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“Brother, who wouldn’t like confetti?” Royal asked.
“True.” Baron nodded.
“What about a cuddle? That helps our Ma. We could give you a twin cuddle,” Royal offered.
“Um, that’s very sweet. But really, I’m good.”
“You sure, Brooks’ Mom?” Baron asked. “Our cuddles are magic.”
“I’m sure. I’m not actually his mom, though.”
“Aren’t you?” Royal asked. “Is she not your mom, Brooks?”
Brooks stared at her, and she gasped at the look of love on his face. She swayed and Steele fitted himself at her back, giving her strength. And holding her up.
“She is in all the ways that count,” Brooks said.
She would not cry. She was not going to cry. A small sniffle might have escaped, but she didn’t let her tears escape.
“You’re not going to cry, are you, Spitfire?” Steele asked in a low voice.
“Certainly not,” she replied huskily.
Damn it.
Do not cry. Do not.
“You see to your ma, man. We’ll wait,” Baron told him. “Stella’s planning on meeting us there. And you know she’ll want to give you a hero’s welcome.”
She saw a slash of red enter Brooks’ cheeks.
The twins headed off to get into a car.
“Brooks, honey, I’ve got to go back to work. You go with your friends. They seem nice, if a little terrifying. Are you sure they’re only teenagers?”
Brooks grinned, then grimaced as his face was obviously hurting him.
“Or maybe we should take you to the hospital to get checked out. You need to keep icing that. Actually, perhaps you need to come with me so I can check that it’s taken care of.”
“Effie,” Steele said quietly, wrapping his arm around her waist.
“Yes?”
“Let the boy go get a hero’s welcome. I bet his girl will take good care of him.”
“She’s not my girl.” Brooks glanced away shyly. “She is cute, though.”
Good. Something had happened with the last girl he’d been dating which he wouldn’t tell her about. But she knew he hadn’t been out with her again.
Hopefully, this Stella girl really was a sweetheart.
“All right then. You go off and let, uh, Stella take care of you. Just text me before you leave the diner and when you get home. Okay?”
Brooks didn’t immediately leave. Instead, he looked from her to Steele. “You going to be okay, Effie?”
“Of course, honey. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Mr. Cleary didn’t upset you?” Brooks asked.
