Harrison’s voice in the background had me instantly on edge.Is he there? I want to talk to him! Let me talk to Jake!
“Rey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Nothing’s wrong, I promise. Just stay there. We’re coming to you.” Before he hung up, I heard him say, “Harris, calm down. We’re just down the street.”
I shoved my phone into my pocket and started to head to the door.
“Everything okay?” Beckett asked.
“I don’t know. Rey’s on his way with Harris.”
I raced down the stairs and bolted outside, hearing Beckett and Preston close behind me. It wasn’t even a minute later that Reyes’s brand-new Jeep pulled in to the oversized driveway.
Before Rey could even finish putting the vehicle in park, the backdoor flung open and Harrison jumped out.
“HARRIS!” Rey yelled, but he was already sprinting toward me as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Without saying anything, Harrison lunged at me, wrapping both arms and legs around me like a vise.
My heart was beating frantically, afraid he’d been hurt at school. “Hey, Sport,” I said, as I kissed his head affectionately.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Beckett standing off to the side watching the whole ordeal with nervous eyes, but I kept my attention completely on the kid in my arms. Nothing mattered more to me at that moment than making sure he was okay.
Rey’s warm hand landed on my back as soon as he reached me, and he wore that sexy crooked smile that always did funny things to me. He didn’t look worried in the least. In fact, he kind of looked… proud.
Harrison pulled back, flashing me a big, toothy grin. I gasped. “You lost a tooth!” I said, dumbfounded. The gap where his lower tooth had been was still red, as if it had just fallen out a few minutes ago. “Did it hurt?”
“Nope! Well, kind of. A little. But I didn’t cry!” he said, all serious.
“Ah, it would have been okay if you did. Boys can cry too.”
“I know, but I didn’t cry because I was laughing!”
Rey chuckled. “You need to tell him how it happened, Harris, or that won’t make any sense.”
Harrison giggled. “Tim knocked it out when I missed his high five.”
I burst out laughing, hugging him tight. “Well, that’s one way to do it. I’m glad it didn’t hurt.”
“Everything okay?” Preston asked nervously as he and Beckett came closer.
“Yeah, we’re good. Aren’t we, Sport?”
Harrison lifted his head, all humor gone as he looked at the two strangers with curious eyes.
I gestured to Beckett, who was closest to Harrison. “Harris, I’d like you to meet your uncle Beckett. He might look a little goofy, but I promise he’s a nice guy. And that”—I nodded at Preston—“is Uncle Preston. He’s the artist I told you about.”
“Uncle Riley,” Preston corrected.
I whipped my head back in his direction, surprised. “What?”
“From now on, I think family should get to call me by my given name,” he explained. Beckett seemed just as surprised by the news as I was, wrapping an arm around his fiancé.
For the second time today, I had to blink back tears. I’d always felt accepted by Preston because of Beckett, but this was different. By giving me permission to use the name only Beckett had been able to use, Preston was welcoming me into their family. It was his way of sayingyou belong here.
Because I did.
Wealldid.
