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He’d spent our childhood barefoot more often than not.
I stand to join them, and Cade’s gaze meets mine. When he sees my focus, he flashes his white teeth, and I can’t fail to mirror him.
I pop a brow pointedly when I feed him his words from this morning. “Some things never change.”
“Touché, Bambi. Touché.”
“Hey, Bella Baby!”
My smile freezes on my face, and my heart stutters when I hear the voice of the man who took me into his home after my parents had died. The man who had taught me how to swim, an act that ultimately saved my life but cost him a son.
Sensing my train of thought, Caden slides his hand down along my arm, slipping his warm fingers into my fist. He leans closer as they descend on us and whispers softly.
“I’ve got you, Bam.I’ve got you.”
My vision swims with my almost overwhelming emotions when Cade steps to one side, allowing the two newcomers to move into my line of sight.
Sutton North, the drummer for Jupiter’s Fallen and my father’s former employer. By his side, as always, stands his wife, Clarisse. My old guardians, who I’d left without a word.
My dad had spoken so fondly of how he’d grown up with Sutton. He’d loved telling stories of their boyhood and enjoyed the time spent in his old friend’s company. Despite owning his own driving firm with over two dozen employees, he’dalwaysmade time to drive Sutton himself when he was in the city.
It was that friendship and trust that had compelled my parents to name the Norths as my wards, never expecting to need to utilise that favour. However, the universe had other plans.
“Summer?”
Clary’s feminine lilt finds my ears as her sky-blue eyes—eyes identical to the person I love most—meet mine. Hers are brimming with tears, as are my own, and suddenly one—or both—of us move so that I am enfolded in her warm embrace.
Sobs wrack my entire frame when I feel another pair of arms encircle me from beside Clary.
“You’re home, Summer. Welcome home.”
Sutton’s low voice in my ear makes my knees feel as though they might just go from underneath me if it weren’t for Clary’s strength keeping me upright. The three of us embrace for an age, and it isn’t until the silence surrounding us fills my ears that we draw back.
Every single person—the Misdirection band members, all the backstage crew and volunteer staff from the charity, and every other bystander—has stopped in their tracks. Dozens of eyes are fixed on us, but the only ones I have eyes for are Caden, whose own eyes are glistening with tears, and Bella, who looks slightly confused.
She propels herself forward, wrapping her arms around my legs and squeezing tight. “That’smySummer-hero. Get your own, Mimi and Pop!”
Sutton and Caden throw their heads back in a move that looks timed to shout their laughter skyward, and just like that, everyone returns to what they’d been previously doing. The surrounding hustle and bustle soon buzz around us, allowing me to take in these two people I have dearly missed.
“Summer dear, I can’t quite believe my eyes.” Clary speaks first, her voice hoarse with emotion. I swallow around the lump in my throat as unadulterated affection warms my chest, and I struggle to find an appropriate response, but Caden steps in, ever my saviour.
“You can catch up later, Mum. It’s almost time to kick things off, and you two still have to get to your seats.”
She shoos her son away. “Oh, pish posh, Caden. We’ll sit here by our girls.”
However, Sutton, ever the observant one, hooks his hand through the crook of his wife’s arm and gently tugs. “Come on, Clare-Bear. We can catch up soon.”
His wife looks about to object until her face lights up with a bright smile. “What an excellent idea, Sut.” Her eyes shift to her son’s. “Family dinner tomorrow afternoon before you go back to Cambridge, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
She raises a brow pointedly when Cade opens his mouth, an objection clearly on the tip of his tongue. He closes his lips, pressing them together when he catches sight of her expression before nodding quickly. “Of course, Mum. Wouldn’t miss it.”
The corner of her mouth twitches before she nods and grasps my hands in hers. “See you tomorrow, lovely.”
She squeezes my hands, letting go to press a kiss atop Bella’s head before allowing a grinning Sutton to lead her in the direction of their seats.
“She still wears the pants, I see.”
I side-eye Cade with a wry grin as he rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “Any man worth his salt knows his womanalwayswears the damn pants, Bam.”
