Suzy pressed Parker’s face to her cheek and sighed. “I’ll be whatever you want to this little one. He can call me auntie for sure.”
Lane’s heart stopped, his arm freezing in the air with the mug halfway to his lips. He didn’t speak, didn’t want to say anything to upset Celine.
Celine cleared her throat and rubbed her palm along the base of her throat. “Actually, Suzy. You are his aunt.”
“Yay, thank you! I’ll love him like crazy,” Suzy said.
Lane couldn’t help but snort out a laugh. “That’s not what she means, sis. I’m Parker’s father. You’re his aunt. He’s your nephew.”
Tears hovered over Suzy’s lashes as she sucked in a large breath. “Are you serious?”
Lane nodded.
Suzy let out another squeal and rushed across the room to throw an arm around Lane then turned to do the same to Celine. “Seriously? I’m so stinking happy. You mentioned thinking he might be yours the other day but didn’t bring it back up and I was afraid to ask. But now I have some time to make up for. I need to get to know this little one. Come on, Duke. To the living room.”
His chest tightened at the sight of his sister showering love on his son. “She’ll be a great aunt.”
“I have no doubt.” Celine dipped her chin toward the coffee pot behind him. “Is there more left in that thing?”
“Oh shit, yeah.” He found her a mug and poured it full before searching for milk in the fridge. “Duke made bacon and I can get you whatever else you want to eat, well, at least from the limited supplies we have.”
She accepted the coffee and settled onto a stool. Propping her elbows on the island, she cradled the white mug with bothhands. “Coffee’s fine for now, then we can discuss how we should handle Kevin.”
“We?” He’d hoped to leave Celine out of any investigation he dove into.
“Yes, we.Ifyou visit Kevin, I want to go with you.”
He shook his head. “It’s not safe. You’re better off here with Duke and the baby.”
She took a sip from her mug then set it down, keeping her narrowed gaze fixed on him. “No. Kevin will be too pissed and defensive to speak with you. It’ll be better if I’m there. Duke and Suzy can watch Parker here if they’re up for it.”
She wasn’t wrong. Any man would be reluctant to open up to the father of their ex-wife’s child—especially with the well-known history between him and Celine. He didn’t like the idea of her being exposed while someone searched for her, but this might be the best option. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Sighing, he finished his morning brew then placed the mug in the sink. “I’ll make sure Duke’s okay with the plan then we’ll get ready to head out. The sooner we get this over with the better.”
Dread settledin the pit of Celine’s stomach as she stood on the wide front porch in front of the large house where she used to live. She still had a key, but there was no way she’d use it to let herself inside. This wasn’t her home any longer. Hadn’t been for a long time.
“You sure he’s here?” Lane asked.
“His car’s in the garage. Besides, it’s Saturday morning. He probably slept in and plans to spend a few hours relaxing.Reading, working out, grabbing a sauna. He never liked to do anything productive on the weekends before noon if possible.”
Lane snorted. “Seriously?”
She bit back more negative commentary. Kevin might not be her favorite person, but that didn’t mean she’d badmouth him to Lane. “Just ring the bell.”
The shadow his cowboy hat cast on his handsome face couldn’t hide Lane’s amused smirk as he pressed his finger to the ornate bell beside the door.
Seconds ticked by with no noise from inside. The summer heat blazed around them. Thank God she’d opted for a ponytail today, or the long heavy strands down her back would be unbearable. With her arms crossed over her chest, she tapped her index finger against her biceps. Her anxiety heightened with each passing moment.
“Press it again,” she said.
Lane obliged, but when no one came to the door, he fisted his hand and knocked.
The door creaked open, allowing a sliver of cool air to rattle through the narrow crack.
The energy shifted, tension crackling louder in her ears than fireworks. She swallowed hard, glancing up at Lane. “What do we do?”
