Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
EVIE
"Hello? Earth to Evie?" Joe throws a pen at me from her desk.
"Sorry. What?"
Joe gives me a knowing look. "I knew I should have knocked on that damn door the other day."
I would say I'm surprised, but this is Joe, so nothing surprises me. Honestly, I’m more surprised it took her this long to mention it. This was out of character for her.
"Are you sure about this?"
"I think she needs this, Joe.”
Joe gives me a hard look as she strums her fingers on top of her desk. "Fine, but you get to deal with Maddox when he blows a damn fuse over this. I'm too old to deal with that boy and his temper tantrums."
"Done." I wring my hands together in my lap. I knew it was going to upset him, but there was something about Allison that made me want to help her. So, when she walked in earlier and asked for a job application in front of Maggie and Joe, I knew she had grit, and I respected that.
"Listen, Evie, I know you want to help her but?—"
"That was me at one point too, Joe, and you helped me." A soft look comes over Joe's face. "I know she's caused a lot of hurt, but she lost her daughter too, and when I look at her, I see someone trying, and that's got to count for something."
A weighted silence fills the air, making me shift in my seat as Joe ponders what I just said.
"Only because we need the extra help, but I’m telling you right now, if she hurts my family any more than she already has she's done."
I visibly relax. "Got it."
As I walk out, all three Wilder men are seated at the breakfast counter staring at Allison in the corner booth. Once Joe calls Allison back, they all get up.
"Guys, sit down."
"Sugar, what's she doing here?" Mercy wonders in utter confusion.
"She filled out an application and Joe's going to offer her a job."
"Evie, why the hell would Aunt Joe offer her a job?" Maddox says hard-pressed as he looks across the counter at me, daring me to tell him it isn't because of me that Joe offered her a job.
Squaring my shoulders, I meet his eye. "Because I asked her too."
All Wilder men start complaining at the same time, and I lose my temper.
"You know what, screw y’all!" I shout.
Without another word, I turn on my heel and push my way through the kitchen needing some fresh air. Pushing the back door open, I sink to the ground and take a deep breath. I only manage to get one more breath in when suddenly the door’s thrown open so hard that it bounces off the building before slamming closed. I don't have to look up to know who it is.
"Evie, stand up."
"No."
His heavy commanding steps sound closer. "Stand. Up."
"I need just one damned second alone. Go back in."
"Too fucking bad." Hands gently cup my arms as he pulls me to stand. Bracing myself for confrontation, I open my eyes to find him relaxed as he looks at me with a gentle gaze.
"I should spank your ass raw." His low tone makes me clench my thighs together.
Maddox swallows as he looks over me at the building before looking down at me. "But I know you just can't fucking help yourself. It's who you are." Maddox laughs as he pushes his glasses up to rest on top of his head. "This is all your fault. You just had to bring all that damn sunshine and life back into mine, didn't you?"
"Maddox—"
"I’m trying, Evie," he says, his voice strained and low. "I want to forgive her, I do. But every time I see her, it all comes rushing back—the anger, the pain. She chose drugs over our daughter, walked away, and left that precious baby behind like she didn’t matter..." His voice cracks, and I can see the storm inside him—the push and pull between the fury that consumes him and the desperate need to find peace.
I swallow hard, guilt rising in my chest. "Maddox, I’m so sorry. Hurting you was never my intention." My voice is barely above a whisper, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it all together. "I know it doesn’t seem that way, but when I look at her…I see myself." My confession hangs in the air like a weight.
Hands cup my face. "There’s no part of you that reflects her."
"That's because when you look at her, all you can feel is the pain and heartache she’s inflicted. I look at her and I feel how lost she is. Her pain and helplessness mirror who I was not so long ago. It's as if she's searching for something she can't find. Maybe working here will do for her what it did for me."
Maddox raises his eyebrows in confusion. "What's so special about this place?"
I grab his wrist, my grip firm as I look into his eyes. "Don’t you see? It’s given me something I’ve been searching for my whole life—peace. A real home, a family to call my own, and a place where I finally feel like I belong. But most of all, it’s given me you. And you... you’re everything."
Maddox seals his lips over mine in the sweetest kiss before wrapping his arms around me. I savor the feel of his heavy weight on me.
"I love you," he whispers, his voice both rugged and tender, carrying all the depth that is Maddox Wilder.
"Damn it!"
