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“I know. Then I have a surprise for my girls.”
I’d never grow old of hearing the two words—my girls. In the month since the wretched incident, we’d worked side by side doing everything we could to boost the business. I hadn’t anticipated the creative mind he’d hidden behind the big lug of his, his ideas swirling together with mine creating excitement with the designers. After securing several smaller contracts, we’d bid on four different national accounts, and we’d hear the decision from two of them later today. Getting even one of them would generate more income than when representing the two resorts, although three others had made contact in the last week alone.
Perhaps we were sitting on a goldmine after all.
“You too, huh?” I purred, pushing away from him.
“You should know better than to keep secrets from me.”
“A girl must have her secrets.” I laughed as I headed down the hallway to grab my purse, taking ten seconds to stare into the dresser mirror. As I smiled, my entire face lit up. My father was doing well, the biopsy just a scare, but it had convinced him to take better care of himself. Or so he’d told me. He’d also threatened a visit in the coming weeks. I could only imagine how the two Army men would sit for hours recapping stories.
Then I grabbed the envelope I’d hidden for two weeks, waiting for the right time. I wasn’t certain if this was it, but I couldn’t hold onto it any longer. I shoved it into my purse, taking several deep breaths before leaving the bedroom.
Lily was already waiting by the front door. “Do we have to leave Princess here?”
“I think it’s best, sweetheart, but we won’t be gone for long,” I told her.
“Not true. Princess is definitely coming with us.” Savage smirked as he walked past me and out the front door. What did the man have up his sleeve?
“Oops. Almost forgot something. I’ll be right there.” I walked into the kitchen, moving toward the refrigerator. We’d gone to the park the day before, a location where the caretakers had cultivated dozens of different flowers and trees. While it had been against the rules, I’d allowed her to pick several of the flowers, placing them in water as soon as we’d gotten home, protecting them in the fridge overnight. As I brought them to my nose, I closed my eyes.
With every end there was a beginning, tragedies sometimes birthing joy. There would always be sadness surrounding the circumstances that brought Savage and me together, but I would never allow the past to haunt the future.
Once settled in the truck, I leaned over, daring to slide my hand across his thigh. The look he gave me could light up an entire night sky in Vegas, shoving aside the neon lights. I shuddered thinking about what the night would bring.
While Savage and I remained silent, Lily and Princess provided the entertainment, their sounds of sheer happiness filling my heart.
I could finally admit to myself that I’d always wanted a family.
Savage drove into the parking lot, taking a deep breath before cutting off the engine. He squeezed my hand, giving me a slight nod. I knew this had to be difficult for him, but after discussing it, we both knew this was the best thing for Lily.
As we climbed outside, I noticed Savage staring up at the sky. I had a feeling he was asking for assistance in dealing with this moment. We both took Lily’s hand, leading her onto a pathway, Savage holding onto Princess’s leash as if terrified the pup would run away.
I was surprised that Lily hadn’t asked any questions, but the little girl was smart as a whip. She knew where we were going and likely why. I prayed she’d finally let her emotions seep through the armor she’d placed around herself. In our minds, this was the only way she would begin to heal.
Savage found the right location first and I could see by the look on his face that he was doing everything in his power to stay emotionless. He turned to face Lily, crouching onto the ground in front of her.
My grip on the flowers was so firm my knuckles were white. I had to look away to keep from bursting into tears, but what he said to the sweet little girl with the heart of an angel was something I’d never forget.
“Honey. Do you know where we are?” he asked.
“Uh-huh,” she answered.
“Can you tell me?”
“At a graveyard.”
“That’s right,” he said oh-so quietly.
“Is this where Mommy and Daddy live?”
I pressed my hand against my mouth, doing everything I could to remain silent as tears slipped down my face.
“Remember what Penny told you. Mommy and Daddy will forever live in your heart. This is just a place we can come any time if you want to. The stones are just a symbol of who they were and how much they loved you.” Savage took a deep breath. “Why don’t you take them the flowers you brought? I think they’d love that.”
“Is it really o-tay?”
Oh, God. I wasn’t certain I could go through with this.
