“He was asleep when I left, but my mother will bring him and Calla over here for breakfast after they wake up. Today is Calla’s half birthday. She’s going to have her first bite of solid food.” She paused for half a second before continuing. “If you want, I’ll text you, and you can join us.”
My heart soared. “I would love that. Dylan said something to me when you were at my house, and I wanted to talk to you about it. He asked if I could get to know Calla too. And I want to. I want all of us to spend time together.”
Her eyes closed and her shoulders sagged. Had I pushed too far? “Luke, you are moving too fast. I can’t think about this yet. I, um...” She opened her eyes. “Yes, you can get to know Calla. Dylan would love that.” Then, more softly, she said, “And so would I, for that matter.”
She jumped as her phone pinged with an incoming text message. Surreptitiously, I looked at the screen as she opened and read the text. It was from someone named Trevor. Frowning, she clutched her phone to her chest. The tension on her face was back.
“Everything okay?” I was hesitant to push for an answer. I had to hope she would just give it to me.
“Uh, I’m not sure. I think so. Trevor, Will’s partner, just texted and asked me if anything weird has happened and told me to keep my eyes open. He’s coming down to check on me. I had a hang-up call the other day, and thought I saw a flashlight in the yard the night before last. Dad checked it out and didn’t find anyone out there. That’s it. It’s probably nothing, right?”
Alarm bells rang in my head. That’s why her lights were on that night—she had been scared, and not only by the dark. “I don’t know. I could stop by and check on you tonight.”
“Thanks, but my dad has it covered. I’ll tell him about Trevor’s texts later.”
“Good idea. Tell your dad. It’s better to be safe. But let me know if you change your mind. I’d be happy to stop by tonight,” I offered again.
She shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
I threw out my empty coffee cup. Cade would know what was going on. There was no way I would let her be in that house alone and afraid. I’d sleep in my truck in the driveway if I had to. And if someone was trying to hurt her, that would be the last thing they would ever do. “Baby, I have to get to work. Text me when Dahlia gets here with the kids and I’ll come over.”
Baby.Her eyes widened and her hand went to her throat when she heard that word. Her blush deepened as her tongue darted out to wet her gorgeous full lips. She was not completely immune to me; she remembered what we had just as much as I did.
“Okay, Luke. Have a good morning. I’ll text you,” she murmured.
I grinned and ran a fingertip down her forearm before turning to head out the door.
Once I got back to my office, I sent a text to Cade. He assured me they were keeping an eye on Lily. But I decided I would add my eyes to the situation as well. Nobody would know if I drove by her house a few times a night, and it wouldgive me peace of mind until I could keep them safe myself. My hackles were up. My years as a Ranger had trained me to trust my gut and I would let nothing slide when it came to Lily and the kids.
Work was slow and boring. Truthfully, I didn’t belong in this office. I was better off chopping down trees and carving logs to add custom art to our builds. Working with my hands was what I had always loved. The only things I ever wanted to do in life were marry Lily and start a family, join the Army like Pops, and get into wood carving and selling my art when I retired. My father had never approved of any of it. The company had kind of floated along after my father passed away, relying on deals he had made before he died. His attorney, Jake Moretti, a friend of Violet’s, had hired a firm to manage it until I got back and decided what to do.
I sat back in my chair and put my feet up while I waited for Lily’s text.
“And here he is,” Dahlia called out as I walked into Violet’s, followed by Liam. “Over here, Luke, Liam.”
Dylan spotted us and rushed over for high-fives.
“Hey, Dylan, ready for breakfast?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he answered, then looked up at Liam. “Are you eating with us, Liam? You should. We have enough chairs. Come on!”
“I was just going to pick something up and take it back to the office, little dude,” he answered.
Dahlia pointed to a chair. “Sit with us, Liam.” We sat. People tended to do whatever she said. I recalled being with her as a kid. She was no-nonsense but kind, and had loved me like I was one of her own. I loved her right back—always had.
“Where is Rocky? I miss him,” Dylan asked from his seat between me and Lily.
“Rocky goes to Jed’s ranch sometimes when I’m at the office, but you are invited to visit him at my house whenever you want. My house is your house. Here’s a secret about Rocky...” I leaned in. “He wasn’t the best in his ESD training. In fact, he kind of failed most of it. But he’s perfect for me. We bonded right away when I was staying on the ranch, so I kept him.”
He nodded and grabbed my arm, turning it back and forth, examining my tattoos. “I like the forest on this arm better. Why do you have flowers on the other arm? Flowers are for girls.”
“They remind me of a girl.” I caught Lily’s eye. “They are called lily of the valley.” The tiny bell-shaped flowers twined around my entire arm, black ink with white highlights connecting the riot of shaded stems.
“Hey, that’s my mom’s name. Lily,” Dylan said. His eyes got wide as he realized who I was talking about. “You missed my mom.” He turned to Lily. “He missed you.”
“She was my best friend,” I told him. “I never should have left.” Lily’s eyes widened as she sipped her coffee. As she swallowed, the delicate line of her throat moved, catching my eye. I remembered how much she used to like it when I kissed her there, trailing my lips up and down her neck until she begged me for more.
“Is Liam your best friend too?” Dylan asked, breaking into my memory. “Does he live at your huge house with you? Do you play Xbox together? Were you kids together too?”
