Chapter 13
Here’s your water.” Cash set the bottle on the bedside table. “Do you need anything else?”
Clover shook his head, and Cash tucked him into the blankets before climbing onto the king-sized mattress next to him.
After the night’s horrors, he had no intentions of letting his son out of his sight, and Clover was all too eager to sleep in his dad’s room.
They stayed at the mansion until an unreasonably late hour, and when they were finally permitted to leave, the kind officer had driven them home.
“I’ll be right here when you wake up.” Cash wrapped an arm around his boy’s shoulders. “You don’t have to be afraid.”
“I’m not,” Clover said. “I knew you’d come for me. I know what you did in the military. Grandpa told me.”
“I hope he didn’t tell you too much.”
“I like the stories,” Clover said. “You’re a hero, so I knew you would find me.”
“I’ll always come for you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
Cash kissed his son’s head and turned off the light. He’d plugged in a nightlight in the corner at Clover’s request, though. The boy hadn’t used one for months, but they both needed it tonight.
“So, that was my mom?” Clover asked.
“She was. We’ve talked about her before, but do you have any questions?”
“Is she a bad person?”
“Unfortunately, I think so,” Cash said. “Which is why you shouldn’t be upset that she left us. It had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with her. You’re an amazing kid, and this is her loss.”
“I know,” Clover said. “Grandma tells me that all the time. She says I’m her perfect boy, and anyone who doesn’t want to be with me is dumb. She says it’s why you’re such a great dad.”
“Oh my gosh, what don’t my parents discuss with you?”
Clover shrugged. “We talked a lot about you whenever you were overseas. We talked about my mom too. I know she didn’t leave because of me. I just didn’t think I would ever meet her.”
“Are you upset that you did?”
“I don’t know,” Clover said. “She scared me. I don’t want her living with us.”
“Well, she won’t. I won’t let her hurt you ever again.”
“I know, Dad. I’ve known for a long time that my mother was never coming back. It’s okay. I’m not sad.”
“You sound sad, though.”
“Because I thought Sable loved us.” Clover sniffled, and Cash was glad it was dark so that his son wouldn’t see his pain. “I thought she wanted to live with us and be my mom.”
“Really? What makes you say that?”
“Right here.” Clover rubbed his chest. “Something tugs on my heart whenever I see her.”
“You felt a tugging?” Cash asked in disbelief. Rumor had it that when a single parent experienced the soulmate bond, a parental form of the connection spread to the children, but he’d never seen it happen. It seemed his relationship with Sable was manifesting in his son, though.
“Yeah, right here.” Clover rubbed his chest again.
“It started the first day I saw her, and it keeps getting stronger. I know that scary lady is my real mother, but I don’t know her.
I know Sable, though, and you love her. I’d hoped you two would get married, but I guess she doesn’t want to be my mom, either. ”
Clover dissolved into tears, and Cash wanted to hate Sable. How could she do this to his boy? It was bad enough she’d broken his heart, but now she’d hurt his kid. How could they both feel the soulmate bond when she clearly didn’t care about them?
“Clover, look at me.” Cash cupped his son’s face. “Remember what Grandma said. Anyone who doesn’t want to be with you is dumb. This isn’t on you. She’s being foolish, but I love you. I’m not leaving you. I’ll never leave you.”
“I know, Dad, but I really liked Sable. My heart hurts.”
“I know, buddy.” Cash hugged his son until the boy cried himself to sleep. “Mine does too.”
The phone rang, destroying the silence, and Cash jerked awake. The sunlight peeking through the curtains warned they’d overslept, but he didn’t want to wake Clover. The boy needed his rest.
“Hello?” Cash whispered as he crawled out of bed and shut himself in the master bathroom.
“Boss?” a museum guard said. “You need to get down here.”
“What’s wrong?” Cash’s body instantly went into fight mode.
“Nothing,” the man chuckled. “Nothing at all. Just get here ASAP. There’s something you need to see.”
The guard hung up, and Cash stared at his phone. He’d fully expected to be fired after last night, but by the humor in the guard’s voice, he wondered if he was mistaken.
“Dad?” Clover knocked on the door. “I got to pee.”
“Sorry.” Cash left the bathroom so his son could use it. “Hey, buddy, I need to go to work quick. What do you say we spend the day having fun? I’ll stop by the museum first, and then we’ll get breakfast. Whatever you want. You can pick every activity we do today.”
“It’s Saturday. Can we go to a baseball game?” Clover opened the door, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.
“Um… sure. There should be a local game.”
