The home visit went well,and we were given the okay to foster Theo. Delphi pushed towards the next part of the process, which was qualifying to adopt him, too. Greer was aware that this was our endgame, if it looked like Theo’s parents weren’t capable of looking after him. She didn’t know that we were going to make it as hard as possible for them to keep him.
Havoc knew I couldn’t be directly involved in anything, so we kept our heads down and our focus on getting Theo back on his feet and readying The Book Nook to open.
Theo’s mom pulled through, which is both a blessing and a curse. She had no idea Con had been there and aided her OD, which was a good thing. It added credence to her being an unfit mother. But now she was out of the hospital and back home, asking for Theo to come back. Josh was still recovering in the ICU. The damage Delphi caused was poetic justice, as far as I’m concerned. Fractured skull, broken collarbone, shattered cheekbone, lacerated liver, ruptured spleen, concussion. Every time I thought about it, I ended up dragging her to the bedroomso I could worship my warrior princess. When he was finally released, he would be arrested and placed in police custody.
“I swear I won’t do any heavy lifting, but I’m going stir crazy sitting here,” Theo complains.
“So you want to come to the bookstore where you can sit and be stir crazy, just in a different place?” Delphi teases.
“Exactly.”
Delphi looks over at me and shrugs. “Both Circus and Capone are coming in today to sign off on everything, even though they’ve already kinda done that. They’re nothing if not efficient.”
I roll my eyes at her. “They’re not coming to inspect their work. They’re coming to spend time with you.”
“What? Why? I see them outside of work.”
“I guess they don’t think it’s enough,” I huff, somehow liking that the guys want to spend time with her and hating it too.
“I don’t remember any of them being like this before,” she mumbles. Before, as in when she was with Snake.
I kiss her temple. “Things are different now.”
She opens her mouth to ask me what I mean, but shakes her head. She understands in a roundabout way that we all feel like we have something to prove to her. She just doesn’t know how deep this guilt runs.
“Alright, you can come. You might stop me from biting my nails down to the quick,” she admits.
“Well, the grand opening is on Thursday. That’s less than a week away. That’s enough to make anyone nervous.” I rub my hand up and down her arm.
“I don’t get it, though. This isn’t the first business you’ve opened.” Theo looks between us for answers.
“The diner was different. I was in a location where I knew I’d get business just from foot traffic alone. People have to eat, right? This is different. For a start, Raven Falls is a smaller town.Yes, I’m on Main Street, but believe it or not, not everyone is into coffee and books.”
“Weird,” Theo deadpans, making me grin.
“I know, right?”
“I really don’t think you need to worry. People will come just because a movie was shot here. And both Amity and Neveah live here, which somehow the media found out about. Plus, we have all the usual tourist trappings associated with a Wild West ghost town, and the tourist industry has been booming.”
“Neveah said she would do a meet and greet there too, which should bring in a few of her rabid fans. Circus seems pretty excited to meet them for some reason.” Theo frowns at that, confused. Delphi snorts like she knows something the rest of us don’t.
“So basically, stop worrying until I have something to worry about? That’s what you’re both saying?”
“Yes,” Theo and I yell at the same time, making her throw her hands up in the air and laugh.
I load them both into the truck and grin, listening to them banter back and forth. I never knew what I was missing before these two came along and took over my life. Now I couldn’t imagine a second without them in it.
When we pull up outside the shop, I see the guys have finished putting the sign up. I look over at Delphi, who is unbuckling her seatbelt. “Looks good, baby.”
She looks at me and frowns before following my eyes to where I’m looking. “Oh my god,” she gasps, her hand covering her mouth.
“What did I miss?” Theo leans forward. “Oh, that’s lit, Delphi.”
“Lit’s good, right?” she calls out, making me chuckle. Teenagers have a language that neither of us understands.
“Lit’s good. And it is. It’s gas.”
“My brain hurts already, but thanks, I think?” Delphi crosses her eyes at me as I get out of the truck and walk around to open the door for her. I help her out as Theo opens his door and hands me my cut from the back seat.
