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A little girl with dark curly pigtails leads the troop, her legs pumping as she races across the yard. Cade drops everything—including me—to scoop her up.

“Hey there, squirt!”

It’s like watching a grizzly bear cuddle a kitten—shocking but achingly sweet.

“I missed you so much,ZioCade,” She announces, pressing her small hand against his cheek. “You left forwaaaaytoo long!”

“I know, Victoria. I know,” Cade murmurs in a contrite voice.

A slender brunette approaches more slowly, her dark eyes softening as she watches Cade with the little girl. Her tight black jeans and crop top highlight her toned frame, and there’s an ease to her movements that suggests she belongs here.

“Maria,” Cade greets, pulling her into a hug with his free arm, and my gut twists.

It turns into full-blown wrenching when Maria buries her face in his chest, looping her arms around his neck like she’s found safety there.

And he just . . . lets her.

I stand frozen, feeling like Alice tumbling down yet another rabbit hole.

After what feels like forever, Cade disentangles himself from Maria and Victoria and, as if nothing happened, pulls me back against his side with a firm grip.

“Let’s go, baby,” he murmurs.

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to wait until we’re out of sight so I can yank myself out of his hold to demand an explanation of what in the fucking hell that was.

“ZioCade!”

We both turn to see Victoria racing after us. “Where are you going?” she asks breathlessly as she reaches us.

Cade grins, crouching to her height. “I’m going to show my friend around.”

Victoria shields her eyes from the sun, squinting as she studies me. “Why?”

“Because I want us to be nice to her,” Cade says with exaggerated patience.

Her other hand lands on her hip, and her small frame puffs up, ready for battle. “Is she going to be your Old Lady?”

Heat rushes to my cheeks so fast I feel lightheaded.Old Lady?I don’t know whether to laugh or crawl under the nearest motorcycle, but Cade only chuckles.

Maria appears beside Victoria, catching the question. She bends to scold the little girl in rapid Italian, then turns to Cade.“Dio mio,I’m sorry.”

Cade shakes his head, clearly unbothered. “It’s okay, Maria.” Then, cocking his head, he gestures for Victoria to come closer as if sharing a secret. In fluent Italian, he whispers loudly, “I haven’t asked her yet.”

Victoria pouts, then leans in to whisper back, “So . . . don’t ask her.”

“That’s enough, Victoria,” Maria says, sweeping her away with an apologetic look my way.

I manage a weak smile, watching them leave. My simmering anger cools, but the question still tumbles out in a sneer. “Friends of yours?”

“Sophie’s. They ran into some trouble a while back. She’s still working through most of it.”

Ah, a damsel in distress.Of course. “Makes sense.” I scoff. “Naturally, you brought her to your home to find healing.”

“It’s Sophie’s home, too,” he says evenly, like I’ve forgotten. Then he pauses, his head tilting slightly as his gaze sharpens on my face. “Wait, are you . . . jealous?”

“Why the fuck would I be?” I snap. “As long as you understand that the next time you put your arm around another woman like that, I’m going to break it.”

And that did not make me sound like a psycho bitch at all—not that he’s in any position to complain.