Page 59 of Kade

“He will.”

The little boy finally nodded, but the dead look remained. Kade suspected it wasn’t until he saw proof of Juan’s demise that Matthew would start to recover from whatever he’d been through.

“Can I hold him?” Kade asked Angel, unsure if she’d give him up. Not that he’d blame her if she refused.

Her arms tightened around Mateo, but she finally nodded. Kade took him from her and hugged his son to him, unabashed tears streaming down his face. His son. Kade fell, holding the little boy so close it might be choking him, but he held on.

He was finally holding his son.

Kade sent up a prayer of thanks. For this, he’d haul his ass to church every Sunday for the rest of his life. God had done him a solid and brought them both back to him.

He sat there for a long time, Mateo clasped against him, and breathed in the scent of him. He smelled of the beach, of sand, and salt, and that unique smell that was all little boy.

He’d been conceived here, and it was right that he smelled of the things his mother loved the most. Everything was right with the world.

He just had one more thing to take care of before they could go home.

Angel glanced at her son to make sure he was safe before letting her attention center on the gravestone in front of her.

Peter Marcus Lemoraux.

Kade promised she’d be able to come say goodbye to her brother, and he’d done exactly that. She brushed the dirt away from the headstone and placed the flowers over the grave. Daffodils. It was their mother’s favorite flower. She didn’t know if Peter liked them, but she’d put identical flowers on her parents’ gravestones a few minutes earlier.

“Hey, big brother.” She squatted beside the gravestone’s header that readbeloved son and brother. “I missed you.”

The wind kicked up, and she let it wash over her. Who could say it wasn’t Peter listening and letting her know he heard her and missed her too? She would believe it was him.

“I just wanted to let you know I forgive you. If you hadn’t made Kade promise to leave me, maybe you would still be here. I’m mad as fuck about that, but I forgive you. You were only trying to keep me safe.”

She traced his name with her finger.

“I want you to know I’m happy. I found Kade again, and we found our son. He’s a little damaged, but we’ll help him. I need you to know I’m good, big brother, and I know you’ll always have my back. Me and you…” She used her index finger to gesture back and forth between the stone and herself. “We always got each other’s back.”

Kade’s arms went around her, and she let the first sob out. It hurt so much to be here, to say goodbye. She hadn’t let herself do it when she’d buried him. She’d been too pissed, and then she’d buried every emotion she had in regard to Peter and Kade.

“It’s okay,moye serdste.” He hugged her close, and she cried harder. “He knows you forgive him and how much you love him. He knows.”

“I know.” She hiccupped and leaned into him. “I just miss him so much. Did I tell you I had a dream about him last night?”

“You did?”

“He was sitting in the living room at the old house watchingMy Little Pony,of all things. There was a little girl sitting in front of the TV. They were having a tea party. She was wearing an Ariel princess costume, and her red hair was glinting like fire in the sunlight.” Angel twisted so she could see her husband. “I think it was his way of saying we’re having a girl.”

“Fuck that.”

She laughed at the horror that spread across his expression. Kade and his brothers all agreed the one thing that kept them all sane was that they’d never had a sister to worry about growing up. Give them a niece, and their lives would turn into a living hell of fierce protectiveness.

“It’s a girl. I know it.” She let him help her up, her tears starting to dry as the dream made more and more sense to her. “Arielle Patricia Kincaid.”

“I’m not having it.” Kade shook his head, his eyes wide as saucers. “There will be no girls born into this family.”

“Too bad, husband. Your daughter will be here in a few short months.”

“Then I guess we’d better get her mama to the altar before she’s as big as a house.”

“I thought you weren’t having it?” she teased.

“I’m not, but if God is cruel enough to give me a daughter, I will take her and keep her locked away until she’s eighty.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Are you ready to go home?”

She gave one last look at her brother’s grave, saying goodbye. “Let’s go home.”