I watched her process this, watched her tough-girl armor crack down the middle.
“So, yes,” I continued, thumbs brushing away tears she didn’t realize had fallen. “I would give up my penthouse, my perfect view of the city skyline. Because she’s a part of you, and I’m not losing any part of you. Not if I can help it.”
“You’d really do that?” she whispered. The disbelief in her voice gutted me. When had I made her feel like she couldn’t count on me? When had I given her reason to doubt?
Right. When you doubted her.
That moment of hesitation—that single, devastating moment when I’d questioned her story—had shattered something between us. We’d been climbing back up ever since, but the fall had been steep, and she still wasn’t sure if the rope would hold.
I pressed my forehead to hers and said, “I’d do anything for you, Faith. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
Something shifted in her expression. Trust maybe. Or recognition of what this meant: not just a home for Rainbow, but a promise that one of the things she loved most would be safe. Cherished. Protected. That even if she couldn’t give Rainbow morning treats or sunny spots, someone who loved Faith would.
“Thank you.”
God, the relief in her tone did something to me. She trusted me with something that meant everything to her.
She pulled away, turning back to the stove with squared shoulders. Her spine straightened, like she was preparing for battle. “The second thing is bigger. It’s going to require a lot more paperwork, which is why I’m bringing it up now. I know we probably have a few months ahead of us with court hearings and whatnot, but I need to start the legal process.”
I studied her profile. “Okay?”
She swallowed hard. “The kids. The foster teens.”
My gut twisted.Of course.Because Faith couldn’t just worry about herself or her dog. She had to carry the weight of the entire world on those slim shoulders.
“I don’t have much money, but I do have a little equity in that house. I’ve been doing research, and if I refinance at a better interest rate, I could use those proceeds to pay down the debt on the blue house. It’s not much, but if I can get the mortgage payment low enough, I think the teenagers could band together and make that payment.”
She pulled some papers from her satchel, spreading them across the countertop. Numbers and calculations filled every margin, her neat handwriting covering every available space. “I’ve drawn up a plan. The ownership would be split equally among the three of them, so they’d each have something in this world. Something real. I’ve calculated the monthly payments, looked into property tax exemptions for their situation, even found a program that might help with utilities for the first year.”
I stared at the papers, my vision blurring.She’s been up all night, working on this.
While I’d been sleeping, assuming she was finally resting, she’d been planning for a future she wouldn’t be a part of.
Those leaked photos made her feel her case was doomed.
“Faith—”
“I know it’s a lot to ask.” Her voice cracked. “I’ll be doing research online and trying to file everything myself, but I trust you. You’re a lawyer.”
“A criminal defense lawyer, Faith. Not real estate.”
Her eyes watered. First time I’d seen that particular crack in her armor, and damn if it didn’t destroy me.
“But I know other lawyers,” I said quickly, covering her hand with mine. “I’ll make sure all the right paperwork gets filed, Faith. I’ll make sure those kids are taken care of.”
The relief that washed over her was physical. I watched the weight pressing on her chest lighten, watched her breathing come easier, watched the haunted look in her eyes fade just a fraction.
Fuck.She was staring down the possibility of being locked in a claustrophobic concrete cell for the rest of her days, and the fact thatreliefwashed across her face broke me.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
God forbid—and I couldn’t even let that possibility settle in right now—she went to prison, I’d make sure every single thing that mattered to her was taken care of. More than she was asking.
I’d move to a house with a big yard, just to make every day of Rainbow’s life magical. I’d let that deranged mutt sleep in my bedevery night. I’d downsize my life so I could pay off the entire mortgage on that blue house myself, and I’d personally mentor every one of those kids.
Actually, I had an idea. A big one. But I wouldn’t share it unless we had to pull the trigger on it.
And so help me, I was not going to let it come to that.
