I think of Skyla and all her hardships. Of myself. OfGage.
“I’m not sure it would be the best. Anyhow, I had a lousy brainstorm one day and thought that perhaps Skyla should pretend to date Gage to throw off the Counts. I thought at least that way we could still be together once we werealone.”
“No!” She tosses down her cards in horror. “You drove her right into his arms, didn’tyou?”
“Something like that.” A pang of embarrassment rips through me. Even innocent Casey can see it was a ridiculous idea. “Skyla and I never really got back on track. And then I died. Candace allowed me to live in a mini Treble, much like the one I’m in. I managed to snatch Skyla back for a bit.” I give a slywink.
Casey claps up a storm. “A happy ending of sorts. But wait—you were dead! That’sterrible.”
“It wasn’t so bad. Skyla and I married and had a brief yet beautiful honeymoon. And just before I was called back to paradise, I charged Gage with taking care of and loving Skyla the way that I would have. And he’s done so ever since.” I land my cards on top of hers, declaring our paper warover.
“And what about Gage?” She scoops the cards up with her fingers, slow to look at me. “Has he charged you with thesame?”
“Yes. Last year. But I won’t take him up on it. I’m fighting for their family to stay whole until they’re both old and ragged and the boys are old and ragged, too.” I’d wink, but I’m not being cheeky. This is my greatest wish. “But I’ll let you in on a little secret”—I lean in, and she does the same—“I’m still very much in love withSkyla.”
Casey leans back, her gaze still set over mine with a look on her face that says she’s about to trump me, only we’re not playing cards anymore. “I’ve got a little secret myself.” A spurt of giggles escapes her. “I know you, Logan. I know you from paradise—the version that has run the race and completed his mission in life.” Her affect sharpens, and suddenly she seems far older than the innocent girl I’ve pegged her to be. “I’ll give you a little hint of your future with Skyla, but then I’m sending you back to Paragon. I’m gettingtired.”
I open my mouth to protest, but my vocal cords don’t dare give asound.
“Angel happens, Logan. You don’t get to keep her, but she comes back to you just the way she’s supposed to.” Her features contort in pain, and she looks as if she’s about to wail with tears. “Maybe.” She gives me a solid shove off the side of the bed, and I keep falling—all the way toParagon.
Skyla and Ihappen.
Maybe.
I don’t like the sound ofit.
Skyla and I areover.
We’ve alreadyhappened.
* * *
On Tuesday,I offer to take Angel for the night to give poor Skyla a break. I don’t dare visit Casey that night. In fact, I don’t dare dream, sleep, or wink a second too long. Instead, I watch my baby girl sleep, watch as her chest rises and falls, memorize the steady pattern of her breathing. But eventually, I succumb to what amounts to a short nap. In the morning, try as I might to beat Angel to the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed punch, I find her laughing and bouncing in one of the cribs I’ve set up in my bedroom. The original two were for the boys, but I went out and bought another so the collection grew to three once Angel arrived. They remind me of those old-fashioned circus cages you would see animals displayed in. But the only little animal around here is Angel, a jovial laughing baby koala that wants nothing more than to snuggle up with her dad—me.
I make breakfast, feed her the organic fare Skyla left me with last night, and give her a bottle, which she quickly catches on how to use, and we find a comfy spot on the couch and lose the rest of the morning watchingcartoons.
This is the life. While Angel studies the screen, I study her. I’m mesmerized by her blonde curls that look as if they’re made of spun gold. I study how intently she focuses in on the television, laughing and clapping intermittently as the show commands it. Her eyes are a unique pale shade of turquoise with amber flecks—Skyla’s eyes married with mine. I see Skyla there in her face, in the way she lights up with her whole body when something makes her giddy with excitement. I hold out my hand, and she slaps me five over and over again while kicking the shit out of me with those precious chunkylegs.
“You’re a real princess, you know that?” I press a kiss to her cheek. “Just like yourmom.”
A knock comes from the door, and her whole body stretches in that direction. “MaMa!”
“Let’s see.” I scoop her up and fly her like an airplane to the door. Only when we swing it open, it’s not Skyla we see. It’sLex.
“Hey, good-looking.” Lex gives my cheek a pinch as she makes her way past me. “You and the kid ready for your close-up?”
“Ready and willing.” I’m not entirely thrilled with the way Lex didn’t even bother to say hello to Angel. I get it. She’s a baby, but she’s a person, my person. You’d think if Lex really wanted to cement herself in my life she’d at least make half the effort. Not that I’m looking for Lex to do any cementing. I’m just saying her strategy isoff.
“Okay.” Lex looks around with her fists planted on her hips. “Here.” She whips a white furry blanket off the couch—the exact white furry blanket she purchased when I gave her a blank check and told her to decorate the place—and lands it on the floor. “Take off your shirt and take off all of her clothes, too. We’ll do a few nudes of her on your chest before Skyla getshere.”
“What? There’s no way I’m doing nudes with mydaughter.”
“Are you kidding?” She snorts while evicting her camera from its leather case. “It’s all the rage. I promise it’ll becute.”
The doorbell rings just as my stomach acids hit a boiling point. Lex generally knows her stuff, and generally I trust her, but I’m pretty sure I’m drawing the line atnudes.
Skyla bustles in with a bouncing baby boy in each arm, a bloated diaper bag dangling from her shoulder, and I put Angel down to helpher.
