“Yes, Alex, it is.” I chuckle, then he helps me back down, maintaining his grip on my hips to hold me in place.
“Girl, you’ve got some explaining to do.”
“It’s going to have to wait.” Declan’s words have us turning to him. He has his cage full of tigers at his feet, and he’s looking at his watch.
“Aghhh!” Alex squeals. He bends down, quickly followed by Shane, and they push their fingers through the cage to pet the little creatures.
“I’m driving back with these guys since I’m not sure if they would be upset with the sound of the helicopter. I’ll see you soon, okay?” He leans in and gives me a kiss before waving goodbye to the others. He picks up his cage and heads for Thomas’ bulletproof tank, which is parked just beyond the truck.
“Jace can tell you everything. I was surprised he hasn't already.”
“I wasn't sure how Jacinta and Jaxon would feel about me sharing their news,” he mumbles, and I see Jacinta practically melt.
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it.” Jaxon slaps him on the shoulder. “It’s fine if you tell them, though if you would keep it to yourselves until we’re ready to go public, I’d appreciate it.” He takes my hand, and I wave to the guys and Jacinta while Jaxon, Oliver, Holden, and I hurry to the waiting helicopter which has Thomas in the pilot seat and Kai in the passenger.
“God, I can’t wait to get home,” I sigh once we’ve strapped in and donned headsets. When I glance up, all three of them are watching me with varying degrees of affection.
“What?” I ask, not sure what I did to deserve the looks.
“You called our place home,” Holden says as he puts his arm around me and tucks me into his side.
“I guess I did.” I smile as Jacinta climbs in and pulls the big door closed behind her.
“You heard her, Tom. Take us home,” Oli orders, and before I know it, we’re in the air and winging our way across the sky.
ChapterThirteen
Harlow
The property is a bustle of activity as Thomas lands the helicopter on the wide expanse of lawn. Dad comes racing out from the house while the blades wind down, the whining sound loud in the peaceful yard. In typical fashion, Nana and Poppy are keeping pace with him, refusing to miss any of the action. Honestly, I’m surprised Nana wasn’t leading the charge.
I let the others get out of the helicopter first, and as soon as my feet touch the ground, I’m swept up in my dad’s arms and hugged tight. There’s no stopping the smile that breaks out as my arms come up around him. I can’t find the words to explain this feeling, but there’s just something about being held so tightly by my actual dad, having him clutch me to him like I’m precious, that slots something into place.This. This is what I’d yearned for so many times throughout my childhood, and my soul celebrates every time I have a hit of that warmth and love.
“Hey, Dad. I missed you too.” He pulls away and looks me in the eye, his so much like the ones I stare at in the mirror every day.
“Harlow, honey, I’m sorry about Luke.” Poppy and Nana sweep me up into their own hugs next, so I don’t have time to answer.
“That poor boy. He may have been unbalanced, but nobody deserves to die like that.” Nana shudders, and Poppy puts his arm around her, pulling her closer.
“Rubbish! He got what was coming to him. How dare he stalk my Hally and frighten her like he did. Good riddance.” Nana scowls at him, but he ignores her, refusing to let her win this one. God knows that, more than anything, is a perfect indicator of how strongly he feels about this. Nana is his queen, and it’s not often that he isn’t swayed to see things her way. “Brad, can we show Harlow the thing now?” His eyes sparkle with excitement, so much so that I don’t even mind the change in subject.
With the boys having taken over the whole luggage process, I’m free to follow Dad and Poppy. Declan has the cubs, and I know they’re perfectly safe with him, even if they're going to take a little longer to get here. He talked about setting up a playpen in the conservatory for them since they won’t be able to go out into the cage until they’re a little older. I’d like to see if I could put them in with Nyx. Maybe I’ll keep them side by side for a few days and see if she creates a bond with them. I’ll need to be careful because it could go the other way, but maybe the experts Dad was hiring could help me do this safely.
Nana links her arm with mine as we walk. “So much has happened in the last week. How are you doing, sweetheart? Are you okay with everything? The boys aren't rushing you or pushing you to make choices you don't want to?” Her worried questions are asked in almost a whisper, like she’s preparing herself to be the keeper of some dramatic secret. Fortunately for her, I have nothing of the deep, dark sort to share.
“No, Nana, everything is perfect. I’m happy,reallyhappy, and I’m looking forward to everything. Did you hear that they're giving me the property next door so I can run my own animal sanctuary?” She squeezes my arm in hers.
“Yes, I know. What a brilliant idea. Sometimes those boys really outdo themselves. It just takes them a little while to get warmed up, but then they show you why they’re worth the wait, don’t they?”
“And I have my first rescue animals! You should see Declan. Those tiger cubs already have him wrapped around their tiny little paws. Poor Princess.” Nana chuckles with me.
“Declan’s capacity for love is never ending. You know he was Brad’s first child, which could have resulted in some jealousy issues, but he never had a bad or angry word or action when the rest of them came along. He took them under his wing and loved them unconditionally. At his core, our Declan is warmhearted; it’s just not in his nature to resist someone or something who could genuinely use him in their lives. He certainly has enough love to go around for all of the baby animals.”
I think about Declan’s actions since I’ve known him, and although I will never agree on the Summers’ initial methods, everything has been about protecting his family from hurt and harm. It must be why he was such a stuck-up ass to start with. That wall, a defense mechanism to keep anyone from getting too close, must be exhausting to keep up. I’m so glad he’s allowed me to scale it.
“Now, are you excited to see the work?” Nana pulls me out of my musing, and I practically start to vibrate with anticipation.
“I sure am. How did Dad find someone to do this so quickly, anyway?”
