I shudder, tossing some healing oils into the water and then grabbing the first aid kit from the cabinet. “Rock rash isn’t cool,” I admonish him. “Are you sore anywhere else?”
“Nah. A lady at the campground was a nurse, and she put me in the sling. She said it’s just a sprain, but I have to keep it on until I see Doc Munster.”
“He’s away with Rosie,” I remind him as I clean the scratch on his face. It’s a superficial graze, thank God, but he still hisses as I swab it with an antiseptic wipe. “I’ll take you to see Dr. Burns.”
“He smells funny,” Leo groans, but doesn’t resist as I help him into the tub. He has to balance his arm on the edge so the sling doesn’t get wet, and I can see the tremble of exhaustion in his shoulders. When I run the washcloth over his chest, his lashes flutter and he leans his head against my thigh. “Who are the guys in suits, Mom?”
“Friends from the city.” I know he means the security detail, but his eyelids are drooping, and a yawn slips free. I can’t resist giving his soft curls a gentle tug. “Didn’t get much sleep, huh, bud?”
He tips his head back and grins up at me. “I ate so many s’mores, I puked in the bushes.”
“Hmm. Not really hearing a lot of good things about this trip so far.”
He struggles up suddenly, sloshing water onto the floor. “Nah, mom! Logan taught me so much, and it was the best ever! I mean, the best trip withoutyou.”
“Charmer.” I ruffle his hair again and help him out of the tub, careful of his arm as I wrap him in a towel. When he’s dry, I steer him down the hall to his room and prop him on the edge of hisbed. Normally, he’d insist that he can dress himself, but he only starts to complain when I pull back his comforter.
“Nine’s too old for naps,” he slurs as I settle him on his pillow.
“Then just rest your eyes for a bit.”
His lips part on a tiny snore. “Uh-hungh.”
I wait until he’s out, then cross the room and step into the hall, gently closing the door. When I don’t hear any mutterings from inside, I lean my head against the wood, feeling weary down to my toes.
“Goddamn, Lily.”
I swallow my gasp as Logan whirls me around, his big body covering mine. His nose goes straight to my scent gland, and while he breathes me in, my lungs fill with amber musk. It’s like a bolt to my hungry little heart and I clench his arms, tilting my chin to receive his kiss.
He devours me, like he’s trying to drive everything out of my head except for the taste of him. But his muscles tremble under my hands, and he drags his nose down my cheek, brushing back and forth as he scent-marks me. When he speaks, his voice is a jagged sigh in my ear. “He’s Leo’s dad? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t lie.” I press my head against the door so I can meet his eyes. I’m not surprised they’re hooded with hurt. “They’re the Californian alphas from my heat.”
“Both of them?”
“Yes. And Tristan is their mate.”
“Right.” He rubs his thumbs across my cheeks, his mouth a tight, unhappy line. “Ellis Castle. That’s way out of my league.”
“And mine.” He starts to protest but I shake my head. “I’m not delusional, Logan. Once I worked out who he was, I knew he’d already given me the best thing he could.” I press a hand to the door behind me. “Leo.”
“But you’ve been in contact with them? All this time?”
There’s an edge to his voice, more of that hurt seeping out. “No. I mean, I wrote to them at first. When I realized I was pregnant, I knew I had to at least let them know. You’d joined up and I wasn’t sure if I could make it work on my own.” His scent sours with regret, but I won’t let it settle. We had our own paths to walk, and besides, I had Rosie, Kaysie, and Marion to help. We made mistakes, and there were some really hard days, but I’ve learned it’s only when you feel most alone that you realize how many people have your back. “It’s in the past now, Logan. And I wouldn’t change a thing about Leo.”
“Except that your past is standing right downstairs.” His face hardens, a gleam of possession darkening his eyes. “Did he reply to your letters?” I dip my head, old hurts resurfacing, and Logan grunts. “So, he ignores you when you need him and waltzes in now, like he has the right?” His hand tightens on my arm. “Why are they here, Lily? What do they want?”
“I don’t know.” I bite my lip, and a growl trembles in the back of his throat. Logan is usually a pretty composed guy, but he’s never had to face something like this when it comes to Leo and me. We might not be officially bonded, but most people in Knotty Falls assume we’re together. A few guys have shown interest over the years, but Logan has always come back to us, and they’ve never stuck around to challenge him for our company. “They say they just want to get to know us, but if they try to take Leo from me…”
The growl breaks free, and Logan thumps a hand against the wall. “Over my dead fucking body!”
“Shhh!” I jerk my head at Leo’s door and nudge him further down the hall. “Logan, losing it isn’t going to help. Besides, this is my problem to fix.”
He looks like I’ve slapped him. “What do you mean? Your problems aremyproblems, Lily.”
I stroke his tense cheek, wondering how to explain that everything feels like it’s hanging by a thread. There’s not just the fact that Leo’s father is back in the picture. That’s stressful enough, especially given Ellis’ fame and influence. But then there’s the added complexity of my Californian alphas being my scent matches. Scent matches who rejected me, or at the very least, never went out of their way to reconnect after my heat. Every way I look at it, there are layers and layers of potential pain that I really don’t feel up to facing right now.
“He’s mine too, Lily,” Logan says quietly, and I realize his thoughts have been racing in a different direction. “Myname is on his birth certificate. Maybe I haven’t always been here for him, and I’m really sorry for that, but I’ll be his dad in every way once we’re bonded.”
