Page 205 of Sins of Innocence

"They did."

My stomach flips. That's as good as telling me he bought this amazing house. For us.

"It was our idea," Sadie says, like she's confessing something.

"Not to have me come along to look at houses with you?" I ask, trying to figure out why.

Sadie rolls her eyes. "No. To move."

Like that should have been obvious to me.

"I was the one that suggested Kieran surprise you," mom offers, joining us. "You and I both know you would have hemmed and hawed until Joy started high school otherwise."

She is not wrong. Not in theory anyway. Change has never been my favorite thing and since Brady and dad's deaths, I cling to the familiar like a woman who can't swim holding onto a life raft in the middle of the Atlantic.

Since Troy's death, it's only gotten worse.

We should have moved to a bigger apartment a long time ago. Mom offered to pay the lion's share of the rent. Claiming that wasn't fair, I refused.

Only it wasn't about being fair.

It was about being safe.

Now, Kieran is offering me a dream of a house and my fear is battling with the delight reflected on my mom and daughters' faces.

"There's room for all of us." Neeve reaches for my hand and tugs toward the house. "It's a good change, mom."

A little vise of mom love tightens around my heart and I let my middle daughter pull me forward.

Joy throws both hands into the air. "Yay! Dad says we're his princesses so we get to live in a castle."

I glance toward Kieran. He shrugs.

Of course, he said something perfect like that. Because my husband of few words has the best ones when it counts.

Joy grabs my other hand and skips beside me. "You have to see my room."

"My room is so pretty," Sadie says with as much enthusiasm as Joy, if not as much volume. No feigned preteen insouciance present.

"What about you, Neeve, do you like your room?" Am I accepting this move as a done deal?

Do I really have a choice?

If I hated the house. If I really didn't want to move, yes. But it's time to start living bigger in my own life. It started after I married Kieran but making good changes can't stop at a new job and falling in love.

That very love demands I step out in faith.

That I trust my knight in matte black tactical gear not to leave.

Joy points toward where Noah has joined Dagda near the front door. Both men aren't even trying to pretend they aren't watching us with avid interest.

"Dad says castles need dragons to guard them." She beams. "He already hired ours. And they have their own house!" She points at the one next door.

Kieran bought two houses? So we'd have security on site but still be able to live in a family friendly neighborhood, not to mention a castle?

"I don't breathe fire before my morning coffee," Noah deadpans.

Dagda sighs dramatically. "I've been demoted from elite operator to dragon."