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Everleigh finished the last bite of her pancake, holding out the plate to me. “Why is he so worried? Is there something going on that you’re not telling me?”
I took a pancake and ate it without utensils or maple syrup. They were delicious, and I was starving.
Thea pushed a plate my way. “Caveman,” she mumbled. “And wemayhave had a few incidents thatmayhave been dangerous. But it’s all under control.”
“What incidents?” Everleigh’s voice was low, and we all knew she was about to yell.
Thea waved her off, looking sheepish. “Just a teeny-tiny explosion on one of his yachts. And someone shot at me a few weeks ago.”
“And I’m only hearing about thisnow?” Everleigh shrieked.
“As I said, it’s all under control. Nobody can get past our security system thanks to Locked Security. Well, except your boyfriend and his friend.” She tilted her head at Everleigh. “Which reminds me, what are you going to do about Archer? Are you going to tell them about the call?”
Clearly having missed something, I looked at Everleigh with raised brows. She held up her hands, face flushed. “I would have told you, but there hasn’t been time yet. Archer called last night. He’s in trouble. But he wouldn’t tell me where he was or who he was running from.”
I closed the two steps separating us and pulled her to my chest with one arm, the other still holding Sofie, who surprisingly hadn’t gotten bored yet.
She rested her head on my shoulder. “He sounded like he wanted to do this on his own. But I need to help him.”
Not only would we get Gunner involved, but I’d reach out to some of my contacts and do a little digging.
I nodded against her hair. “I’ll talk to Gunner. We’ll find your brother.”
She looked up, all her attention focused on me. “I know you will.”
Her unwavering trust in me made warmth unfurl in my chest and I was wondering how I got so lucky.
Taking a deep breath, she changed the topic. “Now tell me about your trip. Did you find out where the money went?
I kissed her lips. “I found out I have an aunt and cousin in Oregon. And Mariana is my mother’s cousin.”
Everleigh’s face lit up. “That’s amazing. Are you going to visit them again?”
“I am. I was thinking you and Sofie could come with me.”
“We’d love to.”
We spent the rest of the day hanging out with Thea and making plans about how to help Archer. I called Carter, who promised to make it a priority, and reached out to some of my contacts.
And when we returned home, exhausted from swimming in Thea’s Olympic-sized pool and being in the sun all day, I couldn’t wait for more days like today.
Epilogue
Lucius
One yearlater
“Do you have clients today?”
Everleigh stretched her delectable body against mine, the sheet sliding down, revealing more of her creamy skin. Her tank top had ridden up, as it seemed to do every night, and I drank in the sight.
I pulled her on top of me, and she buried her head in my neck. I traced lazy circles on her back. “Not today. But I was thinking we could take the boat out, just the three of us.”
Who would have thought I’d own a charter fishing company one day? And that my one employee would be Santino? But we’d both taken to it quickly, already familiar around boats and loving being outside.
The last year had been an adjustment for all of us, but my girls had taken it in stride. Sofie loved her new school and had already made friends. And Everleigh had started back at her old job. They’d have been stupid not to let her—but I was slightly biased, of course.
She was also doing consulting work on the side and was doing my company’s books.
