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Inwardly, I cursed Nicanor Rosca straight to hell. He had caused Gabriel to be afraid, and I couldn't have that.
“No,” I promised in a tone that would leave no room for him to question it. That one word seemed to settle him, and he relaxed against her. “Never worry about that.”
“I don't want him to hurt Mama,” he mumbled.
“He won't.”
I hated he'd had even a second of anxiety over the trouble surrounding me, knowing it would happen again.
“Okay,” Gabriel said, satisfied. “I'm glad you're here, Mr. Carlos. Will you stay every night?”
My eyes met Holly's, something passing between us. We hadn’t exactly been discreet, but I didn’t think he’d been aware I’d slept over.
“I—”
“He is,” Holly said.
My brows shot up. She hadn’t put an end on that sentence. We hadn’t had a chance to discuss she’d kissed my palm back, but I didn’t think it had been the green light to move in.
Gabriel brightened. “You mean it?”
“I mean it,” she said.
“I knew you didn't have to go. You didn't want to leave us, did you?” he asked me.
“I'm not going anywhere.” A smile lit his face and if I weren't sitting, I'd have been knocked down to my ass.
“Because you love Mama?”
“Because I love both of you.”
“Mr. Carlos?”
“Yeah, Gabriel?”
“Can you be my daddy?”
Holly gasped at the same time my heart stopped. I gripped my shins so hard I was certain it would leave imprints. “I'd like that very much.”
“I gotta go brush my teeth and get ready for you to read my story.” He zoomed out of the room like he hadn’t just turned my whole world upside down.
“You don’t have to—”
“Are you okay with that?” I asked, feeling uncertain. I wanted it more than I’d realized, but if Holly wasn’t on board, I’d have to wait until she was.
“We haven’t even figured us out yet,” she said, her mouth twisting with uncertainty.
“I belong to you both. What more is there to sort?”
“It’s twenty-four seven, Carlos. I don’t want to force that on you.” She fiddled with the hem of her jeans. “This is crazy.”
“I want him to be mine, legally.”
She stared at me as if I’d said words she’d been waiting to hear for almost six years but was afraid to believe.
“Please don’t break his heart.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” She clutched a sweater she’d yet to put in the suitcase. “Why did you say you can’t stay here?”
