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“Why?”
Gunner leaned in closer to her. “You have a family, Rocket Girl. People who love and care about you. None of us can have too much love in our lives.” He rested his hand on her belly. “And this little one will have two grandmothers, three aunts, and lots of honorary uncles in his or her life. That isn’t a bad thing.”
Zary nodded. What he said was true, but something inside of her was having a hard time trusting it was real, and if it was, that it would last.
“Can I come along?” Odette asked. “I still have a few things to pick up.”
“I guess so.” Would that be okay with Ava
? She had no idea.
Odette smiled. “I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“Give me a kiss before you leave,” said Gunner.
“And that will be my cue to wait for you upstairs.”
Gunner gave her a chaste kiss, and then cupped her face with his hand. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Zary bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know what to give you for Christmas. Am I supposed to get gifts for other people too?” She felt herself getting emotional and did her best to tamp it down.
“I’m sure between Ava, Aine, and my sister, they’ll help you figure it out. What else is on your mind?”
“Why do you think there’s anything else?”
Gunner gazed into her eyes. “Because I know you.”
Zary sighed. There was no point in lying. “There are two things.”
Gunner moved his hands to her shoulders and squeezed. “Just tell me.”
“Topor.”
—:—
“Ah, yes. Your uncle.”
Zary’s mother had hoped her half-brother would be able to join them for the Thanksgiving holiday. He’d said he’d come the day after, but he hadn’t shown up. Now he was promising to come to the island, where they were celebrating Christmas.
“Are you worried he will show up, or won’t?”
“Both.”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
Gunner smiled. “You don’t want your mother to be disappointed again, but you aren’t certain how comfortable you’ll feel with a man who first abducted you, and then made you believe he hated you by the way he treated you.”
“I don’t like that he’s coming to the island.”
“You don’t trust him.”
She shook her head. “Not at all.”
“What’s the second thing?”
“I got a call earlier.”
