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I stared at her, taking in the sadness and worry on her face. It fucking broke my heart. I’d seen it on her face after I’d tried to kill myself—and so many years after when shit got hard in my life. I hated being the fucking cause of her pain. I hated making her worry.
“I can’t tell you, Mom,” I reiterated one more time. I couldn’t do that to Genevieve.
“Okay, Killian. When you’re ready, I’m here.” Mom nodded, her lips pressed together tightly as she let it go. I knew better. She wouldn’t let this go so easy.
Chapter 42
Killian
Why is your fiancé running after the school bus?” I asked, my head tilting to the side as I stared out the diner window. Declan sat across from me, his gaze following mine to where Raven ran down Main Street after the school bus. One hand held down her skirt while the other frantically waved it down.
“Hell if I know,” Declan muttered into his glass, a smile tugging the corner of his lips.
“And… now your mom is running down the street,” Cade commented with a laugh. Sure enough, Mom hurried down the street after them. The two women had the exact same enthusiasm, which was both impressive and fucking terrifying.
“What the fuck are they doing?” I demanded. I watched as Mom caught up with Raven while the bus stopped. There was laughing, a paper bag involved, and kisses blown to the bus as it drove away once more. “Was all that because some kid forgot their fucking lunch?”
“Looks like it,” Declan said.
“You’re going to have your hands full with those two when you have kids,” I told him.
“I’m aware.” He grinned. Smitten little fucker. Mom would lose her shit when they started popping out kids. Knowing how they fucking went at it, they’d have enough kids to start a football team.
“Weren’t we doing breakfast with them?” I grabbed the bowl of creamers and took my time dumping three Irish creams into it. Just watching Declan drink his coffee black had me cringing. Fucking caveman.
“You’ll get used to this.” Cade laughed. “It’s like this every time with them.”
The front door to the diner flew open, banging off the outside wall, bouncing right back, and almost taking Raven out with it. Declan covered his mouth, hiding a smile as she made a very loud apology to everyone and anyone. No one was fazed. I had a feeling Hurricane Raven was a regular occurrence everywhere she went.
“Oh, good Lord!” Raven let out an exasperated breath. She dropped into the seat next to Declan. “You’d think with how much kids eat that they’d remember to bring their food with them!”
“I think after a certain age kids just become ravenous scavengers,” I commented.
“They do!” She slammed her hands on the table. “Do you know how many times I’ve chased that boy—”
“Which boy?” Cade interjected.
“Any of them at this point,” she retorted, waving him off. “The point is! I have become the crazy mom who chases down the bus, and I don’t even have kids!”
“You have… what is it? Fourteen kids now?” Declan chuckled. “You’re a second mom to any of the kids at that care center.”
I cocked a brow. What care center?
“Oh.” She smiled happily. “I have fourteen kids. We should have fourteen more.”
Declan choked on his coffee while I snorted into mine and Cade laughed.
“We agreed on three!” Declan replied, his voice hoarse.
“Oh, it’s just a number,” Raven said.
“It’s a very important number!”
“Yeah, it’s just a number, Dec,” I teased, earning a glare from him. I wasn’t helping, but I wasn’t fucking trying either. I liked Hurricane Raven. I also liked helping Hurricane Raven do her thing.
“Where’d Mom go?” Declan asked, changing the conversation.
“She said she needed to run something past Nolan real quick. She’s going to lock up the care center for me, and then she’ll be here,” Raven replied. “She said we could order without her.”
