Page 54 of Honor ’N’ Duty

Oh boy. How many months after Laia had married his brother in a fairytale wedding had he lain awake in bed torturing himself by thinking of the two of them together?

Rather than answer Rosa’s question, he kissed her forehead. “Keep reading.”

“And the King, chuck-chuckling over the suck-success of his plan to find a bride for the Prince, went happily off to bed.”

“Just as you should do, young lady,” a voice said from the doorway.

Laia leaned against the doorjamb, her eyes glowing with a soft, gentle light that took his breath away.

“How long have you been standing there?” What he really wanted to ask was how many of Rosa’s questions she’d overheard.

“Long enough.” She came to the bed, sidestepping the open Monopoly box and the little game pieces strewn about the floor. Laia took the book from Rosa’s hands.

Long enough for what?

When Kade slipped from the mattress, she leaned down and kissed Rosa. “Say good night to Uncle Kade.”

“G’night, Uncle Kade. Can you teach me to play Monopoly tomorrow?” Rosa asked on a yawn. Looked like an afternoon at the beach had finally tuckered her out.

“Sure thing, Cream Puff.” He knelt and began packing the game back into its box.

“Isn’t she a little young for Monopoly?” Laia whispered, kneeling beside him to help.

“Josh and I used to play this game when we were kids,” he whispered back. “I think she inherited his gift for banking.” Kade’s chest tightened as he recalled those rare, quieter moments with his brother.

Smoke took that moment to yawn, too, cracking his jaws, then licking his lips before returning his snout to where it had been between his front paws. Body surfing had tuckered Smoke out, too.

“Deck and Thor are getting ready to leave.” Laia went to the bedside table and turned out the lamp.

“Mommy, can I kiss Thor g’night, too?”

“No, baby.” Laia pulled the covers higher. “Thor has to leave, and it’s time for you to go to sleep.”

“Okay.” She yawned again. “But can we go see Mima tomorrow?”

Laia shot him a questioning look.

Kade hitched his head to the hallway. “Let’s talk downstairs,” he whispered, then handed her a cell phone. “This is yours, right? Rosa was playing with it.”

“Thanks.” She laughed softly. “Only five years old, and she already wants one for her birthday.”

He’d been about to indicate Smoke should follow, but his dog had shifted positions and now lay on his side, looking thoroughly content at the foot of Rosa’s bed. Smoke seemed very protective of Rosa, and with all the threats lurking, that wasn’t a bad thing. Before they’d even left Rosa’s room, gentle snores came to his ears.

Laia looked at the book, whispering, “This was the one thing Josh always did with Rosa. Read to her. I remember when he gave her this book. He told her that it was a very special book and to keep it with her always.”

A very special book?

Kade took the book from her hands. “Josh gave this to her?”

“Yes. She couldn’t even read yet. He—” She stared at the book. “You don’t think…”

He didn’t think. He hoped.

Laia had said Josh didn’t leave her anything. But he’d given this book to Rosa.

They went out into the hallway. Kade opened the book, running his fingers along the end paper glued to the inside of the cover. No bulges that he could feel, and no sign that the paper had ever been removed and glued back down again.

He flipped to the end of the book and examined the end paper there, too. Again, no signs it had ever been tampered with, and the spine appeared to be intact. He pulled a folding knife from his pocket. “Do you mind?”