“Okay, that’s what I want. And donuts. I want donuts.”
“Donuts and baseball it is,” Cash ruffled his boy’s hair, and it warmed his heart that Clover smiled. “Go get dressed.”
A half-hour later, Cash parked in the employee garage at the museum and held his son’s hand until they reached the security office.
“Hey, boss,” the room chimed, and Cash stared at the Fae males in confusion. Why were they in such a good mood?
“Hey, buddy. How are you?” an older guard asked Clover. “I’m about to do my rounds. Wanna help?”
“Dad, can I?” Clover asked, and seeing the expression on the older Fae’s face, Cash agreed. His employees clearly wanted his undivided attention for whatever was coming next.
“Thanks!” Clover gave his father a quick hug before racing after the gentleman.
“So what’s going on?” Cash asked.
“Come on,” the guard who’d called him said. “You need to see it to believe it.”
The man left the office, and a confused Cash followed hard on his heels. They wound through the museum, and he was shocked at how the day was business as usual. Guests milled about as if nothing had happened. No police swarmed the exhibits. Everything was completely normal.
“In here.” The guard gestured to the Precieux Exhibit. “See for yourself.”
Cash stared at his colleague, wondering for the briefest second if this was a trap, and then he stepped into the room. “Holy shit!” His voice echoed off the ceiling. “No way.”
“That’s what I said,” the guard chuckled. “I thought I was seeing things.”
“Has it been authenticated?”
“First thing this morning when we found it. It’s the real deal, sir.
Right where it belongs, as if it never left.
” He stared at Cash with meaning. “Actually, the security footage was on the fritz last night. It went static during the gala and didn’t turn back on until this morning, so we don’t have any proof it was ever missing.
As far as anyone knows, it sat there all night…
just like it’s supposed to.” He winked, the simple movement confirming that the team supported their boss.
“Do you mind if I take a closer look?” Cash asked as hope filled his chest. Not all was lost. It seemed he still had a job.
“Not at all, Sir.” The guard stepped backward, and Cash strode through the exhibit to the centerpiece.
The magnificent centerpiece. It had always been beautiful, but staring at its brilliant shine, he was convinced something had changed.
It was far more precious than he remembered, and with tears in his eyes, he reached out and touched the Precieux Golden Egg.
“I know you’re off today,” the guard said as Cash rejoined him outside the exhibit. “But will you be here tomorrow?”
“Make that Monday when Clover goes back to school,” Cash said. “I don’t want to leave him alone with a sitter.”
“Sounds good, Sir. How is the boy? I can’t imagine what he went through.”
“He’s shaken up and afraid. He’s strong, though, and wearing a brave face, but only time will tell. I’ll probably ask my parents to visit and get in touch with a child therapist.”
“I hope it all goes well.” The guard clapped him on the back. “He’s a good kid.”
“The best,” Cash said with one final glance at the Golden Egg to ensure it still sat on its display, and as the guard returned to work, he jogged downstairs. He knew the older guard’s route. He would catch up with them and then take Clover for his promised donuts.
Cash burst onto the main floor, but a quick survey of the room told him his son wasn’t with the guard. Panic clawed at his throat until he saw him standing before the goddess of love sculptures with a woman… a brunette woman with elegant bunny ears growing from her head.
“That’s the legend at least,” the woman’s voice reached his ears as he jogged across the floor. “If you take their hands, they’ll bless you with love.”
“Have you ever taken their hands?” Clover asked.
“No,” the woman said. “I should have, though. I got into a lot of trouble because I didn’t.”
“Well, shouldn’t you do it now?”
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
“I think you should.”
“Okay. I will.” The brunette reached out and slipped her soft hand into Aphrodite’s stone one, and Cash had to fight back the tears as Clover stared at the woman’s free hand.
For a long moment, his boy fixated on her dangling fingers, and then with hesitant movements, he gripped her hand instead of the statue’s.
“What do you think?” the woman asked as her fist folded around Clover’s small fingers. “Are we blessed now?”
“Yes,” Clover said as if he were the topmost authority on romantic blessings. “Oh, Dad! Look.”
Clover gazed up at him with a grin wide enough to swallow his face, and the woman twisted to meet his gaze. Cash almost tripped when he saw her. He hadn’t had the chance to admire her true form last night, but seeing her as nature intended was a spiritual experience.
“Hi, you must be Clover’s father,” the brunette said as if they were strangers. “This is one great kid you have. He’s been kind enough to show me around while he waited for you. I hope you don’t mind.”