Page 167 of Caution to the Wind

“It’s true, Glory,” Mei murmured.

“Whatever. I’m glad you told me,” she added, a little gentler. “It feels good you felt I was strong enough to hear this. But for now? I want to pretend Maxwell Dutton doesn’t exist and my family is righthere. You two and Lin and every single person in The Fallen.”

“Yeah,” I agreed roughly, haulin’ my weight up on my hands planted on the counter to kiss Cleo’s forehead. “Whatever you want, Cleo. Always.”

“Always,” Mei agreed, pressin’ her own kiss to my daughter’s cheek.

Cleo shut her eyes for a moment, breathin’ in a way I knew she was doin’ my 4-7-8 technique. When she finished, she opened her eyes and smiled a little.

“You okay?” Mei asked.

“Yes,” she declared. “I’m too excited about the wedding to let this news ruin my day. Only good thoughts today for Lion and H.R.”

“I’m glad. It’ll be good for you to celebrate some love and happiness.”

“I got some other great news this morning, too,” she added impishly. “That nothing could diminish.” Cleo stared at me over her back with raised brows, waitin’ for me to step up.

I sighed, drawin’ Mei’s attention. Draggin’ a hand through my hair, I tried to find the simple words to ask a complicated girl on our first date after years of shared history.

“Come here, Rocky,” I started.

She blinked at me then shifted her gaze toward Cleo, a subtle reminder we weren’t alone.

“Came down to tell Glory this mornin’, but she beat me to the punch,” I admitted. “Seems my daughter is smarter than both of us ’cause she knew this was inevitable.”

Mei looked at her best friend, who smiled so widely it brightened the whole fuckin’ room.

“Told ya so,” she said, cheeky and proud.

Mei startled into a burst of laughter. “Are you serious? You knew, and I mean, you’re okay with it?”

Cleo rolled her eyes. “Yes. I know I told you it was hard watching everyone fall in love around me and not having that for myself, but honestly, I’m not open to love right now. Maybe I won’t be ever again. That doesn’t mean I’m not over the moon the two most deserving people I know have found it in each other. Just as long as you don’t make out in front of me, I can definitely rubber stamp this union.”

Mei laughed then, collapsin’ into giggles that sounded like pure joy and relief. Cleo caught her up in her arms, laughin’ too, and they shared a hug filled with the kinda comradery they’d had since they were girls.

I hadn’t allowed myself to think much about revealin’ our relationship to Cleo until I’d decided to do it this mornin’, but thinkin’ on it now, it was obvious Cleo’d only ever be happy for us. The kinda friendship those girls shared was somethin’ sacred, without jealousy or bitterness or regret to bog it down.

And my girl loved me as much as I loved her.

We wanted the moon and the stars and the sky for each other.

She’d even realized before me that I had that already in Mei.

When they broke apart, Mei looked at me hesitantly.

“Come here, Rocky,” I repeated from where I leaned against the counter, openin’ my arms for her.

The smile that slowly broke open her face was like seein’ the sun after years of darkness. She came to me then, a skippin’ graceful lope that gained speed until she was crashin’ into me. I closed my arms around her and imprinted her shape into my body, bendin’ my head to kiss her hair.

“You wanna go to the weddin’ with me today?” I murmured there. “Not the most romantic first date after years of waitin’, but I want my girl at my side while two of my favourite people tie the knot.”

Mei pulled back to look up at me, rockin’ up to her toes so she could press a kiss to my bearded chin. “Then, I’ll be there.”

I grabbed her chin and held her still so I could taste the happiness in her smile with my tongue.

“Okay, okay,” Cleo protested in a laughin’ shout when I took the kiss a little deeper. Somethin’ soft hit the side of my head, and I realized she’d thrown a tea towel at us. “Keep it PG-13 for the kids, please!”

Mei broke away from the kiss with a laugh and spun like a ballerina to face Cleo, already launchin’ into a conversation about what to wear to the weddin’. I rested against the counter and watched my two girls shootin’ the shit in the house I’d made myself, and I wondered if it was possible I’d finally bought some peace for myself.