Page 27

Twenty-Seven

Dash

We’re babysitting for Frankie tonight since Briar is out of town and Royal and Jade have other plans.

It’s interesting to look at the world through her eyes, and I have to admit I love watching Willow and her together.

Frankie is sweet and adorable and sassy, and Willow sasses her right back, but it’s more than that.

She’s stepped into the role of auntie seamlessly, like she’s always been part of us, and it makes me realize just how deep my feelings for her run.

Willow is going to make a wonderful mother someday.

And I can’t help but wonder if that’s going to be our future. If we are going to build that kind of life—and family—together.

Is it even possible?

We haven’t been together very long, but I can’t imagine my life without her now that we’ve met. Can’t imagine going back to an existence that doesn’t include waking up next to her every day. Laughing with her over dinner. Falling asleep with her in my arms.

“Uncle Dash?” Frankie looks up at me sleepily.

“Yeah, honey?”

“I love you.”

My heart melts every damn time she says something like that. I lean over and brush my lips across her forehead. “I love you too, tater tot.”

“Good night, sweetie.” Willow leans down and kisses the top of her head. “See you in the morning.”

“Waffles for breakfast?” Frankie mumbles, her eyes closing.

“Whatever you want.”

Willow smiles as Frankie pulls her stuffed hippopotamus closer, nestling deeper into the mattress, and we slip out of the room.

“She’s so sweet,” Willow says. “I adore her.”

“Same.” I follow her into our bedroom and we settle on the mattress. She moves into my arms naturally, like she’s been doing it her whole life. Like we’ve been doing this, being a couple, for a lot longer than the two months we’ve been together.

“Do you want kids?” she asks quietly. “Like, someday?”

“I do,” I admit. “I never really had a time frame or number in mind—I just figured it would happen once I met the right woman.” I pause. “What about you? Do you see kids in your future?”

“To be honest, I never really thought about it. Then Dylan made the announcement he was ready to get me pregnant.” She shudders a little.

“And I realized that I absolutely couldn’t have kids with him .

Before that, it was this weird, vague hypothetical.

I didn’t think pregnancy or childbirth sounded like fun, didn’t know if I had it in me to be a good mother, stuff like that.

But now…” She hesitates, as if she’s struggling with whatever it is she wants to say.

“Now?” I encourage gently.

“Now… I think I do. Spending time with Frankie and seeing how excited Aspen is despite how sick she’s been—it’s a totally different outlook. And honestly, I’m beginning to see that everything changes once you meet…the right person.”

I fucking love hearing that.

“I agree,” I say. “Like I said, I figured I’d have them someday but I couldn’t be more specific because I knew it would only happen under the right circumstances.

And I want to be better than our parents were.

” I pause. “I mean, they’re good people.

Briar and I had everything we needed, and they love us, but they’re not the most affectionate.

They’re not interested in family get-togethers, dinners, holidays—they’re kind of hands off.

I mean, they only see Frankie twice a year. ”

She blinks. “Really? Their only grandchild and they only see her twice a year? How is that possible?”

“They’re semi-retired now so they travel a lot and just do their own thing. It’s not that they wouldn’t come if we needed them, but I know they were frustrated that Briar had a baby with no father in the picture. And they didn’t want me to join the military. I think maybe… we disappointed them.”

She stares, a look of distaste on her face. “I don’t think I’m going to like your parents. They sound judgmental and icky.”

I chuckle. “They’re a bit judgmental, for sure.

And it’s not black and white. It’s not like they kicked Briar out or anything.

They were just…disappointed. Where you could see it in their eyes.

And you know Briar—she doesn’t put up with that shit.

She works incredibly hard to make sure she never, ever asks them for anything.

Not even love for her daughter. Which is the sad part. ”

“So she created a family of her own with people who give their love freely—people she doesn’t have to ask for anything from. They just give it.”

“Yeah. They’re not bad people, just not the parents we wish they were.”

“That’s their loss then,” she whispers, scooting closer to me. “You’re amazing, and the family you’ve created with your friends and sister—that’s special. Something most people would do anything to have. I’m so honored and humbled to even be a tiny part of it.”

“Thank you.” I kiss the tip of her nose.

“Now it makes more sense why Briar is so intent on Sunday Dinners and is so protective of your family.”

“Yeah. I think our upbringing bothers her more than me because… well, I’m a guy.

I’m good with a frozen pizza in front of the TV on a Sunday night.

She’s the one who made me—all of us really—want a more traditional family.

The friendship between us guys happened organically, but when Briar had Frankie, she was determined to give her child the life we didn’t have. Even if it was subconscious at first.”

“That makes sense. I don’t recall having a family life, to be honest,” she says after a moment.

“I have no memories of my father, and then my mom threw herself into making me a star. There were no Sunday dinners, or intimate family get-togethers, or fun holiday trips. It was all work and diets and casting calls and photo shoots.”

“That doesn’t sound like a great childhood,” I say gently.

“No.” She shakes her head, her eyes shrouded, as if she’s somewhere far away. “I just hate that I can’t remember my dad but I can…watch him die.”

“What?” I frown in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“He’s one of the people who jumped. He was a fireman, but according to his best friend, he found a pregnant woman on the stairs.

She was scared and didn’t want to burn to death—she wanted it to be over quickly.

He did everything to get her and some of the others out, but when they realized there was nowhere to go…

they jumped together. There’s footage. My mom used to watch it when I was a kid. ”

“Jesus.” I hiss out a breath. “That’s fucked up. I’m so sorry, baby.”

“He was in contact with the rest of his battalion. His last words were ‘tell my girls I love them.’ And then he was gone.” She swipes at a tear and I tighten my arms around her.

What the hell is wrong with some people? Why would anyone traumatize a child like that? It’s different for her mom—she was married to the man and had to deal with the reality of his death. But Willow never knew him.

I really want to shake her mother.

“You want to see his picture?” she asks after a moment.

“Sure.” I nod, hoping that brings her comfort.

She slides off the bed and goes to the box of her father’s things. She keeps it in the closet, so I can’t see it, but I know that’s where she’s going. I hear her rustling, then some muttering, and finally a curse.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, getting up and padding to the closet where she has a murderous look on her face.

“He took it,” she hisses. “That bastard took it!”

“A picture of your dad?”

“The picture I put in a little silver frame. He’s in his fireman’s uniform, holding me. It’s the only picture I have of us together.” She puts her hands on her hips. “It’s my favorite, and he knows it.” Her eyes close, more tears sliding free. “We have to go back.”

“Babe.” I approach her slowly and put my hands on her shoulders. “Short of breaking and entering, you know we can’t. You have to be patient.”

“It’s theft!” she protests, her eyes flying open and searching my face.

“It’s the one damn thing I have of him and I together.

He knows it means the world to me—that’s why he pulled it out.

He knew there was a chance I’d get my personal things back, so he took the one thing that would hurt me most.”

“I know. And we’ll get it back, but we need to be patient while Madeline and Atlas work on things behind the scenes.”

“What if he destroys it?” she whispers.

The pain in her eyes breaks my heart.

“Someone, somewhere, must have a copy. The negatives. Whatever. I promise you, Willow—if he did destroy it, I will move heaven and earth to get you another copy.”

At that, she falls into my arms.

“Thank you,” she whispers softly.

Is it wrong that I want to tell her I love her?

That she’s the part of me I didn’t know was missing?

That I want to give her the world and never let go?

Those kinds of words don’t come easy to me.

It’s probably too soon anyway.

I don’t want to scare her away. She already had both a mother and a man controlling her—what she needs from me is freedom. A man who’ll let her find her own way for once.

So that’s what I’m going to try to give her.