I needed to prove that I actually liked having her around and that she was safe with me. That she could safely rely on me because I’d never abandon her.
“Okay, yeah,” I said finally. “How about this? Next time, I’ll just take you with me.”
She frowned. “To work?”
“Yep. My office is incredibly boring, so you should be prepared for that, but there are plenty of people around for you to bully and be bossy to.”
Finally dragging in a breath that calmed her enough to stop shaking, she fixed me with a serious look. “Like who?”
“Definitely Uncle Alex. You haven’t met him yet, but he’s my oldest brother, and trust me, he deserves it. You could draw on his important papers. Maybe hide his phone.”
She sniffled again, but some of the panic started draining out of her little face. “You would really let me come with you?”
“Well, yeah,” I said without even having to think about it. “If you want to come, why wouldn’t I? Honestly, if you were a little older, I’d let you drive.”
She stared right at me for another long minute. Then she suddenly broke altogether, sobbing so hard that she could barely speak. “I got lost and I was so scared.”
The words hit me like a truck. I reached for her immediately, picking her up and holding her tight. She clung to me, burying her face in my shoulder while Bear paced anxiously around us like he blamed himself for the situation.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, pushing up to my feet without letting her go and carrying her back to the bug. “I’ve got you, kiddo.”
She cried the whole time I buckled her into the backseat. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and decided to come back for the bike later. There was no fitting it in the bug. I got back in behind the wheel, let Bear into the passenger seat, and drove the rest of the way to my house.
I’d been furious at Louis all day, annoyed and intent on doing whatever had to be done to put his latest drama behind us, but I now understood that the damage he’d done was so much worse than just being an annoying, money-grubbing asshole.Thiswas what he’d done to them, his own kids, instilling this constant fear that someone important would simply disappear.
When I pulled up to house, the other women in my life were in full meltdown mode. Adeline burst out onto the porch with her phone in her hand, her face ashen and her shoulders trembling. Amber came following after with Jennifer right behind her, wearing pajamas and flip-flops while she cried openly.
I looked at Lu in the backseat and arched an eyebrow at her, but she crossed her arms and slumped deeper into thethreadbare seat, still sulking. I sighed, twisting around so I was facing her fully.
“Do you see all these people?” I asked, noticing Lu peek out the windshield when I mentioned them. “They all love you very much. I think it’d be better if you don’t run away again. Look how they’re freaking out. You really scared them, Lu.”
Adeline stood frozen on the porch, pale as hell and shaking so hard, I could see it even from here. She held the phone in her hand, gripping it like a lifeline. Amber had one arm around Jennifer, obviously comforting her while fighting her own tears. Lu’s expression changed, like realization was dawning that they were all genuinely worried about her.
Maybe it wasn’t textbook parenting, but honestly, I was improvising. A month ago, my biggest responsibility had been remembering to water a dying plant in my office. I was trying my best here.
Lu finally looked at me again, nodding with wide eyes. “I won’t run away again.”
“Also, you really scared Bear.” The German Shepherd lifted his head proudly at hearing his name. “He’s going to think he failed at his one job.”
Lu frowned. “What job?”
“Taking care of you whenever I can’t be there.”
Her little face softened as she looked at the dog sitting faithfully in the car. I finally opened my door. “Are you ready?”
After a second, she nodded, so I got out, walked around the vehicle, and opened her door. The second she appeared, Jennifer burst into tears all over again and ran forward, shouting her sister’s name. Amber intercepted her before she could tackle Lu into the gravel. Adeline raced over to us too, her phone still clutched in her shaking hand.
She stopped directly in front of Lu and dropped to her knees, grabbing Lu’s face in both hands as tears streaked down hercheeks. “Don’t you ever do that again, bug. I’ve been worried sick.”
Lu burst into tears. “I’m sorry.”
Adeline pulled her into a crushing hug and held her close, the adrenaline seeming to drain out of everyone at the same time. Amber wrapped an arm around Jennifer’s shoulders again. “Okay, let’s get back inside, shall we? Crisis averted.”
Jennifer attached herself to Lu’s side once Adeline let go of her and stood back up, crying dramatically about how she’d thought coyotes had eaten her. Amber guided them both back to the porch. “There are no coyotes here. Don’t scare her. I think we’ve had quite enough of that.”
“No coyotesthat we know of,” Jennifer insisted, grabbing Lu’s hand and folding their tiny fingers together. “I’m never letting you leave again.”
Amber nodded her agreement, opened the front door, and waved them both in ahead of her. “I’m not letting either of you out of my sight. Straight to the bathroom. We’ll get Lu cleaned up, then we’re going to get some food into those tummies. You must be starving.”
