, taking it deep into my lungs. "Daddy is messing with you. Of course we'll watch the episode we missed."

"Good." She wriggled until her head rested against my chest, but she retained her view of the TV.

So much for a few more bites of food. I wasn't going to move her now that she'd gotten comfy. She felt too good against me to bother with that. She ate most of her plate, and that was all I could ask for.

Kaleb gave me a knowing smirk as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

Chapter Seventeen

KALEB

The weekend was over much too quickly. In the morning, we would pack up our stuff and head back to Portland.

Back to reality.

Back to the possibility of my mother seeking to destroy my life.

I laid on my back, the sheet pooled around my waist, and pinched the bridge of my nose. Why did shit have to be so difficult? Hadn't we gone through enough between David and the shit with Viktor?

I knew our relationship was solid—at least I think it was—but that didn't stop the worry that Lottie could wise up at any minute and take off.

With her skill set, she could find another job in a heartbeat.

I turned my head and gazed down at her. She lay on her side, one arm up under the pillow and the other curled under her chin. Andrei crowded her from behind and I was on her opposite side.

Colby stayed up late to work on some finishing touches to his research project for the college, so he slept on the pullout sofa bed. His soft snores filled the air, and I was thankful he hadn't stayed up too long.

I glanced at my watch, the numbers reading 3:37 am. At this point, there was little reason for me to stay in bed. I'd never fall back asleep, and it was laughable if I even thought that.

Maybe going for a run after checking some emails would do me a world of good.

Two hours later, I climbed the stairs to the back deck and lifted the bottle of water to my lips. After drinking deeply, I worked on regulating my breathing.

It was barely six am, and the first rays of sunlight were peaking over the horizon. The pink and purple hues reflected off the ocean, and I stood transfixed by the beauty.

“There’s fresh coffee in the kitchen.”

The voice drew me out of my musings, and I turned to see Lottie curled in one of the deck chairs with a steaming mug clasped between her hands.

She smiled softly. “When I woke up and you were gone, I figured you’d gone for a run.”

I crossed the deck and sank down onto the chair next to her. “The sunrise is beautiful, isn’t it?” I asked absently.