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My heart broke right in two.

“Hey. Dyl.” I turned over so I was facing him, and we were both on our sides like a pair of parentheses. “Look at me.”

Dylan blinked his hazel eyes open. They were red-rimmed, like he was near tears.

“Listen to me,” I said. “Your dad is going to love you. He was just surprised, okay? And that’s my fault, not yours. Once he’s gotten his head on straight, we’ll all get to know each other, okay?”

“D’you promise?”

“Of course.” I pinched his cheek. “How could he not love you?”

“Good.” Dylan snuggled closer to me. “I’m going to be a big dragon like my dad, right?”

“That’s right.” I ran my hand soothingly up and down his back. “You will. I know it.”

Soon, Dylan was drifting into dreamland. God, I hoped I hadn’t set him up for even more heartache in the future. Therewas no way I could know if what I said was true—if Stephan would really step up and be the father Dylan needed.

But my heart told me he would be. Stephan wouldn’t turn his back on his kid. No matter what bad choices had led him to be locked up, he wasn’t the type to abandon his own blood. Even if he wanted to, I doubted Hawk and Mia would let him.

I could only hope I was right.

Once Dylan was snoring, I eased out of his bed and turned off the light before going back downstairs. I wasn’t going to be able to sleep for some time, so I poured myself a glass of wine, then settled on the couch and pulled out my phone.

Cassidy answered on the first ring. “Harley? How are you? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s okay,” I said. “Jeez, it’s nice to hear a friendly voice.”

“That bad? How’s your Mom doing?”

“God knows. She left for a date about two minutes after we got here.”

Cassidy snorted. “Sounds like the Mama Liz I remember.”

“Unfortunately so.”

“So, what’s the update? Have you run into Ace yet?”

“A little more than that.” I took a sip of wine, then told Cassidy everything. The rental car dying, Hawk being the tow-truck driver, seeing Ace at Hawk’s house, and discovering that everything Blakely had told me had been a lie.

Cassidy was silent for a long moment, then let out a long, low whistle. “Jesus.”

“I know.”

“You need me to come to Lakeview and beat the crap out of that bitch Blakely?”

“I might do it myself,” I said. “I think I’m still in shock.”

Cassidy sighed. “I would be, too. How are you feeling? Really?”

“It’s a lot to take in,” I said. “I’m… I’m upset, really. And I’m pissed. I’m pissed at Blakely for making me believe a lie for so long. I’m pissed at Stephan for getting so tangled up in crime that he went to prison. And, honestly, I’m just really hurt. For Dylan. Because he’s missed all this time with his dad. If I had known he was in prison… Would I have taken Dylan to visit? I don’t know. But it hurts that I never had a choice.”

“It’s not just Dylan,” Cassidy said. “Blakely’s lies took away your choice, too. You missed out on years of being with your person. Even if he was locked up, you at least could’ve talked some.”

I was silent for a long moment. Would I have even wanted to talk to him? Would we have built some kind of relationship while he was behind bars?

It didn’t matter. There was no point wondering about what-ifs.

But… Hewasmy person. He had been. Once.