Page 29

Shit. I swear one of the hardest things about parenting is not letting your emotions show on your face when kids come out with the most left-field comments. I haven’t even begun trying to figure out how to tell them the truth. Will they even understand it? I’m still processing it myself, for fuck’s sake.

“What makes you ask that?” I ask carefully.

She doesn’t look upset, just curious. “He looks like Daddy, and he sounds like him. He looks kind of like James, too.”

I suppose it was only a matter of time before she noticed. She’s always been observant.

“Yeah. They’re family.” I don’t know how to explain the ins and outs of it. Maybe I need to talk to Caitlin’s school development advisor, or find a child therapist or something.

“I thought Daddy didn’t have any family.”

You and me both, Caity-cat.

“Isn’t Killian a nice surprise, then?” I force myself to smile, to sound as cheery as possible, and breathe a sigh of relief when a wide grin takes over my daughter’s face.

“The best surprise!” Right on cue for Killian coming back and opening the car door.

“What’s the best surprise?” he asks. He left his jacket in the house, and he’s wearing a chocolate-brown sweater that looks so damn cozy. It hugs him perfectly.

Have I ever been jealous of a sweater before? I think, before quickly shutting my brain down.

“You are,” James calls from the backseat, and Killian raises an eyebrow at me.

“I’ll tell you in a few.”

Uncertainty flits over his face, but it’s gone in a second, before he turns back to the kids. “Are you ready for another surprise?”

If their answering cheers are anything to go by, bedtime is going to be a struggle tonight.

I get James out of the car, and he and Caitlin rush up the path, ignoring my “Be careful! It’s icy!” shout.

“Everything okay?” Killian asks me softly as we walk toward the house at a more reasonable pace.

I bite my lip, but nod. “They know you’re related to their dad, just not how. Caitlin figured it out, since you look like him and James.”

“Shit.” His eyes widen. “Were they okay about it?”

“I think so. They didn’t ask many questions. I don’t know how they’re going to take it when they find out he’s your dad, though. I mean, James doesn’t really know him, but Cait’s feelings about Dom are so conflicted.” Panic creeps into my voice before I can tamp it down, and Killian stills me, grabbing my hand. I’m wearing gloves, but they don’t stop a jolt of electricity from shooting up my arm at his touch.

“Hey. It’s okay. You don’t have to tell them the details right now. But when it’s time, they’re going to be okay. They’re resilient.”

They shouldn’t have to be. But I don’t say that, because it won’t make either of us feel better. I’m full of guilt, Killian’s full of anger, and Dom is … perfectly fine.

“You’re right.”

“I know.” He winks. Fuck. “C’mon. Let’s all get in out of the cold.”

He doesn’t drop my hand as we climb the porch steps, and his grip steadies me. Both mentally and physically, because these boots weren’t made for ground this slippery. Killian tells us to close our eyes, and I oblige, albeit warily. He nudges us all carefully into the house and closes the door behind himself.

“Open your eyes.”

My eyes flutter open and I have to blink a few times, because the twinkling lights emanating from the tree in the corner are bathing the room in a bright golden glow. The kids squeal, and my jaw drops as I see why: there are boxes and boxes of ornaments and decorations on the floor. I see the couple of boxes I keep in the basement, with the various toilet-paper-roll reindeers and popsicle-stick stars the kids have made over the years, but most of the decorations are new. Killian has moved the coffee table off to the side to make more space and placed a tray of grocery-store Christmas cookies on top.

I look from the Christmas extravaganza in front of me to Killian, who’s watching the kids with the softest smile on his lips and utter joy in his emerald eyes at their excitement. Like he feels me looking, he turns his head.

“Is this okay?”

“Okay? Are you kidding? This is amazing. Thank you. You were in here for five minutes. How did you do all of this?”