“Is Dad going to take care of you too?”
“Yes I am.” I answered him. “I’m always going to take care of your mom. And you too, Dylan. I’m sorry I wasn’t here lastnight.” I turned my attention to Lily. “I would have been if I’d known you needed me.”
She looked at me over the top of Dylan’s head. “It happened fast. I had been asleep. Maybe I should have called you, but I went back to bed when it was over. The kids were okay. Asher and everyone was here with them.”
“Lily, if you’re about to apologize to me, don’t. I understand, and I’m here now. Don’t worry.”
She nodded, then leaned forward and kissed me softly. On the lips.
“You kissed my mom.”
“I love your mom,” I said. It was simple, as it should be. As it would be.
“And I love Luke. And we both love you,” she added.
“Do you love Calla?” he asked.
“How could I not? She might just be the cutest baby girl I’ve ever seen. Plus, she’s yours and your mom’s. She might not be my blood, but she has all of my love.”
“I love you,” he whispered.
“Love you too. And I always will. All of you, I promise,” I whispered back. I heard a muffled sob and looked up in time to see Dahlia wipe her eyes and rush through the doorway.
After breakfast, Lily and I got in my truck to drop Rocky off with Jed, and then Lily at Violet’s before I headed off to meet with Liam at the office. We were talking about nothing, listening to music, and enjoying the sunny summer morning when we were interrupted by my phone ringing over the Bluetooth connection. “Hey, Liam.”
“Luke,” he greeted. I snapped to attention. He didn’t sound right. “I’ll meet you tomorrow. I’m not feeling well.” I did not like the way he sounded. It made me uneasy.
“Sure, man. Get some rest.” I disconnected the call while contemplating if I should drive over and check on him.
“I don’t like the way he sounded,” Lily and I both said, almost in unison.
“I’m going to stop by and check on him.”
She nodded and I was glad that she’d noticed it too.
I made a left off Main Street and headed up into the residential neighborhood on the bluff where Liam’s rental house was. I was tense in my seat. Something in his voice had me seriously on edge.
After I pulled into Liam’s driveway and the second I got my door open, Rocky launched himself from the back seat, over my shoulder to land on the floor of the truck by my feet. He jumped out of the truck and raced for the front porch. He immediately started scratching the door and barking.
“Liam, open up!” I pounded on the door. Rocky started whining, then howling.
“Kick it in, Luke,” Lily said.
I didn’t stop to think. I took a step back and kicked hard. The door flew open, and Rocky rushed through our legs, darting past us into the house.
“I don’t want to do this,” Liam said. He was on his couch with tears running down his face. He gestured to a gun sitting in the middle of the coffee table. Rocky hopped up onto Liam’s lap while I carefully grabbed the gun, quickly unloaded, and took it apart, setting the pieces on the side table by the couch.
“I took a couple of these,” Liam said and gestured to a mostly full prescription bottle sitting next to a half-empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table.
Rocky barked softly and burrowed into Liam’s side. Liam wrapped his arms around him and cried into his fur.
“Call nine-one-one,” I told Lily.
“I already did. They’ll be here any minute,” she whispered.
I sat by Liam on the couch, unsure of how to help him.
“She died, Luke. She made me feel normal again, and now she’s gone. I have no one left now. I wasn’t even there when it happened. She was all alone.” He sobbed as Rocky licked the tears from his cheek.
