“Yes. I’ll go for a tour.”
Theo blinked a few times and I watched him move even closer, his icy eyes startling.
“I’ll make sure you never regret saying yes.”
It was like Sutton was immune to his coldness. She reached out and gently cupped his face. He turned into her palm and all but rolled over onto his back for her to rub his belly. It was shocking to see him eager to participate in anything with us. Seeing him with Sutton, though, I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to wait for us to join in. He wanted her in a way I’d never seen him want a woman before.
“I should go home and tell my dad the good news.” Pulling back, she took a deep breath. “When should I return to start? I can get here as early as you want. Except, I guess on nights I go to the c-club with you.”
The idea of her going home each night didn’t sit right with me. It clearly didn’t with Dom either.
“You’ll move in with us.”
CHAPTER 13
Sutton
I stared at Dad’s new cottage and rubbed at my temples. When Dominic, Leon, and Theo decided they wanted something, they didn’t give it a cooling off period. No twenty-four hour pauses for the men with no spending limits. I’d almost laughed when Dominic announced I was going to move in with them. When I realized he wasn’t joking and made it clear I’d never leave my dad behind, he made a single call and informed me that the guest cottage on their property would be prepared for Dad within the hour.
I’d had to race home to beat the movers. I’d barely informed Dad about the sudden change when the movers came in and started packing things. It was insane. Dad and I weren’t attached to the house we rented but it was strange to have your entire world uprooted in a single day. It was scary to know that some people had enough money to do that, to just snap their fingers and have people less fortunate than them moved around like game pieces.
Dad had been puzzled at first but that had quickly turned into concern when I told him about the coming changes to his healthcare. He knew how much the cheap treatments and doctors cost, so the idea of someone paying for good doctors to treat him was questionable. He kept asking me if I was sure I was just going to be the nanny. It was mortifying to know I’d volunteered to give them my body for the cost of his health. I couldn’t stand the idea of him thinking I was anything like my mom but using my body to get what I wanted was exactly what Mom would’ve done. Only she wouldn’t have done it to help anyone else. Just herself.
I hugged myself tight as I watched the movers unpack for Dad while he supervised. The guest house was nicer than the home we’d just abandoned and much bigger. Unfortunately, it onlyhad one bedroom so I didn’t even bother asking if I could stay there with him. I had a feeling I knew the answer anyway.
I was standing outside, watching Dad through the huge windows at the front of the house. They practically glowed in the dark back yard. I made a note to install curtains for him so he didn’t flash everyone.
The air around me changed and I glanced to my left and watched Theo step out of the trees. I smiled at him and tried to hide a yawn.
He stood beside me and watched my dad with me.
“Why aren’t you in there with him?”
I looked up at him and for a second I felt so weak and overwhelmed that I just wanted him to hold me.
“He, um, kicked me out. I guess I was fussing over him and he didn’t appreciate it. I just worry about him. I won’t be here to help him set up his nebulizer in the middle of the night now so I need to make sure he has everything in an easy to reach spot, but he said I was making him crazy.”
Theo pulled out his phone and tapped a few buttons before holding it out to me.
“There are cameras outside the house and sensors inside. As long as his movements seem normal and there are no loud sounds, the sensors won’t go off. A fall would alert me instantly and there are guards on duty who’d be in the house in less than two minutes. He’s safe, Sutton.”
I was staring. I knew it was rude but I couldn’t look away or close my mouth. I wasn’t used to anyone meeting my level of worry about my dad and exceeding my expectations. The instant weight it took off my shoulders was so overwhelming I threw myself into Theo and hugged him tight.
“Thank you, Theo. Thank you so much.” I realized he wasn’t hugging me back and cringed. “I’m so—”
His arms tightened around me and his big body heaved with a deep sigh before he rested his chin on my head.
“You’re welcome.”
I didn’t want to pull away, maybe ever, but I forced myself to. Instead of looking up at him I looked back towards the guest cottage and watched Dad settle on his new sofa. One of the movers appeared with a glass of amber liquid for him and I was moving towards the house before I even knew I was going to.
“He can’t drink on his medicine. What is he thinking?”
Theo caught my arm and pulled me back to his side.
“Look at him.”
I did and what I saw made me go a little weak in the knees. Dad looked at peace as he sipped his alcohol. For the first time in longer than I wanted to remember, Dad looked like he was melting into the couch with a big smile on his face.
