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Dutch laughed. “Took two hours to get there. Holden spent forty minutes on the prospect period. We haven’t seen those five do the work when it’s boring and nobody’s grateful. He’s seen a club get that wrong before.”

“What changed his mind?”

“He talked himself into it. He stopped talking, looked round the table and said he’d met them. That was good enough for him.”

I put my free hand over my eyes. Holden could have held the line on principle. He hadn’t. “And Colt?”

“He wants a bit of one on one time with Robin’s VP.”

“Handful?”

“Never in doubt.”

For a second I wanted to get on my bike and ride south to thank every man at that table.

“That’s our vote,” Dutch said. “Robin’s men still have to make theirs. I don’t want you in that room either.”

I tried to put the bracket up after we hung up. The first screw went in crooked. I backed it out and checked my phone, though Robin’s men hadn’t even met yet.

At twenty past nine, headlights crossed the garage wall. Robin parked outside and came in with his jacket still on.

“Five yeses,” he said.

I put the drill on the bench.

“Dutch coming up helped,” Robin said. “They’d met the man they’d be answering to. I don’t think any of them went in planning to vote no.”

“Dutch says there’s paperwork to finish and a patching-in ceremony to arrange. But we’re in.” Robin grinned and held out his hand. “Olive branch?”

I took it, and he gripped mine hard.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s tell Wren together.”

I locked the garage and got into his truck. Wren was in the kitchen with the baby monitor beside her when we arrived. She looked from him to me.

“Both?” she asked.

“Every man. Both sides.”

She crossed the kitchen and put her arms around me. I buried my face in her hair. My hands were shaking; I hadn’t noticed until she caught one of them in hers.

She drew back far enough to look at me. “I’m glad, Seb. I wanted this for you.”

The monitor crackled. We both looked at it, but Sparrow settled without waking. Wren laughed and rested her forehead against mine.

Chapter 26

❧

— Wren —

The first week after Seb got the keys to his new house, Sparrow and I stayed four nights. The second week, six. I told myself it was easier while we were doing her room. Robin’s house was only three streets away, but Sparrow needed stability, and I was tired of packing a bag every morning.

On moving day, Nick and Dion had carried a gray couch into the front room and asked Seb where he wanted it. I’d told them to put it against the other wall, away from the lamp Sparrow would pull over as soon as she learned to stand. Seb looked at me and smiled.

There had been one room he hadn’t touched. Second on the left, away from the road. He’d run cable through the workshop and bought furniture for the rest of the house, but Sparrow’s room stood empty.

“I wanted us to do it together,” he’d said.