Page 210 of Sins of Innocence

By the time Noah pulls into the driveway, I'm debating tacos versus spaghetti. The girls will vote for tacos. Mom will pretend she doesn't care but complain loudly if I try to use the packet seasoning instead of making my own.

Kieran will cheerfully eat cardboard if I put it in front of him. And thank me for the delicious dinner afterward.

I smile to myself as I climb out of the SUV.

My life's a weird juxtaposition of armed security, first class travel and cooking prosaic meals for our very middle class minded family.

The front door opens before I reach it.

Joy bursts onto the porch like she's been launched from a cannon. "Mom! Dad's almost home!"

"I know, sunshine. I got the text too." I catch her before she barrels down the steps. "Shoes?"

She looks down at her bare feet. "Oh."

Our front lawn is lush enough to feel like velvet on our bare feet, but I prefer the girls keep bare feet to the back yard for safety reasons.

There may never be glass from a broken bottle, or a carelessly dropped sharp object on our sidewalk, but it could happen.

Inside, I pass Neeve curled in her favorite oversized chair reading in the quiet living room. Sadie and Mom are sitting at the dining table with brochures spread everywhere.

"Still planning our trip to Ireland?" As soon as mom got back from hers she started in on how we all had to go now.

She and the girls have Kieran wrapped around their fingers, so of course he agreed our next family vacation should be in Ireland.

Family vacations. Who knew a deadly mobster would think they were mandatory at least once a year?

"We're comparing castles," Sadie says without looking up.

Mom snorts. "Your daughter has expensive taste."

"She didn't get that from me."

"Nor me." Mom gives Sadie a look filled with fond exasperation. "I blame her father."

"He doesn't have expensive tastes," Sadie says loyally.

"No," I agree. "But he's more than happy to indulge yours."

Mom snorts. "I'd say he has expensive tastes alright. Who was it who booked a private plane to take us to Anaheim? Who upgraded my accommodations and flight to first class when I went to Ireland?"

"That's not expensive tastes, that's wanting the best for my family," Kieran says from behind me.

Joy skids down the hall in her socks on the hardwood floor. "Dad!"

She launches herself at him with enough enthusiasm to stagger a lesser man. He catches her automatically, one arm around her while the other balances a white pastry box with a large manilla envelope on top.

Neeve arrives, book dangling from her hand. "Hi, dad."

"Hi, dad," Sadie echoes.

Three sets of eyes lock onto the pastry box.

Kieran sets Joy on her feet and the box down onto the table. Sadie quickly gathers up the travel brochures and shoves them to the side.

Apparently castles can't compete with pastries.

"Is that dessert?" Joy asks. "You're the best, Dad."