6. Aspen
Each word slaps me until I’m sitting back against the comfortable chair, blinking wildly. Pike and Caden are unfazed by Flint’s blunt announcement, the story apparently old news to them.
“Coming for Lily?” I echo. “How? When? What do you mean?”
I fire out the questions, one after another, as Flint holds up his hand. “Allow me to explain.”
He draws in a deep breath and casts the others quick looks, as if asking them to assist in this conversation, but both Pike and Caden remain tight-lipped. The artist appears narrow-eyed, as if he doesn’t want to tell me at all, but he hadn’t objected originally. As always, however, Caden looks like he’s enjoying his friend’s discomfort and sits back to cross his arms over his broad barrel chest, fingers twining through his dark beard.
“As you already know, Ryker and Alexandra, our friends, appointed all three of us guardians of Lily. We’ve been caring for her since they passed.”
My eyes narrow as I hone my ears, listening for falsehoods in what he’s going to say. The thickness in the room is sliceable, the tension suffocating, like they’re all doing their best to hide something from me.
“They did that because they had no family to speak of, not really,” Flint continues.
“We were their family,” Pike growls defensively.
“Pike,” Flint says tiredly. “We’re not arguing the semantics of it right now.” He turns back to me and sighs. “Alex grew up with her grandparents, who passed away when she was in high school, and Ryker lost his entire family to a terrible fire when he was young. He talked a little about his past. But no one ever came by the house for visits, and they never went anywhere that wasn’t vacation related. They genuinely only had us and this community. There were no extended family visits, no aunts or uncles popping by.”
“Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do—oh!” Suddenly I understand. “Ryker did have a family!”
Flint seems impressed with my instant deduction. “Her name is Raya, and she’s a cousin on his father’s side—or so she claims. She says she’s willing to provide DNA samples, so I’m apt to believe she is who she says she is.”
“She can’t just waltz in here and take Lily!” I gasp, aghast at the idea. “You have been raising her! It’s in the will, isn’t it?”
Julian speaks now, taking over where Flint has left off.
“She is asking to come and visit, for starters,” the attorney explains.
“Hell no! She’s not welcome here with her boyfriend or fiancé or whoever that asshole claims to be,” Caden interjects. “She’s not stepping one foot inside this community. I’ll build a damn army if I have to.”
Flint rolls his eyes. “You and the retirees at the Sunside Retirement Village? Maybe the local softball team can help you out.”
Caden bucks his teeth and makes a face.
“But my overzealous friend is right: we give her an inch, she will undoubtedly take a mile,” Flint concedes. “Get her to stop with the threats.”
“She’s not threatening you, not really. She’s Lily’s family and has a right to visit her cousin,” Julian sighs. “I’ve already told you this.”
“First cousin, once removed,” Caden quips.
“Caden!” Flint growls, and the doctor shrugs and winks at me.
But I’m not charmed today, my insides vibrating with the news.
“But she can’t have any legal standing. That would make her Ryker’s first cousin. You said she wants to take Lily?”
Again, all the men look at one another, and Flint releases a sigh.
“She hasn’t come outright and said it, but each of her letters is more aggressive, hinting that she’s ‘owed’ something and that ‘family comes first.’ She’s leading up to something, and we know that’s what’s coming. Lily’s inheritance will bring all the bloodthirsty vultures, Raya the least of them. We need to ensure we nip this in the bud before it goes too far.”
I eye them blankly, not understanding what exactly they have in mind.
“Lily needs to be formally adopted,” Julian lays out. “I’ve explained this before to Flint. It will protect her from anyone swooping in and claiming rights to guardianship—or her inheritance.”
I gawk at them. “She hasn’t been?”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” Pike mutters. “The red tape and paperwork…”
I wait, expecting more, but Pike trails off as Caden finishes. “No one is going to allow the adoption of a little girl to three single men in this living situation.”
Ah. Yes. That makes more sense.
“This is where we need your help, Aspen,” Flint tells her.
I swallow, uneasiness overcoming me.
“What can I do?” I mumble. “I just got here.”
Flint flashes me one of his placating grins. “It’s nothing bad, and nothing you’re not already doing. We just need you to be a source of constant stability for Lily.”
“And to testify that nothing untoward is going on around here,” Caden adds.
A breath draws into my lungs, and I shoot a look at Caden and Pike, who both sit up tensely now.
“I-I just got here,” I remind them. “I can only testify to so much.”
“Then lie,” Caden says flatly. “You need to make us look good.”
“I going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Julian says.
I shift in my chair.
“Do you think we’re doing anything untoward?” Pike fires out at me.
“No! Of course not! I wouldn’t be here if I did!”
“That’s all you need to say,” Pike responds.
I draw in a breath, my fingers working nervously in my lap. “Are all three of you going to adopt her?” I ask, unsure of how the laws work in that regard.
“I wish,” Caden mutters angrily, flopping back in his chair.
Flint sighs. “In order to adopt Lily, one of us is going to have to apply for full guardianship. The boys and I have discussed it and decided that I will be that person.”
I lift my head. “Why you?”
Caden bursts out laughing as Pike snorts. Flint is less amused.
Blushing furiously, I stammer, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Inhaling, I collect myself and try again. “I’m only asking why, of the three of you, you were chosen. You’re equally successful; you all live here, and Lily adores each of you. It doesn’t seem fair…”
I trail off, realizing that I’m just making things worse.
“I’m the one with the most… stability,” Flint replies delicately. “The world of art is slightly unpredictable, and Caden doesn’t take his career as seriously as he should—especially after he changed his specialty.”
Caden grimaces at the reminder.
My eyes again stray toward him. I wonder what he did before plastic surgery.
What was he doing before?I shrug off the question and try to keep up with what’s happening around me, the comingling of all their masculinity overpowering me now, making me feel four feet tall as they encircle me with some secret I have yet to learn.
“But even with my stability and family name,” Flint adds, “Julian thinks it will make a much better case for the courts to have a female influence in the house. Lily is a little girl. She needs a maternal influence.”
I bob my head slowly. “She has Zoe, too.”
“A nanny is better,” Caden insists. “Or a wife.”
He leers at Flint, and I choke on my saliva as his friend scowls at him. “Stop being an ass, Caden.”
All eyes are on me now, the men waiting for me to say something, and I clear my throat. “I will do whatever it takes to ensure Lily’s happiness,” I promise them. “But please, don’t give me any reason to lie, okay?”
I turn to leave them alone in Flint’s office, my heart breaking for them a bit.