AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded. “Make sure he updates you on the latest.”
“Will do.” Then Lucas disappeared around the corner.
I turned my attention back to Mariah, tightening my grip on her as I lowered my head down. “Where were we?”
Her hand pushed firmly on my chest as she gave me a pointed look. “You were just about to tell me what ‘the latest’ is.”
I sighed, much preferring to lose myself in my mate, but she deserved to know. “I contacted Jaxon.”
“What? When?”
“Just now, after I met with Sebastian. I sent a text, telling him I had an idea if he was still in, but no response yet.”
Mariah tugged on my hand, leading me to the overstuffed white couches in the adjoining family room. “Where’d this come from?”
“I’m hoping he can help us secure a meeting with Rosalind, on her own, away from her family. Maybe I can convince her to drop the custody case.” I sank down on the couch, pulling Mariah down onto my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck as we settled into the soft pillows.
Her face was full of skepticism. “You really think she’d do that?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a shot.” I told her what I’d learned from Sebastian about Rosalind’s family history. “She might be acting out of fear rather than a genuine sense of loyalty. If we don’t ask, we’ll never know.”
“True,” Mariah said, but I could tell that she wasn’t convinced. “You’ll let me know, right? When Jax gets back to you?”
A flash of jealousy coursed through me at the use of his nickname. My dragon prowled possessively across my subconscious. He didn’t like it, either.
“Evan?” Mariah said. She was sitting up now. “We already talked about this. You can’t keep me in the dark.”
“Of course, I’ll let you know,” I said, running my hand up and down her back. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. I’m still not sure if we can trust him, or if he'll even get back to us.”
Mariah sighed, but she said nothing else on the matter, likely to avoid another argument.
I pulled her in close again. “How is your research going? Have you found any online programs you like?”
We’d agreed that going to school online was the best option for now, since we didn’t know how long we’d be here in Texas. It would give her something to focus on rather than waiting on an unknown timeline.
Mariah’s entire demeanor shifted, her eyes lighting up, bright with excitement. “So, I think I’ve narrowed it down to four different schools. All of them have online options, and all four have the early childhood education track that I’ve been thinking about, but they aren’t limited to just that. If I start out taking my general education classes, I could switch my major if I wanted to.”
“I thought you were pretty set on early childhood.”
Mariah nodded. “So did I, but the more I look into it, the more options I find. I always thought I’d work with kids, but I assumed it’d be younger kids, since that’s been my background. But I’m seeing so many possibilities now. I’ve been reading a lot about school counseling, and it really appeals to me. There are so many kids out there that need someone to talk to. Someone who knows where they’re coming from.”
The passion was practically bubbling out of her, her excitement palpable. “I can’t think of anyone better to fill that role.”
It was the truth. Not only did Mariah have a way with people, she genuinely cared. She wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. With her upbringing, she could relate to a lot of kids who might not have the family support they needed.
“You think so?” Her smile widened.
I bent and placed a kiss on her nose. “Absolutely. And whatever you ultimately land on, you’ll be amazing.”
Mariah snuggled in close.
“Where’s Sofia?”
“Oh. Abi and Cynthia wanted to take her out for a bit and give me some time to myself.”
I brushed my nose along her cheek. “If you ever need a break, all you have to do is ask. I don’t want you feeling like you’re the only one who can take care of Sofia. I’m here. Even if I’m working, I can step away if you need me, and apparently there are plenty of others who are more than happy to take a turn looking after her.”
Mariah nodded. “I’m learning how to do that. It’s hard. I mean, I feel like Sofia is my own child, so it’s not like I’m looking to pawn her off on someone.”
