“Then why did we stop?”
“Do me a favor.” I lean back in my seat and hand her the keys to the lock on the barn door. This is a moment she needs for herself. “Go look inside that barn right there.”
Her brows pinch. “Why?”
“Just trust me.” I place the keys in her hand and close her fist around them.
She wets her lips and then gets out, her steps tentative as she moves closer to the door and lifts the padlock to unlock it. Tugging on the door, her whole bodyfreezes when she sees what I have inside for her. Her head whips to me, and then she disappears inside.
Chapter 42
I’m not sure what I am looking at is real.
It can’t be.
All I’ve done in the past week is cry, damn it, and now the waterworks are back on.
It’s my truck — sparkling, brand new, like it was never vandalized. It looks better than it did before that happened, but it’smytruck. Freshly painted, with new windows, new tires and a new interior.
I stumble toward it, pulling on the door handle. It opens, and the keys are resting on the driver’s seat. Roman did this for me.
I swat at the tears on my cheeks as I climb inside, sinking into the seats, the same style as before but new, the dash too but gleaming. I run my hands over thesteering wheel before I slide the keys into the ignition and switch on the engine, listening to it rumble to life. It doesn’t backfire and sputter, just turns on cleanly. He gave me back the last piece of my father. Taking off the handbrake, I roll the car forward and out of the barn, stopping in front of Roman’s waiting truck.
He meets my eyes through the windscreen and grins, showing his teeth and those smile lines.
My heart skips a damn beat at that look, at that smile. Shoving open the door, I run to him, meeting him at his door just in time for him to get it open. He catches me, meeting my kiss with his own. He holds me tight, like he’s afraid to let go, kisses me like he’s claiming me for the first time all over again.
“Thank you,” I whisper breathlessly.
“The world is yours, baby,” He vows. “I’ll give it all to you.”
“I don’t want the world,” I kiss him again, “I just want you.”
“I’m all yours, sweetheart.”
I pull the truck in beside his in front of the ranch, switching off the engine and climb out, meeting him at the hood so he can take my hand to walk into the house. The moment we step through the door, childish laughter greets my ears, Rosie’s squeal of delight forcing a smile to pull my mouth up. We follow the sound through to the living room only to find Remy on all fours, Rosie on his back as he pretends to be a bucking horse.
“Look, Miss Niamh!” Rosie laughs wildly. “I’m like Uncle Remy! I’m going to be just like him!”
Silas grimaces where he watches them, sitting on the edge of the couch, fully prepared to launch himself across the room to catch her should she come off his back.
“How about a nice, safe job?” Silas suggests, “Like a baker? Or a florist?”
I laugh out loud. “What makes them safe?”
“Anything but that,” He pleads.
“Nope,” The little girl pops the P, “I wanna ride horsies!”
“Is it truly riding horses?” Roman asks, “When they’re trying to throw him off.”
“Optimal word.” Remy stops his bucking and moves onto his heels, reaching behind him to keep Rosie on his back. “Trying. Idon’tget thrown off.”
“All that cockiness is going to bite you one day,” Silas grunts.
“Ha,” Remy helps his niece down and she flies toward me, wrapping her arms around my legs, “That’ll never happen. I’m Remy motherfucking Knight. They don’t call me Nine Lives for nothing.” He pulls out a ten-dollar note and hands it to Rosie, who skips to take it from him.
“Nine Lives?” I chuckle.
