Ronan turned quickly, but instead of Leo looking at him, he was concentrating on his cereal.
But Matteo was watching Ronan and was chewing while he nodded his agreement.
“I hope so, too, buddy. But even if that doesn’t work out, I will always, always make sure you’re safe.”
Leo simply watched him for a few moments before he nodded. “Okay. I just want cereal. Then I want to play outside. We want to go see if we can play.”
“You can play. They’re nice kids. Their names are KJ, and Nora. Their parents are friends of ours and just like family.”
“Did I hear you saying you guys were going outside to play?” Giada asked, coming back into the kitchen more upbeat than she’d been before.
“Yes! Is that okay?” Leo asked.
“It certainly is,” Giada said.
“We’ll spend the whole day here just playing and being outside, and watching movies when you get tired. We might even order pizza or make burgers or something.”
“That’ll be fun!” Leo said.
“Hurry up and eat so we can go outside!” Matteo encouraged as he shoveled in another spoonful of cereal.
Chapter 16
Ronan parked his truck in the main parking lot of the shelter, then got out and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Giada and the boys. He held her hand as she slid off the seat and to the ground, then picked up each boy and set them on their feet beside their mother.
“Thank you so much for such a great time,” Giada said.
Ronan smiled at her and nodded.
“Well, we’ll see you this week, then?” she said as she took a few steps away from him.
He looked around the parking lot and realized she was thinking she was leaving him in the parking lot. “Wait, you think I’m just going to leave you in the parking lot and drive away?”
“Well, we live just over there in the tiny houses,” she said.
“No. That’s not how it works. I don’t just drop you off and drive away. I make sure you get where you’re going.”
“You don’t have to,” Giada said.
“Yes. I do.”
“Suit yourself,” she said, and started walking up the sidewalk with Leo and Matteo right behind her.
Ronan brought up the rear, his keen eyes taking in everything as they moved toward the tiny home community on the shelter grounds. The closer they got to her tiny home, the more wrong it felt to him.
“Here we are!” she said, her voice happy and excited to be home, despite the sadness he picked up on from her. “Aren’t we happy to be home?” she asked, looking down at both boys.
“I guess,” Leo said.
“No,” Matteo said outright. “I want to go see Ruger and Lola. And I want to go back to Ronan’s house and play outside in the woods.”
“Maybe another day,” Giada said.
“Why not today?” Matteo said.
“Because it’s Sunday, and I have to get ready for work tomorrow,” Giada said.
“Why can’t you get ready at Ronan’s house?” Leo asked.