"Watch your language, Sebastian James Taylor!" I holler over my shoulder towards the backyard.
The boys are both helping Vic and Mercy put a swimming pool together. Vic bought it as their early birthday present. It isn’t anything too fancy but it’s big enough to help beat this damn heat, and nobody’s telling Vic what can or can’t buy the boys. Case in point, the big ass swing set in the back yard. I argued with him over a tire swing, and he showed my ass. I came home to this monstrosity already assembled and he swore he had “lost” the receipt.
The boy's birthday is always a rough day for me. No doubt I’ve enjoyed watching them grow but a small part of me will always miss them being babies. But doesn't every mother? They really mean don't blink when you have kids because time truly does fly. One night you're trying to soothe two teething babies, then you blink and they begin to lose teeth faster than you can keep up with.
"Penny for your thoughts, Pretty Girl? "
Maddox's deep voice startles me, sending the shirt in my hands flying at his face. "Jesus! You scared me!"
Maddox gives me a flirty smile. "I'm just glad it wasn't a taser this time."
I groan. "Will you ever let that go?"
"Woman, my balls still tingle every time I step on your porch."
Without being asked he folds the shirt in his hand, adding it to the pile and reaches into the basket to fold with me. Who knew something as mundane as helping me fold laundry could be so damn hot, but it is. I swallow as I watch his strong hands flex as they fold my children's underwear. Hands capable of so much destruction yet, touch me so tenderly. Hands that have helped rebuild me into a strong version of myself with every touch and caress.
"Baby, you keep looking at me like that, and I'll shut that fucking door." He cuts those stormy green eyes at me.
“Oh yeah? And then what?" I push back.
Maddox never stops folding. "I'll strip you out of those tight ass shorts and put you right up here." He nods to the dryer in front of him. "Spread out so I can see that delicious ass body that drives me fucking crazy."
Fuck, he’s teasing me, and damn him, I like it.
"Keep going, I need to hear more." My hand slips inside my shorts. Thankfully, I'm hidden behind the door and if anyone looks in all they would be able to see is Maddox's large frame folding tiny underwear covered in turtles.
Maddox folds another shirt and adds it to the pile he's started. "Nah, I think that's enough." He picks up another shirt and begins folding. Oh, damn him! He knows what he's doing, but luckily for me I know how to play this game.
"Your right, friends shouldn’t speak so crass to one another," I say swirling a finger over my clit.
Maddox drops the shirt and turns his big body towards me, backing me against the wall. "Friends?" he sneers as the word alone offends him, and I know I've got him. "Woman, I'm not your fucking friend. So, take your hand off that pretty pussy and give me what I want."
"What do you want?" I ask innocently.
"Evie," Maddox growls at me.
"Maddox," I moan as I slip a finger in my wet center.
Maddox narrows those green eyes on me.
"I'd hate to ruin our friendship by telling you how wet I am or how good it feels to touch myself."
Breathing hard he leans down. "Woman, put those fingers in my goddamn mouth."
I know he won't touch me unless I tell him to and since he started this little game, it's only fair I finish it. "No, now give me what I want .”
Maddox's green eyes widen for a split second as he realizes what I want. "You cruel little vixen." He places both hands on the wall above my head as he looks down at me. "I bet you’re drenched aren’t you baby? God, I want to see your little hand working that fat pussy."
He leans down, his breath hot against my ear. "I wish I was on my knees right now licking every drop as it runs down those thick ass thighs. I'd put my fingers deep in you, and while you rode my fingers, I'd lick your clit driving you fucking crazy, and if you didn't squirt the first time you came, I wouldn't stop until you did."
"Maddox!" I can feel my orgasm close and knowing I can't be quiet I yank his hand off the wall and over my mouth. My other hand works my clit faster and faster.
He tightens his hand over my mouth just enough to stifle the noises I'm making as he demands I come for him.
I detonate against him. As my body still trembles from the intense orgasm, Maddox slowly removes my hand out of my shorts and licks my fingers clean.
"Some people might call that an obsession you know."
"No, baby, it’s more than an obsession. But it taste even better because that pussy is mine.”
I can feel his hardness digging into my belly. I make a move to grab him, and he swats my hand away. "Let it serve as a reminder to never tease you."
I laugh as he awkwardly adjusts himself before gathering all the clean laundry and putting it into the basket before stepping out to help with the pool. Serves him right.
