Dad is with her.
She’s just fine.
“Mom, you should have seen it. They changed the rock walls up and included a ceiling climb. It’s virtually impossible to do. Daire got so far. It was like he was a spider.” Mila nudges Daire.
The two of them have been thick as thieves almost since the day she was born. I’m just waiting for the day they get up the nerve to tell Dad they’re dating, but Nonna says that won’t ever happen. Are they really just going to be best friends forever?
Dahlia and I are just friends. Though that might be because Vex would kill me if I tried to be more. Not that I ever felt even a little spark with her.
So, I guess it’s possible.
“I don’t even want to think about what you two are doing at that climbing club.” Mom grimaces. “But well done, Daire.”
If Hope decided to do even half the things Mila and Daire do, I’d be pulling out my hair. How my parents stand it, I don’t know.
“I’ll go change, and then we can go see Hope.” Mila nabs another piece of sausage and runs up the stairs.
“Thank you for second breakfast, Aunt Temperance.” Daire fills a plate up with food.
“Anytime. Should I pack you two snacks?”
That’s a given. Those two eat almost nonstop.
“We’d love that. Thank you.”
Dad’s tone sounds on my phone. He probably took pity on me and sent a picture, so I don’t worry about Hope, even though I’m not worried about her since he’s there.
Mostly not worried.
An image of Hope and Fiona punches me in the gut. My daughter’s beautiful smile is overshadowed by Fiona’s fake one. Fiona, the girl, all those years ago was pretty. Fiona, the woman, takes my breath away. What is she like now? A woman that beautiful has to have a man by her side. Only a fool would let her stay single all these years.
My heart clenches.
Talon:Who is he?
This isn’t a friendly little picture. Dad’s worried. After isolating the man in the picture, I run an image search. His face pops up in an article with his name barely a second later. Let’s see who you are, Micky Lectner. A superficial background check tells me he’s a businessman with assets all over Urbium, most of which are in the food service industry.
Interesting.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
“Aren’t you supposed to be interviewing a new hire?” Mom takes out the loaf of focaccia Nonna made for dinner yesterday.
“Doing that.” I flip over to the security camera I set up in Dad’s office before the kid came.
Did Everett already give up? The phone I gave him is sitting on Dad’s desk, and he’s looking through the books on Dad’s shelf.
The kid seemed to want an internship.
Daire walks over and looks over my shoulder. “Who’s that?”
With this kind of drive, probably no one. “The kid Maddox sent over.”
“He must be a reader.”
Is he? Everett scans the bookshelves one by one. Never really stopping, it’s as if he’s… “Look at the screen again. What is he really doing?”
Daire leans in. “What do you mean, Max?”
