Chapter 25 #2
I laugh and drop another kiss on the top of her head. “Yes, I had to be bondy. I couldn’t risk the bad guys hacking our calls or messages and knowing where to find me.”
“Now you’z home, you be safe?” She looks up at me again, her face serious, deep brown eyes worried.
“Yes, my bumble. Now I’m home, I’m safe. And I have so many plans for you, my baby.”
She bounces in excitement, and catches my chin with the top of her head, making my teeth clack together and shooting an eye-watering sting through my sinuses.
She claps a hand to her crown, which is probably sore from the impact, since I have a sharp chin, before throwing herself at me. “Oppa! I’z so sorry!”
I laugh despite the ache. “It’s okay. I’m very excited to be home with you, too.”
“You’z tell me the plans or I’z ruined them?” Her sweet face creases in concern.
“You haven’t ruined anything. I’ll tell you one of my plans. Everything else is a surprise for my bumble.”
She rubs my chin, which is no longer hurting except for how hard she’s rubbing.
I take her hand, fold it in mine, and kiss her knuckles.
“Remember I said I thought we could build a tree up into my loft? With a little platform you could hide on and pounce from? And I said we’d do that in September for your half-birthday? ”
She nods, her eyes getting wider with each word.
“And it’s September now, isn’t it?”
A huge grin breaks across her face. “We’z build a tree?”
“We build a tree,” I confirm. “I contacted the decorator who did my apartment while I was in England. She said she’d come as soon as I got back to take measurements, but she sent me some preliminary designs already. I think you’ll love them, baby.”
“Oppa, a pouncing tree! That will be so much fun.”
I tuck her into my side and steer her into the kitchen where Emily and Logan are waiting. “It will. And that’s just the start of all the fun we’re going to have.”
She sighs happily.
Emily offers us iced tea. Although the idea of tea makes my British PTSD twitch, I take it, happy for something cold. Although the worst of the summer heat passed while I was freezing my balls off across the Atlantic, the September evening’s a sauna in comparison to deepest, chilliest Devon.
“You’re staying the night, right?” Logan asks as we’re all sipping our drinks.
I glance at Cynnie, who smiles at me. She’s happy with whatever decision I make.
Although I’m eager for my own bed, I’ve had enough traveling for one day.
And I know what’s really behind Logan’s question.
He wants me under his roof tonight, where he knows I’m safe.
I could argue that I’m safer at my place, but Logan really does have his townhouse zipped up tight.
“Yeah, we will,” I say. “Your family knows you’re out overnight, baby?”
Cynnie nods. “And that I won’t be back tomorrow. I told Papa and Baachan and texted Jun.”
I kiss her forehead. “Good girl.”
Emily asks me about the trip and I regale them with stories of De Leon’s questionable takeout choices until the time change catches up with me and I can’t stifle my yawns anymore.
Logan claps me on the shoulder. “You must be shattered, mate. Take first crack at the bathroom. Shout if you need anything.”
“Thanks, man.”
Logan squeezes lightly. “Thank you, Maxie. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
I shift so I can give him a one-armed hug. He holds me long enough that I know he’s remembering our text exchange after I saw the little pond where Nicholas Porter drowned. He releases me before it gets awkward.
Emmy rushes in for a hug as soon as Logan steps back. “I’m so glad you’re home safe.”
I give her a squeeze before handing her back to Logan. “Me, too, Em. I didn’t have much time for sightseeing, but I spent an hour or two at Exeter Cathedral. I thought you might like the pictures I took. Maybe for a book?”
She claps her little hands together. “I’d love them. I’ve never been to Exeter.”
“I’ll upload them to the Cloud account I set up for you and Lo. Night-night, girlie.”
“Night-night, Max.” She leans in and gives Cynnie a big hug. “Cinnamon rolls for breakfast.”
Cynnie squees, which makes me laugh.
“Cinnamon rolls? Now those can’t be good for someone’s cholesterol,” I toss over my shoulder as I lead Cynnie away.
“Shut yer face, mate,” Logan growls. “All that take-away? Your cholesterol’s way higher than mine right now.”
I chuckle at him.
I grab our bags as we pass through the hallway. Cynnie wore her black sack, which is hanging on a coat hook, and brought an oversized backpack embroidered with flights of grinning bees.
“This new, baby?” I ask as we climb the stairs.
“Uh-huh. I’z went thrifting with Emmy and Aggie while you were gone. Don’t tell Logan, but we found sooo much good stuff.”
“Why can’t I tell Logan? Is it a surprise for him?”
