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“Jesus, woman.” Dodge chuckled. “Take a breath.”
Her glare was back and aimed at her man. “Don’t you “woman” me, Trey. You obviously know. I don’t understand why I couldn’t know. I wouldn’t have been such a pain about you moving if I knew—”
Both Dodge and I raised our brows at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, I wouldn’t have been as bad as I have been. I still would have tried to stop it because you’re one of our babies.”
It really did suck that Dodge and Low couldn’t have kids. They’d told us enough times we were enough for them, but they would have been fucking brilliant parents to their own like they were with Rommy and me after we moved in with Dodge when his sister, our mum, died.
“Low, I told you already today. Love you. You’ve been the best mum to Rommy and me.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She swiped at them and scowled. She hated showing emotions.
“And havin’ grown up around you and your girlfriends, I knew if I’d told you, the rest of your girls would know in seconds.” I couldn’t risk anything getting back to Maya. She wasn’t ready for what I saw us as.
She scoffed. “I know how to keep secrets.”
“Little bird” was all Dodge said.
“Sometimes,” she added with another glare at Dodge. “Do you really not want me to know?”
I rubbed a hand over my beard. “Can you wait just a little longer?”
She sighed. “Fine. Even though I’ve already guessed, but I was waiting for you to admit it. I suppose I’ll just wait until you and Maya are datin’.”
“How…?”
She grinned, but it vanished all too quickly. “You were wrecked when Maya nearly died. I was at the hospital, Texas. I felt and saw your pain. A man who wasn’t half in love with someone wouldn’t have reacted that way. I get why you didn’t tell me. Us bitches talk. We really do.”
Did that mean she’d already talked with her girls about this? Was that why Zara had come up to me outside the hospital? I’d always wondered. I’d just never approached her about it. Low’s next words brought me out of my thoughts.
“But I also know you gotta go slow with that girl. She is something special, and even though you’re my own kid, I will fuck you up if you hurt her. She’s been through enough. And shit, she’s been into you since she was sixteen. Ever since then, I witnessed her hurt when you had other women on your arm.”
I went to explain that I hadn’t seen what was in front of me, but her hand resting on my arm shut me up.
“Boy, I didn’t say anything back then because I knew you had to sort your own life out and that eventually you’d wake up to see what was in front of you.”
Clenching my jaw, I nodded. I didn’t know what to say. I felt like my gut had been kicked for not trusting Low with this.
She patted my hand. “I’m not mad you didn’t tell me, so don’t stress about it. I haven’t said anything about my suspicions, which were right,” she said pointedly, “to anyone, and I won’t. I just wanted you to know that I’m in your corner, and I hope Maya will see what an awesome man you’ve grown into.”
My throat thickened. “Thanks, Low.”
She waved me off. “Still, you can come home anytime you want.”
Smiling, I hugged her close. I was damn lucky to have them in my life.
CHAPTERTEN
MAYA
Dad wasn’t talking to me.
A couple of days ago, after a visit from Swan, who was more like a sister to me than a friend, I’d gone to my parents and announced I was taking a trip to get away from everything.
They were shocked, since I’d never hinted at wanting to travel to begin with, but Swan had mentioned that since she was turning eighteen in a couple of days, she’d been considering getting away from the cold winter to some sunny days overseas. When she’d mentioned she was going to beg her parents to go with her, I’d blurted that I was interested in a trip.
Dad flat-out refused to let me go and stormed from the room. Mum had laid her hand on my arm and told me she’d talk to him. Unlike Dad, she believed a couple of weeks away could do me good, but we may need to reconsider going overseas to somewhere sunny in Australia, like Queensland, for Dad to agree. Though, it wasn’t like I actuallyneededhis permission, since I was twenty-one, but Iwantedit out of respect for the way he protected his family. In a way, Dad was like a mafia boss in how it would make my life easier if I got his permission to begin with. I also didn’t want him to worry after everything we’d all been through.
