Please let this not be the end.
A nudge at her leg, and Dawson nearly tripped away from her. Caspian, leaning against his leg.
“No, buddy. I’m not in trouble.” He looked at her. “Although ... um...” He sighed.
Oh no.
“I’m actually here because ... you are. I think.”
She stepped back from him. Oh...
“No, no—don’t get the wrong idea. I’d be here even if you weren’t in trouble.” He put his arm around her again, but not without glancing down to find Zoey.
She’d already located her and grabbed her hand. Zoey clutched her panda but kept trying to reach out to Caspian.
“I’m here because I missed you. I missed your ridiculous ability to drive me nuts, and to beat me at Battleship, and—I’m sorry I didn’t stop you from leaving Alaska.”
She cut her voice low. “I had to go. Zoey’s dad, Bryce ... he um ... passed.”
“Oh. So...”
“I’m adopting her back.” She looked down at her daughter.Daughter. “For now, I have full legal and physical custody.”
“So what’s this? Tonight?”
“It’s a fundraiser. One last concert.”
“But your voice—”
“I can still sing. It’s just ... different.”
He smiled, and it just lit up his blue eyes. Not a storm in sight. “I can get on board with different.”
She met his gaze. Debated. “Can you get on board with Bliss?”
He blew out a breath but looked down at Zoey, back at her. “Yeah. I can get on board with Bliss.”
She smiled then, waggled her eyebrows.
“What?”
“Bliss is going bye-bye. At least for a while. I think maybe Zoey and I ... and ... Caspian need some time to get to know each other.”
“I could do that.”
“Mm-hmm.” She put her hands on his chest. “Maybe even ... at the community?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I talked to Donald. They’ll let me buy land and build a house and ... I probably need personal security.” She leaned in—
He jerked back. Held up his hand. “Okay, see. This is what happens. I completely lose my train of thought.” He put her away from him. “Conan Sorros broke out of custody.”
She had nothing.
“Thornwood. The brothers are still out there.”
She went cold, right to her bones. “What?”
