“You got a kitten?” I ask, my voice doing that high-pitched thing people do when talking about adorable animals.
Phoenix looks chagrined. “Yeah, we got her yesterday. I got talked into it by Reece.”
“He’s a sucker,” Helix teases, and then his face turns serious. “But I don’t blame you for giving in after what happened.”
“What happened?” I ask before I can stop myself.
Phoenix answers. “Reece asked about her mother, and I was a total wreck afterward, especially given the fact that Beatrice is most likely coming back to the States. My daughter asked me for a kitten the next day, and I just blindly agreed.” His teeth sink into his bottom lip in a sign of vulnerability. “Maybe I was overcompensating, but I want to make her feel as safe and loved as I can. And if a fluffy little demon cat brings her some joy, I’ll get her a whole harem of kittens.”
“She is safe and loved,” Helix says after swallowing a mouthful of rice. “Because she has us.” His voice is somehow hard and soft at the same time. It’s obvious he adores his niece.
“Damn right,” Remi agrees, his expression turning dark. “She doesn’t need that cuntwagon, Bea.”
Well, guess he’s not a fan of Phoenix’s ex, and the scowl on Helix’s face tells me he feels the same.
“I grew up without a mom as well, and I turned out fine,” I say softly. I do my best not to jolt with surprise when I feel Phoenix’s hand on my knee beneath the table.
“You turned out better thanfine, g—uh, Jordie.”
Shit. Was he about to call me goddess?The rise of pink up his cheeks tells me he was.
Helix’s eyes narrow, but Remi doesn’t seem to catch the near-slip. The older Hale brother lifts his glass of iced tea. “I say fuck the bitches who abandon their kids.”
We all clink glasses and say, “Fuck those bitches,” earning us some glowers from surrounding tables.
“By the way, a group of cats is a clowder, not a harem,” Helix informs Phoenix as we resume eating.
“I like harem better. Let’s change it to that,” Remi says with a wicked grin that makes me imagine he probably has a whole harem of women back in London.
Helix looks affronted at the idea. “You can’t just change a word, Remi.”
“Why not?”
I listen as the brothers bicker back and forth, and I feel a weird sense of camaraderie with these guys.
Especially with the man who still has his hand on my knee.
“I hope this isn’t too personal, but what have you told Reece about her mother?” I ask as Phoenix is driving me home.
He offers me a quick smile as he checks his rearview mirror and changes lanes on the freeway. “Not too personal. The first time she asked why she didn’t have a mom, she had just turned three. I told her she had a mom, but she doesn’t live close by. That seemed to appease her.” He grimaces. “Until she asked more recently.”
“What did you tell her then?”
“She wanted to know why she had never met her mother.” Phoenix rubs a hand down his face. “I told her some version of the truth. That her mother lived in Japan. I said since her mother worked a lot, we decided it would be best if Reece lived with me because I was able to take care of her.”
My hand goes to my heart, trying to quell the hurt I feel for that sweet little girl. “And what did she say?”
Phoenix’s lips pop up on one side. “She wanted to know if that meant she was Japanese because she really loves Japanese food.”
A laugh bursts from my lips. “I swear, she is so stinking cute.” He smiles his agreement, and I ask, “What’s your kitten’s name?”
“Honey. Reece named her that because she’s kind of a yellowish-orange color.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.” Realizing that sounds presumptuous, I add, “I mean it would be cool to meet her if I ever come back to your house.”
Phoenix exits and pulls up to a stop light, regarding me with a long look. “Of course you’ll be coming back. You’re a vital part of spa night.”
Something warms deep inside me at his words, and I offer him a little tease. “You’re just saying that because you like how sexy I look in footie pajamas.”