Cynnie nods. “We bought her the most amazing outfits for the collaring ceremony. He’s going to love them.”
“Something I don’t understand about this ceremony,” I say, scratching my head. “She already wears a collar.”
“He’s going to lock it. Iz special.”
The wistful lisp makes me realize I’ve missed a trick. “Baby, is a collar something you’d like?”
She becomes very interested in the hallway rug.
I slip my finger under her chin and lift her face until I can see her eyes. “Baby?”
“Doan know,” she says. “Emily’s isn’t something I could wear at home. My family would ask questions. And I don’t want something I’d have to take off.”
The best ideas pop into my head fully formed, and that’s what happens now.
“I have something for you. A very special something.” Something I didn’t get to give her before I left for England because of De Leon and his fucking shifting timetables.
“It’s not something anyone but you and I would know is a collar.
We could get the chain reinforced and you’d never have to take it off. ”
Her eyes widen and deepen with a sweet softness. “Something you’z got me already?”
I nod.
She throws her arms around my waist. “Oppa.”
I hug her hard, feeling that swell of Daddyness again. It’s comforting and protective and affectionate . . . but it’s more than that.
Since Uncle Max died, I haven’t had any sense of home. My apartment’s the place I lay my servers, but it’s just an apartment. I could sell up and be gone tomorrow without any sense of loss. Holding Cynnie, standing in Logan’s guest room, I’m home in a way I haven’t been in a very long time.
“Let’s brush our teeth and get in bed, my bumble baby. I want to cuddle you to sleep. I’ll growl and pounce and love you hard in the morning. Right now, I need to sleep with you in my arms.”
She nods fervently. “I hazn’t slept through since you’ve been gone.”
“Oh, baby, is that true? I wish I’d known.”
She rubs her cheek against my pec as I fumble my toiletry bag out of my luggage one handed. “Not your fault. I was just thinkin’ ‘bout you and missin’ you and I couldn’t sleep good. I still got my eight hours, but it was broken. Now you’z back, I’ll sleep all night.”
“We both will.” I stroke her soft, smooth head. “I couldn’t sleep half the time with De Leon farting in the other bed.”
She giggles wildly. “Was he stinky?”
I wave a hand under my nose. “You have no idea.”
More adorable giggles as she trails me into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
I used to shrug off both hangovers and jetlag with equal ease. But I must be getting old, because I sleep for eleven hours with my bumble snuggled into my side and wake wondering not just what time it is, but what fucking year it is.
A long, playful fuck with my bumble, a much shorter lift with Logan, and a late breakfast help clear the time-fog. I pop a text to Ty to tell him I’m back and, when he responds during a school break, arrange for a gaming and pizza night so I can spend the full day with my bumble.
I’m aware there are things waiting for me that are much less pleasant than playing with Cynnie and creating a safe space for my tenant’s kid.
I left the phone Ness uses to contact me behind in case he’d snuck a tracker onto it, despite my frequent scans.
I’m sure he’s left me a threat or two. I’m up to date with my course work, but Lindy will, no doubt, levy some punitive coding assignment when he finds out I’m back in retaliation for me missing his exam.
It can all wait. Today’s a day to be with my family.
With Cynnie. With Logan and Emily. With Mac when he joins us.
It’s one of those September days in the City where the sun is warm but the breeze is cool.
The perfect temperature. I’m happy to shed the hoodie and jeans I shivered through England in for cargo shorts and a T-shirt that says “Pew, PewPew, PewPew, Pew” in a yellow, slanted Star Wars frame.
Cynnie and Emily snigger when they see it but Logan looks non-plussed.
I shake my head at him in despair and leave the girls to explain it.
While they’re explaining all things Star Wars to Logan, I call down a list I compiled over the Atlantic somewhere: little things to do with Cynnie.
When I hit a vacancy, I book the place for the afternoon and send over the deposit.
A quick glance at the venue’s capacity reassures me that I can issue a general invitation to the playgroup.
I thumb over to the playgroup chat that Miss Ginger helpfully added me to while I was in England.
A response with eleven exclamation marks pops up in response to my open invitation.
Sammi must have Jack’s phone.
Emily and Cynnie’s phones ping a moment later.
Emily’s eyes twitch towards her phone, but she leaves it face down on the table.
A good rule, I think. I like the ways Logan keeps Emily’s attention on him.
But there’s a charm to Cynnie’s excited squeal as she snatches her phone off the dining table and reads the message, too.
“We’z doing pottery, Oppa?”
I slide my arm across her shoulders and peer into the colorful display on her phone.