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She sighed, then slipped a clean diaper onto Onyx and rolled up the one that probably was only an hour old. She did the onesie back up slowly, then tickled Onyx’s foot and grabbed her toes, which made her laugh and wave her fists in the air again. “Always. There’s no but when it comes to that.” She turned her gaze up to him and he hated the clouds of doubt in her eyes. Those shadows shouldn’t be there. He felt so hopeless when he knew she was thinking about this douchebag and his threats. “I just keep thinking about that deadline and what’s happening out there. The worst is not knowing. Is it horrible to wish my brothers actually find this guy so that he can be brought to justice?”
Not beaten up. Not pounded or shredded apart. Justice. She wanted this guy to be punished, but in the way the clan saw fit. Her clan and his combined. She knew that they held life sacred in their clans and that if this man truly wanted to become a better person, the clans would help.
It seemed impossible to some. Clay and Jem probably didn’t believe very strongly in mercy, but what their alpha said was law. The key was just getting this guy into that judgement before anyone could decide to become the law themselves.
“Not horrible at all.” There wasn’t a single part of him that didn’t long for her. He wanted to comfort her, though, and that didn’t involve any of the longing he’d burned with since their night in the forest.
Just standing next to her alone was a special form of torture. It made his blood hot and his stomach knotted, and all mixed up with that was the anxiety he felt rolling off of her in waves. She’d had a lifetime of worry in just the past few months. She’d endured more than anyone else should ever have to endure. He wanted to be her strength so he could have a break.
“I’ll figure out a way to keep your brothers form doing anything rash.” He’d do anything to keep that promise.
She smiled weakly at him, but even then, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. “Thank you.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. She leaned into him and closed her eyes. It looked like pure bliss, and maybe she’d longed for another moment alone as well. That touch turned into a hug. It was what she needed more than passionate, burning kisses. He would have liked to give those too, but he settled for a soft, quick stamp of his lips against hers. It was far too brief, but it was also the only thing he could do to keep himself in line. They were at her parents’ house and Onyx was on the bed right in front of them. He had a responsibility to behave like an adult and think rational thoughts with his brain, not with other less trusty parts of his anatomy. No matter how he might ache for his mate, there’d be a moment when they’d be alone again. A night or an hour, and it would be special for all the tortured minutes of waiting that they’d both endured apart.
He picked up Onyx, swaying her and bouncing her in his arms until she laughed and reached for him. He put his hand in hers and let her wrap her fingers around one of his. Her grip was strong. She was going to be as strong and as beautiful as her mama one day.
When they emerged, Clay was already gone.
Grace had the table all set up. Misty was already seated, as were Lyric and Melody, side by side. Lyric looked like she was trying to both hide and swallow her disappointment. Grace looked like she was trying to swallow her own embarrassment and disappointment as well.
“Clay fixed the sink right away. Turns out I shouldn’t be throwing leftover lunch down it. You’d think I’d know that by now, but somehow, I guess I forgot.”
“No harm done, then,” Taylee said, casting a sad look towards Lyric. Her mom’s face burned brighter.
“I see you really did set up a place for me,” Kier noted. He wasn’t the least bit excited about embarrassing himself artistically in front of everyone, but he could take one for the team.
His mate painted so beautifully that it was worth humiliating himself just to sit in her presence and watch. He was also doing this for Misty. She loved being here. The more people she met, the more people who loved her and she felt truly loved by, the better. He had no parents of his own left and he was more than happy that his daughters get to know Taylee’s and be close to them. He had no siblings. She did. So, he’d sit here and paint terribly for as many nights as he was ever asked to sit here and paint terribly. He’d do it out of love. It certainly wasn’t out of obligation.
“I can take her,” Tay’s dad offered. He opened his arms on the couch. The TV was tuned into some ancient gameshow. He had one heck of a fondness for them.
“Sure. Thanks.” Kier set Onyx in his arms. She tuned right into the TV, laughing and smiling like she knew what was going on.
It probably had more to do with the fact that Taylee’s dad kept subtly tickling her and making the silliest of faces every single time she looked up at him.
She’d be asleep in no time, and Taylee’s dad would just hold her and study her and love her. He wouldn’t tell anyone to come put her down in her bassinet. He’d just hold her all night if he could.
It made Kier’s throat burn. He would have loved for his own dad to have lived long enough to see his children. His dad would have loved to meet his granddaughters.
He thought about the stars Taylee was learning to love all over again. Before the accident, she’d talked so many times about their ancestors and loved ones being up there, about finding each other up there when they passed on. Was his dad up there, one of the many stars twinkling in the sky each night, always there, even if they couldn’t be seen?
Taylee sat down at the table, taking the spot beside Melody. That left the seat between her and Misty open for him.
“Tonight, we’re going to be building on what we’ve been working on so far with the acrylics. I know this is the first time for some of you, so I’ll break you in gently.” Grace probably would, but it wouldn’t make a difference for him. His art was always going to be terrible.
Taylee would probably insist on him bringing it home and proudly displaying it on the wall next to the paintings Misty had already made.
Maybe one day he’d be able to convince her to take it down and replace it with one of her masterpieces.
No, probably not.
For Taylee, it was always the experience that counted. The process. The journey. She’d never been about the endgame. Even before she couldn’t remember her past, she’d been into living each day on its own terms.
He picked up a brush and gave Misty ahere goes nothing, prepared to be horrifiedlook. She smiled back and picked up one of her own brushes.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’ll help you, Dad.”
Dad.She’d called him dad. Usually, she called him Kier. He never expected her to call him Dad. Even if he thought of her as a daughter and always would, he knew he wasn’t her blood father. He didn’t want to ever pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for.
