He hands the baby off to Willow and comes across the office and squats near us. Cautiously, he reaches a hand out toward Gizmo where he sits near my feet, and a low growl sounds in the back of the dog’s throat that I haven’t heard from him before.
I can’t help my grin. “Apparently, he’s a good judge of character.”
Killian offers me a dirty look. “Ha fucking ha.” He’s smart enough to pull his hand back before he gets bitten, and I reach down and scoop up the dog with no problem, settling him into my lap easily. “What does that mean for your work today?”
“I was going to be here anyway, dealing with the load coming in from the other side of the mountain, so”—I shrug, trying to appear unaffected by the project even as that same icy coolness spreads across my skin thinking about it—“it doesn’t really affect my day at all.”
Willow grins at me. “Except you get to sit in here and play with a puppy, which is fun.”
Leave it to her to see the bright side of everything.
After all she’s suffered, her endearing spirit and refusal to allow what my father did to her dictate her future is enough to give anyone hope.
And that’s what I’ve clung to for months.
The fact that she could find happiness and some sort of peace.
Which meant it had to happen for me, too.
Eventually.
Right?
Time sure hasn’t proven that to be true.
But I still force myself to return her grin. “True.”
She waggles her eyebrows. “Speaking of fun…”
The tone in her voice makes my shoulders stiffen. “What?”
“Well, I was hoping you could help me with some shelves, and maybe some seating for the candle shop.”
My gaze cuts over to Killian, who gives me the please do it look.
Considering everything Willow has been through at the hands of my father, there isn’t any way in Hell I would be denying this woman anything—even if Killian wasn’t asking me to help.
I nod. “I can help you out with that. I’ll stop by so you can show me exactly what you’re thinking.”
“Oh, great!” Niall releases a tiny little strangled wail, and she pushes up from the desk chair. “I’m going to head home with him. It’s the witching hour, and he definitely needs a nap in his own crib.”
Killian crosses over to her and takes her face in his palms, kissing her long and deep and whispering something I’m glad I can’t hear.
I’m happy for them.
That they finally found…this.
That they finally have each other and their family.
But it’s impossible to see them together with the baby and not think about everything they went through. Everything that Willow suffered at the hands of the man who gave me half of my DNA.
That icy shiver rolls through my spine and floods through my veins, chilling any warm feelings that playing with Gizmo has brought to my morning.
Willow offers me a smile and says goodbye as she slips out, and I feel Killian’s eyes on me, even before he says anything.
“Are you all right?”
I grit my teeth. “I’m good.”
