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“Deal,” Lio said.
He set the tool down and searched the basket for the freshly washed fitted sheets. “I hope Alex likes his surprise.”
When picking out the new furniture for Alex’s room, we decided to go with two twin beds so he could invite Eric to stay with him whenever he wanted. His best friend was like the rest of us and didn’t want to let Alex out of his sight. Alyssa and Russ would park their big camper out back, and the boys would bunk with us. We just needed to put the finishing touches on Alex’s bedroom. I hoped it wasn’t too soon. I’d had a hard enough time entering the cabin for the first time the previous day, and I was a battle-hardened soldier. Alex was a sweet, innocent kid, who’d gotten caught up in the mess I made.
A pillow hit me in the face, jerking me out of my thoughts. I caught it and stared at Lio in disbelief.
“You just going to stand there while I do all the work?” he asked, gesturing to the bed he’d made while I’d been staring into space. “You asked me to help make the beds.”
I smiled at him. “Sorry. My thoughts drifted off.”
He quirked a brow. “Someplace good I hope.”
I wanted to assure Lio I was fine, but he deserved the truth. I shook my head and said, “I wish.”
Lio pulled the sheet from my hand and dropped it on the naked bed. He cupped my face and kissed my lips. “This isn’t your fault, baby.” Lio, Alyssa, Russ, and Alex had been telling me that since the night it all went down, and Ronelle had given me some tough love during our session. I hoped one day I would believe them. “Don’t let Jeremy drive a wedge between us. He’s taken enough already, Abe. Don’t let him win.”
I slid my arms around Lio’s waist and held him tightly. His warmth seeped into my skin, chasing away the ever-present chill. Lio nipped my neck and slid his hands down to cup my ass. “I love you, Lio. Never doubt it.”
He pulled back and stared into my eyes. “I love you too. We’re going to get through this—all of us—as a family.”
He was right. I didn’t just have Lio in my life. I had Alyssa, Russ, and Alex, and they were my family. I captured his lips in a hard kiss as the sound of crunching gravel reached my ears. “I think they’re here.”
“You finish this while I distract the boys.” After a quick kiss, Lio disappeared from the room.
It didn’t take me long to make the second bed and stow the laundry basket in the closet.
The boys were out back sniffing around the smoker with Russ while Alyssa and Lio chatted in the kitchen.
“Eads turned state’s witness, and based on his testimony, I expect there to be criminal charges brought against Savant,” Alyssa said.
“I really thought Eads would recant his unsolicited statement,” Lio said. He cocked his head to the side. “I thought most prosecutors have immunity.”
“From civil lawsuits,” I replied as I stepped into the room. “His corruption can’t be ignored. If criminal charges won’t stick, there’s an excellent chance of getting him disbarred.” I slid my arms around Lio’s waist and whispered, “What happened to the no-shop-talk policy?”
“Oops.”
The boys bounded in through the back door and greeted me enthusiastically. I released Lio to ruffle their hair, then we showed them the revamped room. All of us trained our eyes on Alex, looking for any sign of trauma. He was tense at first until he couldn’t recognize a single thing in the room.
“Cool!” Eric yelled. “I get my own bed.”
“Yep,” Lio said. “We wanted you to be comfy here too.”
Alex took in the small flat screen and gaming system we set up. He looked at Abe, then me. “Thank you so much. I love it.”
“Thank your mom and Russ too,” Lio said. “We all chipped in to make this happen. We want this to be a happy place for all of us.”
Alex hugged everyone, and I could see he was on the verge of tears when he wrapped his arms around my waist. For once my tendency to clown away people’s sorrow and hurt didn’t rise to the forefront. I lowered my head and said, “We’ll always have your back.”
“I know,” came his muffled reply against my shirt. Alex pulled back and wiped his eyes. “Well, I guess it was my turn to make things awkward instead of Dad.”
We shared a laugh and rejoined Russ in the backyard near my smoker, where I’d been cooking ribs and brisket for hours.
“My mouth is watering,” Russ said. “I can’t wait to try Abe’s legendary brisket and ribs.”
“Prepare to be wrecked,” Lio said proudly.
I bit back a chuckle, then leaned closer when no one was looking. “Hey,” I whispered, “that’s my line.”
