“Why would I do that?”
“You seem like a cranky guy.”
“I’ve rarely seen you smile.”
“How often have you looked at me?”
Exile exhaled hard like a raging bull. “Let’s focus on Nova, okay?”
“Do you know what upset her?”
“You did. Now, she’s hiding in the girls’ closet.”
Shaking my head, I refused to let him mess with me. “She probably misses me.”
“She thinks you’re going to die or get locked up.”
Exile’s words got my feet moving. Once I was inside the house, I walked around him and toward the girls’ room. Nova sat in the closet, staring at the stuffed elephant in her lap. I lowered my ass to the ground and got comfortable.
“Goldie asked if she’s an aunt now,” I said, startling Nova. “She plans to feed the girls candy and be a bad influence.”
Nova’s expression shifted from shock to amusement. “Why are you here?”
“Your brother said you missed me, and I knew I missed you. This seemed like a good way to make us feel better.”
Nova’s smile lingered, yet I felt her fighting a bad mood.
“My mom used to hide in closets and corners when life became too much,” I said and leaned against the wall. “I would play nearby and keep her company. When I got older, I’d read to her. I liked it when I made her feel strong enough to face the world.”
“Do you think I’m like your mom?”
“No,” I said instantly. “I know you went through a troubled childhood and had a bad husband, but my mom survived hell. As much as I love Yarrow, I’m not looking to fall for another version of her.”
Nova’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know why I’m upset.”
“Your brother thinks you’re worried about me.”
“The world is dangerous.”
“Very true. You were in danger not too long ago when Elle faced off with that abusive fucker.”
“Plus, Lula was taken. Cher and Stevie are still healing. All that happened this year.”
“Are you afraid something will happen to you?”
Nova’s gaze moved around the bright, colorful room. I felt her considering my question.
“I’m not afraid for me.”
“Did you ever feel this way when you were living in Baton Rouge?”
Nova nodded. “After Dan bought the house and got us set up, he would be gone a lot. Things were changing in his club.He wasn’t ignoring me. But I felt nervous that he wouldn’t come back.”
“Is that because he ditched South Dakota for the military and only came back once your mom died?”
Nova’s face pinched. She was protective of her brother and had a strange history with him. My mom might have been crazy, and my dad was a killer, but I grew up in a rather normal nuclear family. Nova and Exile did not.
“Dan wasn’t happy in Bixby.”
