“I think this was our first picture together.”
He was probably right.
I squatted down next to the chair and grabbed the book, closing it and then setting it on the floor next to me. “You should be in bed, caro.”
Damn.
Was I ever going to get this right?
“Are you still mad at me?”
“No, of course not,” I said quickly. “I stopped being mad the moment I had you back.”
I think I had been more worried than mad.
I frowned when I saw a tear slide down Lany's cheek. Right decisions or wrong decisions, Lany in tears wasn't okay. I stood, picked Lany up, and then sat down in the chair he had just occupied and settled him on my lap.
“Lany, what's wrong?”
“If you're not mad at me anymore, then why are you being so distant? Did I do something else wrong?”
Porca troia!
“No, caro, you did nothing wrong.” It was me who was getting everything wrong. “You said you felt as if I treated you like you weren't an adult sometimes. I was trying to treat you like an adult.”
Lany's brow furrowed as he frowned. “Remember how you said that maybe that my being a mess and always needing to be rescued meets a need that you have to be the hero?”
I winced. “Yes.”
“I think that it's the same for me. I need a hero in my life. I need someone to rescue me and take care of me. When you suddenly stop, I don't know what to do. It feels like it did when we were separated after you asked for a divorce.” Lany glanced down at his hands, twisting his fingers together. “I never want to feel that way again.”
Boy, had I messed this up.
“I'm sorry, caro.” I pressed Lany's head to my shoulder and then gave him a kiss on his forehead. “I never meant to make you feel bad. Those words just got stuck in my head, and I started to worry that I was being too domineering.”
“I like you domineering.”
I chuckled lightly. “Good to know.”
Lany started plucking at the edge of my shirt. “I don't want you to change how you treat me, Sal. I just worry that someday I'm going to be too much.”
“Not possible.” Not as long as I was breathing. “You're perfect, Lany. Yes, you get into messes, and, yes, you tend to make me want to wrap you in bubble wrap, but I don't want you to change either.”
“Liar.”
“Okay.” I chuckled. “I want you to let me know when you're going to go on one of your little adventures. I'm not saying not to go on them. Just inform me first so I'm not panicking while I'm catching a four-hour flight back from Colorado.”
“Oh.” Lany lifted his head. “How was your conference?”
“I really think you need to go with me next time.”
Lany frowned. “Me?'
“There were a lot of assemblies about procedures, safety, and the newest greatest equipment, but everyone kept talking about this bust or that bust. It was kind of boring if you really want to know. My team could have run those busts in their sleep.”
Being a SWAT team was easy. Keeping Lany safe took all of us.
Chapter Eleven
