Page 51

Like, for the first time, he’s not just tolerated. He’s welcome.

And that kind of thing? It leaves a mark.

Even if he can’t say it yet, I know he’ll carry this moment—forever.

Hell, I know I will.

Chapter Sixteen

YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME SQUIRT ALL OVER YOUR CLOSET OR WHAT?

LOUISIANA

He didn’t have to say a word—I felt it. That heat behind his eyes, the pressure building. He was ready to blow.

But he wouldn’t get it. Just like nobody else in this damn family could ever really get it.

The worst part? I almost told him. Almost handed over the thing I’ve kept tucked away, guarded like that creepy little goblin with his ring in that movie Merc loves. But then I remind myself that we’re just playing pretend and I don’t have to reveal shit.

I look up just in time to see Dallas—head high, hand out—greeting Maddox like it’s no big thing. But it is.

It’s everything.

The car ride over had nearly pushed me past the edge. I’d come damn close to calling Rue, demanding the names of every home, every caseworker, every so-called family who’d failed him. Who teaches a kid to perform like that? Like a polite, well-trained dog in someone else's living room—speak when spoken to, smile when you’re told, say “yes sir” to a man who won’t remember your birthday.

No wonder the kid ran off and holed up at Bunky’s. If that’s what “family” looked like to him, I’d have disappeared too.

“Want to head to the backyard?” Evie offers gently.

Dallas studies her—eyes flicking from one to the other. “Your eyes…”

One blue, one brown. Most folks do a double take. But Evie? She just smiles. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Dallas nods, awe blooming across his face. “Hell yeah they are.”

Evie laughs—bright and unguarded—and shoots Henry a look that makes something twist low in my chest. “Oh, I get it now,” she says, grinning. “You’re gonna have your hands full with these two.”

Henry smirks. “Yeah, yeah. Go sit down before your water breaks or some dramatic shit.” He steers her toward the patio as he and Maddox head inside.

Maddox follows him through the back door, one hand brushing Dallas’s shoulder on the way.

She’s just easing into a chair, sighing like her spine finally let go, when Charlie appears out of nowhere.

“Jesus, Charlie!” I yelp, nearly knocking my plate to the ground. My hand flies to my chest. “Stop sneakin’ around like that! Just like your damn daddy.”

Charlie only grins. “Mama says we’re like two house cats.”

“Yeah, two feral ass house cats.”

I turn just in time to catch it—Dallas and Charlie standing a few feet apart, locked in a silent standoff. Not angry, not hostile. Just…sizing each other up.

One of them was raised knowing who he belonged to, who would move mountains for him. The other? Still holding his breath, hoping he might finally find somewhere, something to belong too.

I drop into the seat next to Evie, both of us going quiet, watching the moment like it matters. Because it does.

Charlie’s eyes shift, just slightly, toward his mama. “That’s my mama,” he says, clear and calm. Not a warning, not a threat. Just a truth—offered, not demanded.

Dallas doesn’t miss a beat. “Figured that,” he replies, voice even. He lifts a hand and gestures to her face. “Y’all got the same eyes.”