“Yeah,” Evie murmured. She ruffled Nikki’s hair. “Yeah, I can totally do that. Easy peasy. You wanna get started right now?”
“Yeah!”
If only Simon were here to see this. At the same time as Harlow’s heart filled with admiration and pride for Evie, it mourned the fact that Simon wasn’t here to experience it, too.
Evie and Nikki’s training session was interrupted when a blond head poked out from around the corner. Curious blue eyes zeroed in on the scene in the hall. Harlow recognized who it was immediately—TD, the youngest of the Single Dads, had come to investigate what was going on. “Um… xV? Harley? What’s…” He trailed off. “Um… is that Evelyn Warwick?”
“No,” Nikki said sweetly. “This is Haraleah, but if you want to be her friend, you can call her Leah.”
“Right.” TD squinted at Evie. “Um… can someone explain why ‘Leah’ is standing in the hallway of xV’s house?”
“There are archdemons outside.” Evie shrugged a single shoulder. “Pretty sure you’d come inside, too, if there were archdemons on your tail.”
TD stepped around the corner. He cocked his head to the side. “Is this for real?”
“Super real.” Evie set her free hand on her hip. “So… are you going to help us stay safe from the archdemons, or am I going to have to kick your butt?”
Nikki cackled gleefully. “Kick his butt!”
“I’m good without the butt kicking,” TD confirmed. “Just… Gwynn? Gwynn, where are you? You should come see who’s here. Knot is going to bepissed.”
Gwynn rounded the same corner TD had come from. “I heard my name.”
“Gwynn, look.” TD nodded at Evie, who lifted her chin in greeting.
Gwynn narrowed his eyes, then adjusted his glasses. When they were properly seated on his nose, he stroked his chin, temporarily concealing his dark stubble. There was more silver around his temples than the last time Harlow had seen him, but otherwise, Gwynn looked unchanged. Like xV, he tended to be quiet, but since meeting his now-husband, Alex, he’d become a touch more mischievous.
“Well,” Gwynn said at length. “This is unexpected. I can’t say that I’m shocked—she looks just like you, Harley.”
“Except prettier,” TD corrected.
“Except prettier,” Gwynn conceded. He chuckled. “It looks like we’ve got plenty more to talk about today than just your love life, Harley.”
Harlow’s stomach dropped. While he knew that talking about Evie was unavoidable, he’d hoped she wouldn’t be dragged into the spotlight and made the star attraction. He’d brought her here primarily for Nikki, who Harlow knew was a big fan of the show, even though its content was a little too mature for her.
“Sounds like a plan,” Evie said, taking control of the situation in Harlow’s stead. Harlow, surprised, glanced her way, curious to see what she was up to. “While you guys talk all about Simon and other boring adult things, Nikki and I will patrol the house to make sure no archdemons find us out and infiltrate the house. It’s going to be a big job—can I count on your help, Nikki?”
“Yes!” Nikki declared.
“Good.” Evie squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you go show me your room, so we can keep that the safest. Okay?”
“Good idea!”
The deflection worked. None of the Single Dads protested when Nikki and Evie left. Even TD, who tended to be the most clueless, didn’t seem to mind. He beamed at Harlow instead, and had Harlow not been fixated on what Evie had just said, he would have beamed back.
But Evie, sneaky and sly, had just revealed something Harlow thought he’d kept well under wraps. While Gwynn had been vague about Harlow’s love life and what was happening in it, Evie had zeroed in and been specific—she’d mentioned Simon.
She knew, and she’d made a point of making Harlow aware of it.
The last week, Harlow and Simon’s relationship had continued to evolve. Every night, Simon came to him, and every night, Harlow had knotted his ass while Simon whispered filthy things in his ear. They’d kept quiet, and while Simon had begged Harlow several times to come all over his face, they’d managed to keep things relatively clean. As far as Harlow was aware, Evie and Shep hadn’t caught on.
It looked like he’d been wrong.
At least she didn’t seem upset by it. Harlow had never taken another lover after Emerson’s passing, married to his work and devoted to his daughter’s success and safety, and he had been worried how Evie might take the news that he wasn’t single anymore—especially since Simon was so much younger than he was. They’d need to have a discussion about it, just to clear the air, but now was not the time.
Part of him, more than a little childish, was thrilled that Evie knew. It meant they wouldn’t have to hide so much anymore—at least, during the day, when interactions between them were tame.
Before Harlow had much more time to reflect on what had happened, TD laughed, wrenching him from the moment. The tension he housed within himself burst. TD’s laugh was contagious, light and pure. While the last few years of his life had been miserable, he hadn’t let the bad times get to him. Young, but resilient, he reminded Harlow what it was like to fight and to come out the other side stronger than before.
