Page 255 of Things We Hide from the Light

I shook my head. “If you’re planning on sticking around, I guess we’d better start looking for a house,” I drawled.

Lina blanched and stepped on my foot. I grinned down at her and hoped I never lost the power to rattle her.

“You want to buy a house together?” she squeaked.

“There’s no way your entire wardrobe is gonna fit in my closet. Might as well find a place that’ll hold all those nice bags and shoes.”

Her eyes narrowed as she rose to the challenge. “You know, if we’re buying a house together I guess a wedding might be kind of fun,” she mused.

“I think so,” I agreed amicably.

“And after seeing Knox and Waylay…maybe one kid wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

“One kid definitely wouldn’t be the worst.”

She rolled her eyes heavenward. “How can you be so blasé about all this? This is your entire future we’re talking about. Real estate and marriage andbabies.”

“Angel, as long as you’re by my side, none of that scares me.”

She shook her head and looked up at the canopy of trees and sky above us. “Well, I’m pretty damn terrified. What if you change your mind?”

I dropped her into a dramatic dip and reveled in the way her arms tightened around me. “Too late for that.”

“No, it’s not. In fact, now’s the ideal time for you to change your mind before we do anything permanent.”

I righted us both and cupped her face in my hands.. “Let me show you exactly how permanent this is right now.”

“Lead the way,” she said.

I was towing her away from the party when someone called my name.

“Dammit,” I muttered.

I turned and found my father standing there. The man who’d sat next to him during the ceremony was behind him.

“I just wanted to say goodbye,” Dad said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He had his jacket slung over his arm and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. The 0522 was still visible, though faded to a grayish blue on his skin.

“This is Clark, by the way. He’s my sponsor,” Dad said, making the introductions.

Surprised, I offered my hand. “Good to meet you, Clark.”

“You too. Your dad’s been making some positive headway,” he said.

“Glad to hear it.”

Dad looked past me and offered Lina a small smile.

“Dad, this is Lina. My fiancée.” I couldn’t wait to change that word to wife.My wife.

“I figured that one out during the ceremony,” Dad teased. “Congratulations to you both.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Morgan. Your sons turned out pretty great,” Lina said, shaking his hand. She looked down at his arm at the number inked into his skin, then looked at me, her gaze going soft.

“Call me Duke. And I can’t take credit for my sons. All the good in them came from Jayla.”

I hadn’t heard my dad use Mom’s name in years. Maybe there really was hope.

“Notallthe good,” Lina countered.