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I watch in silence as they both chat and laugh over their food. Beth gives me one of her rare, signature smiles—a sight so precious, I want to capture it and hide it from the rest of the world. She dips her chin, conveying her thanks without uttering a word.
I shake my head.
Anytime.
Minutes later, we hear tiny feet pound downstairs and into the kitchen, a mop of crazy blonde curls falling around her face.
“Hello, sleepy head,” Beth smiles, standing to greet her daughter, but the little traitor passes her and goes straight to me.
Beth crosses her arms, blinking rapidly. “Do I need to buy loyalty around here?”
“Hi, Loggie,” Isabel says sleepily, her arms already outstretched for me to pick her up. When I do, she nuzzles her head into my neck, taking her time to fully wake.
“Hey, Isabelly.”
Laughing in disbelief, Beth returns to her seat.
As we gather around the island and binge on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I remind myself of the promise I made to Hannah, a vow I made to myself: to protect these beautiful girls and their mother. The woman who began clawing her way into the depths of my soul ten years ago and remained there, waiting to take full bloom, to consume me.
Right here, in the kitchen, I silently make a vow.
I will burn down the world before I let one of them get hurt.
Twenty-Eight
Beth
“Istill can’t believe you live next door to Logan King.” Kim empties her bottle of beer, her eyes volleying back and forth like she’s watching a tennis match as Logan sits on the chair with a sleeping Isabel on his chest. “I mean, look at him.”
I stare at her with amusement as she sits back on her chair and sighs. “I am.”
“Fuck,” she groans.
“You’re squirming, Kim.”
She eyes me, her gaze falling to my lap. “Please. As if you’re not. Get used to rubbing those thighs together.”
A laugh burst out of me. “You’re disgusting.”
“I mean, he did this.” Without shame, she pulls her sweater to below her breasts, displaying the ink he gave her all those years ago. Everyone is too busy playing soccer with Hannah to notice my sister exposing herself. “And his family? I want them to adopt me. You fit right in here. They obviously adore the girls, and don’t get me started on Molly and Eden. Those two are my type of people.”
She’s right. They’ve made me feel nothing but welcome.
Kim arrived this morning to stay for the weekend and they’ve taken her in too. Cora and Skip insisted she come up to the house for a barbeque so everyone could meet her. I’m not surprised she slipped right in amongst everyone. That’s just what they do. It’s in their nature.
“Another beer, kid?” Skip nudges Kim and hands her a Bud Light before taking the empty.
She looks over at me, her eyes wide. She’s falling in love with this family.
She smiles up at him and takes the beer. “I think I might love you, Skip.”
Case in point.
He chuckles. “Well, you’re welcome here anytime, darlin’. We want to keep this one around.” He dips his chin toward me, and my chest fills with emotion.
When he walks away, Kim leans back in her chair. “Jesus, I love it here.”
The sun is setting beyond the trees. Laughter filters from all corners as the smell of barbeque lingers in the air.
