Page 85 of Your Last First Kiss

Before he can say anything else, I try to make light of it and fill her in without overwhelming her. “Well, as the new owner of the TAC, I can’t be seen supporting the Brandts now, can I?”

It’s meant to lighten the mood, but she pales, which means I’m fucking it all up.

“You bought the TAC?” she whispers, a beautiful crease appearing between her eyebrows. The smallest imperfection, and I have an overwhelming desire to soothe it away.

“Well, not yet,” I say, tugging on my jacket zipper and dropping my gaze. I’m suddenly boiling in my own sweat. “The paperwork will take a few weeks. But we have an agreement in place.” Stepping into the entryway, I mutter, “Sort of.”

The sound of Mari crying sends all three of us in that direction, and now I know I wasn’t imagining the dark circles under Penny’s eyes. She’s done a good job of hiding them with whatever makeup women use to do that shit, but I feel it now in her hunched shoulders and how she shuffles her feet instead of walking with her usual purposeful stride.

Before we enter the auxiliary gym, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lower my mouth to her ear. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Her eyes widen as she glances around, but I know I kept my voice low enough for no one else to hear.

“You can’t. We have to…”

“We have to talk. And we will. But make no mistake, I’m here to try for you. That makes you my baby, my sweetheart, my fucking queen. It makes you mine if you’ll have me, and it definitely makes me yours. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” But the weight of her sigh could knock over a brick house. “I’m just tired. Mari’s teething. She was up all night.”

Placing both hands on her shoulders, I turn her to face me. “I’m here now. I’ll help tonight.” She tries to pull away, but I move in tandem. “Let me speak to Kai, deal with Remy and Miller, and then I’ll be over with dinner. Okay?”

Even if she wanted to fight me on it, I think she’s too tired and stressed to do it, so she nods.

With a final squeeze on her upper arms, I let her go and watch as she enters the gym. Gage is running in circles with Izzy chasing him. Kai sits, swaying Mari on his shoulder. Landon, Lia, and Remy are seated at a card table with papers strewn about.

But my eyes keep drifting back to Kai. So much responsibility is thrown at this young boy’s feet. Penny tries to shield him, but like a lot of kids who grow up like him, he feels a responsibility to the household that won’t allow him to be a kid.

If I do one thing right with him, it has to be teaching him to enjoy what’s left of his childhood. He deserves that and so much more.

Penny heads straight for Kai and Mari, lifting the baby into her arms before saying something to him and pulling him in close.

My chest pinches watching them, and my breathing shallows with a need to wrap them all up in my arms and put them in a bubble. My bubble.

“You are so fucked,” Miller whispers at my side.

“I am,” I say through the purest smile I’ve ever worn. “But I’m going to need your help.” We’re standing in a similar stance—side by side with our arms crossed over our chests, but I turn my head to face him. “A lot of help.”

He looks from me to the family spread out in front of us, then finally to our surroundings. “You’re going to get me in over my head, aren’t you?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” I grin. Cursing seems to be our love language. “Can you handle it?”

“Guess we’ll find out after you tell me the plan instead of just throwing a challenge at me.”

I clap him on the shoulder. It’s a friendly reaction that should surprise me after trying to keep my circle small for so many years, but it doesn’t. Miller is a friend. And if I have my way, he’ll also be part of my family.

“I need to speak to Kai. Can you get everyone over to Penny’s, and then drive me to the damn lighthouse?”

He chuckles and meanders over to Izzy. His laughter is light and unfettered, but I’m not naïve enough to believe he doesn’t carry his own demons.

Demons.

My eyes immediately fly to the banners hanging all over this place. That is going to change. Now.

I stride to the closest banner and rip it down. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard and echoes loudly in the gym. Everyone turns to me.

“We’re rebranding,” I say, trying to keep the emotion from my tone and watching Kai’s expression closely. When I think I see the first hint of relief wash away the sadness that boy carries like a noose, I rip another one down. “Have at it, kids. Put it all in a pile by the door.”

The little kids run through the gym, excited by the possibility of destruction without consequences, and they have no idea of the deeper meaning happening above their heads.