Lawson’s arms tightened.“And you.Sounds like Monica loved taking care of you as well.”
He was right.“She did.We had a lot of fun.”
“Do you keep in contact with her?”
“I did.She passed away from cancer a few years back, but until then, we emailed all the time.”
“Good.I’m glad you had her as a role model.”
She smiled as she heard the rest of the sentence he didn’t say aloud.Monica had been a terrific role model, unlike her parents, who hadn’t been able to look outside the bubble they’d created.
“My childhood wasn’t all bad, and my parents weren’t evil.Just self-absorbed and unable to understand that I wasn’t just like them.”
“Evil.”He grumbled into her hair, making her laugh.
The distress that had arrived with the email dissipated.Now, she felt only a few nerves and curiosity about what the paperwork would entail.
Her mother expected her to sign the papers and pass them back to the courier.
Not a chance.Through her business dealings, she’d learned to read every word before she signed anything.If she didn’t understand it, she would reread it.If she still didn’t get it, she had a lawyer she’d used before who clarified legalese for her.
Dani could call her again.There was no way she was signing without understanding.If something required her signature, that meant she should know exactly what it was about, especially because she didn’t remember signing anything other than papers related to Frannie B’s trust.
Could this be connected to that?
Her father was Frannie B’s descendant and the CEO of the company.Was Frances Bishop Cosmetics in trouble?How could that have anything to do with her?
But if her great-grandmother’s legacy were in danger, she’d see if she could help.
When she voiced her worries to Lawson, he continued to run his hands over her, offering comfort.“Do you have any financial interests in Frances Bishop Cosmetics?”
“Not that I know of.I was a minor when Frannie B died, so it seems unlikely.”
But it was a possibility.
Shaking it all off, Dani shifted until she was straddling Lawson.“Okay, enough worrying about it.As a woman with a new self-proclaimed adult status, I’m sending the topic to the back of my subconscious for now.”
Lawson’s lips quirked with a smile.“You’ve been an adult for more than a decade.”
She shrugged.“Not sure I believed that until very recently.And I’ve not always acted that way.But I’m putting away the pity parties and deciding to revel in my adulthood.”
Lawson’s chuckle was warm and sexy.“You are, are you?”
“I sure am.”And then she kissed him.
Lawson knew he could talk himself into Dani’s bed with nothing more than a word or a raised eyebrow, but he wasn’t taking advantage of her like that.
Her emotions had been on a roller coaster the entire day.
The fact that she didn’t feel like an adult made him want to have a long chat with her parents.A parent’s job is to help their kids find their own paths to happiness and fulfillment.
His parents understood that.So had Fox.The five kids had varied interests and personalities.Those facts had been celebrated.
No one tried convincing him to write poetry or teach like his mom.Or run a grocery store like his dad.Instead, the adults in his life encouraged them to follow their interests.They’d also had them learn about what interested the others—helped them forge strong sibling connections.
Hell, he could sew a straight line because of Amber.Thanks to Jolie, they all loved plants and the environment.They learned to take care of each other and be ready to try something new because of Knox.And Burke, who always cared about their financial status as a cover for how much he cared for them as people, had taught them money management.Lawson taught each of them to change their oil and tires and helped them all pick out suitable vehicles.
Yep, Fox and his parents had done a hell of a job, making him want to do the same for his kids one day.
