“Well, he’s my dad, right?” Leo puts down his spoon and looks between us. “Cody said I looked like him when we had an Agent Ripcord marathon at his sleepover, but I told him he was nuts. I mean, hecouldhave been the California man, but then why wouldn’t he visit? Movie stars have money for plane tickets,right?” He’s clearly speaking to Ellis now, who swallows hard and gives a slow nod. “But then I was looking at you on the porch this morning, and I figured it was too weird to be wrong. You’re here for me, right? Because I’m your son.”
Ellis’ eyes are as expressive as Leo’s, and after sliding from shock, to regret, to pride, a glimmer of hope settles on his face. “For you and Lily. I’ve come to get to know you both. And to tell you I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Okay.” Leo picks up his spoon again, but pauses before digging in. “But Logan is my dad, too. His name is on my birth certificate. Right, Mom?” I nod and he sits up straighter. “Even though he’s home for good, being a Marine isn’t just a job. He’s teaching me to be a soldier, too. Do you know any Marines?”
Ellis clears his throat before answering. “A few. They worked with me on my films.”
“Yeah, they know a lot about secret agent stuff. No wonder your movies are so good.”
“Thanks. I’m glad you like them.” He gives me a quick glance before saying, “I heard you’re an artist. You like to draw?”
“Not much anymore.” Leo looks sad as he gnaws on his bonus cherry. “I liked to draw Hercules, but he got old and died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s life.” He shrugs his thin shoulders as he drops the cherry pip back on his plate. “I’m not a little kid. I know that nothing lasts forever.”
“Some things do.”
Leo narrows his eyes at Ellis. “If you sayloveI’m gonna puke.”
“I was actually going to say baseball.” Ellis scoops the ball off the table and studies the stitching. “When I’m home, I go to every Giants’ game I can. In fact, Carl Becker is a good friend of mine.”
“No way!” The clatter of Leo’s spoon on his plate is enough to make the bodyguards twitch, but his face is lit up like it’sChristmas morning. “He’sawesome! I mean, the Hawks have some great players, but Becker isHall of Famegreat.”
“I could take you to one of his games sometime…” Ellis suddenly looks my way, his gaze apologetic. “I mean, if you and your mom ever want to visit San Francisco. And Logan too, of course.”
He’s scrambling a bit, but Leo gives a somber shake of his head. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Mom hates California.”
I look at him in surprise. “I don’t hate California, Leo.”
“It makes you sad. When it comes on the TV, you change the channel. And when I asked you to take me to Disneyland, you said it was too far to drive, but I could tell you didn’t want to go…”
“Leo, it wasn’t that.” I reach over and cup his cheek. “Hey, I got the best souvenir ever, right?”
“She means me,” he tells Ellis with a tiny smile, looking up at us through his lashes. “But moms have to say that. Logan said they’re the ones who stick with you, no matter what.” He gives Ellis a curious look. “Your mom would be my grandma, right?”
“Yeah.” Ellis’s face is stricken for a moment, and then he clears his throat. “Her name is Catherine, and she loves horses and dogs, too.”
“Cool,” Leo says, but his focus is back on his sundae, and he misses the way Ellis’ face creases in pain. I see it, but I smell it even more clearly, a sharp, acrid burn that reminds me of scorched sugar. For a moment I'm tempted to reach across the table and soothe him, too, but he’s dragging his gaze away from our son’s bowed head and staggering to his feet.
“Um. I just remembered something I forgot to do.” He pats his pocket like he’s looking for his phone, but he doesn’t reach to take it out. Instead, he grips the back of his neck in a gesture I recognise only too well from when Leo is on the verge of panic. “Can I see you at the farm later?” He doesn’t wait for my nod,already turning towards the door and his circle of bodyguards. “Cooper, stay with Lily and Leo, okay? I have… I have some business I need to take care of.”
CHAPTER TWELVE – LILY
I’ve half-risen to my feet, the tang of burned sugar still thick on my tongue as Ellis flees the premises like his ass is on fire. I look at Leo to see if he noticed his hasty departure but he’s playing with the melted ice cream at the bottom of his glass. His shoulders are tight, but when I catch his eye, he shrugs, like he's not surprised Ellis left with barely an explanation. His sudden wariness pinches my heart.Does he think Ellis has left for good? Can I promise him that he’ll be back, when I barely believe it myself?
“Hey,” I murmur, plucking his sticky spoon from his hand. “Want to go see Logan at his gym?”
His eyes light up, and he waves at Kaysie who is watching us from behind the counter. I know I’ll have her blowing up my phone later, but for now I just give her a quick wave and follow Leo out the door. Cooper falls into step behind us, and as his alpha musk wafts over me, I try to ignore the huge shadow at our back. It’s not like we haven’t walked these streets a thousand times before, but if it makes Ellis feel better to have someoneguarding Leo, I can put up with it for a day or two.
But what if he claims him publicly? As Ellis Castle’s son, will Leo need this kind of protection forever?
I frown, too overwhelmed to dwell on where that worry might lead. Until I know more about Ellis’ intentions, I can only focus on the here and now. And more than anything, I need to make sure that Leo feels loved and wanted.
The best way to do that, I’ve learned, is to surround him with his favorite things. Like Logan, who is chatting with three other alphas as we step into the gym. It isn’t officially open yet, since he’s in the process of rebranding the exterior and refitting the locker rooms, but they seem to be in the middle of a workout, and I pause just inside the door. Pine air freshener swirls around me, chasing away some of Ellis’ burned scent from my nose, but there’s no hiding the pheromones that have soaked into the walls from countless alphas lifting heavy things.
One of the alphas nods in our direction as Leo bounds towards them, his sling flapping like an injured wing. I follow more sedately, although the smile on Logan’s face makes me feel warm down to my toes.
