Page 86 of Mine

“No,” he said. “Spam call. Been trying to get them off my line for weeks.”

It startled a laugh out of me, and he frowned like he didn’t understand. I shrugged. “It’s just funny. All this money, and you still have to deal with telemarketers.”

He smirked, nudging me. “Told you I was a normal guy.”

When the doors opened on Dad’s floor, West kissed the side of my head, but let me go in alone. I’d told him I wanted them to meet, and after he’d insisted it wasn’t necessary, he assured me he’d do anything I wanted. West pretended he was all control, but sometimes he didn’t see what his presence did for people. What it did for me. And what I knew it’d do for Dad.

Dad was sitting up when I pushed open the door, bright-eyed, with Lisa beside him. Relief hit so hard my knees went weak.

“There’s my favorite girl,” he said.

“Hey, Dad.” I kissed his forehead, smiling at the color back in his cheeks.

Lisa started to move, but I shook my head. “Stay. Please.” She had been good for him, I could see it in the way his shoulders eased when she was near. “Actually, I want you to meet someone.”

“Like this?” Dad teased, wiggling his socked toes. “Without my good house shoes?”

“I’ll grab them tonight,” I promised. “But I thought maybe you’d like to meet West now. Might help you sleep better knowing who I’ve been spending all my time with.”

That was all that mattered, that Dad felt better, rested easier. Whatever fallout came from the lies West and I were living, I’d carry it. But Dad deserved peace right now.

I stepped back into the hall, caught West’s eye, and waved him in. He straightened his shoulders immediately, slipping into that commanding stride that made everyone in the area turn their heads.

I watched my dad’s expression shift when he walked into his room. First he was wide-eyed, like he was meeting a celebrity, then they turned sharper and assessing.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” West said, offering his hand. “I’m West Brooks.”

Dad shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you.”

He even introduced himself to Lisa, thanking her, and Lisa gave him a small nod, flustered but pleased.

I fidgeted, nervous energy coiling in me, until West slid his hand into mine and pressed a kiss to the side of my head. It grounded me instantly.

Dad smirked, leaning back in bed. “So, West… you do any fishing?”

They didn’t bond over fishing. But they found something else.

Legos.

I brought it up offhand, telling West how Dad sometimes worked little sets at the dining room table to keep his fingersnimble. I expected West to brush it off. Instead, his whole face lit up.

When Dad mentioned saving up for the First Edition Millennium Falcon he’d found on eBay, West grinned, leaned forward like a kid, and admitted he already had one. That he’d have to invite Dad over to see his Lego room.

Dad’s eyes went wide.Room?

West had clearly not meant to say it out loud, but once it slipped, he went with it and Dad’s day was made.

I sat back in my chair, stunned. Because for all the ways West kept himself locked down, he’d just given my dad a piece of himself he didn’t share with anyone. And he hadn’t even hesitated.

Hours passed easily. They talked. They laughed. Lisa drifted in and out, fussing over Dad but smiling when West said something to make him laugh.

Eventually, I stood, touching Dad’s arm. “We’re heading back to Harmony Haven. Gonna grab your slippers.”

Lisa promised she’d stay by his side, that she’d be close by in her hotel if he needed anything.

When West and I stepped into the elevator, I squeezed his hand. “I want to make sure Lisa’s room and expenses are covered while she’s here.”

“It’s already done,” he said, squeezing back.