Every time we touch, it feels like more than just physical desire—it’s as if each moment of intimacy pulls us closer, binding us in ways I never imagined two people could be. I used to think sex was just about release, a way to escape. But with Maddox, it’s something else entirely. It’s a connection, electric and alive, sparking between us like a live wire. With every kiss, every caress, trust deepens, and layer by layer, that connection grows stronger, drawing us into a closeness that goes far beyond anything I’ve ever known.
Once the pool is up and the water’s on both boys can’t get in fast enough, they don’t care that it isn’t filled up. Their smile rivals Christmas morning. After thanking Vic for the twelfth time, he decides to join them and soon Mercy and Maddox follow. I stand at the kitchen window watching them as they play in a pool much too small to accommodate them all. They all look so happy and carefree like one big family.
As I watch them, I realize they are my family. As my heart swells and my eyes mist, I realize I have everything I’ve always wanted. A smart part of me screams not to get comfortable but I choose to silence it. Instead, I focus on the sweet sound of my children's laughter and make a quick wish to live in this moment forever.
Things at the cafe have finally died down since Joe hired Allison. So far, it's proved to be a good decision. She caught on quickly and people seem to like her. Allison stays to herself which is fine. I’m not going to force conversation on her and make her uncomfortable. I know it took more than she ever thought herself capable of working here, let alone deciding to live here. Like Vic has said, the woman has brass balls and you can’t help but respect that.
After finishing up the pies, I yell a quick bye to Joe and Waylon before heading out. I pull the clip out of my hair when I realize I left a pen in there earlier and now it's tangled up. I try to yank it free.
"Shit!" That fucker is really stuck in there. Putting my purse on the hood of my car I set about trying to free the pen out of hair. I stand there cursing when every pull tugs at those fine baby hairs on my head. The back door to the cafe opens suddenly and an ashen faced Allison rushes out and hurries around the side of the building facing the alley. Forgetting the pen, I follow behind her. Not too quick though, I don’t want to scare her.
"Allison?" I call out softly.
I make it to the corner of the building when I hear her talking in urgent hushed tones. "I’m not your whore anymore! You got your money now leave me alone!" I don't know what the person on the other end of the phone says but whatever it is causes Allison to slump her shoulders and hang her head, ending the call.
"Are you okay?"
Allison spins around her eyes wide.
"You heard." Her voice is small. Her detached tone makes my chest tighten. I’ve used that same tone more times than I can count.
"I was trying to get this damned pen out of my hair when I noticed you run around the building. Are you okay?"
Without warning, Allison turns and empties the contents from this morning's breakfast on the side of the building. Stepping closer, I rub small circles on her back until she's done. Wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt she straightens .
"I've done many things?—"
"Allison," I cut her off. "I'm not standing here to judge you for anything you've done or lived through. We all have things we hold close. I followed you over here because I'm worried about you." I offer her a kind smile.
Allison gives me a wary look before seeing the sincerity in my words. "Thank you."
"If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll listen." I offer the olive branch, because someone needed to.
"I'm sure Maddox would love that," she says softly, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Let's get one thing clear, Maddox doesn’t control any part of my life. Including who I do or do not talk to. I'm not going to stand here and pretend that there isn't more damage than good between the two of you. You've been through something that only the two of you can understand, but as long as you're not here to hurt him, I'm good."
The corners of her mouth turn up. "I bet you drive him crazy."
"Yeah, I do," I say, flashing her a bright smile. It’s the truth, I love poking the growly ass bear.
Allison reaches over and untangles the pen from my hair. "I better get back inside before Joe comes out and finds me in the alley. She'll fire me on the spot." She walks around me and back around the building, I follow heading to my car.
Just as she grabs the door, I call out to her, "You want to change their opinion of you? Prove them all wrong." With a short nod, she heads back inside as I rush to pick up the boys from school.
"What do you mean you think her ex-boyfriend is her pimp?" Lou’s loud voice echoes in my bathroom .
"You know like," I drop my voice low, "I don't know what you heard about me," I sing into the air.
Lou gasps. "But she can't get a dollar out of me."
"No Cadillac, no perms you can see," I say solemnly.
"That I'm a P-I-M-P," Lou faintly whispers.
"Exactly."
"Damn. You going to tell the big man?"
"No, I don't think it'd do him any good to know." Plus, he mentioned her hooking the first time she showed up at his house after the Joes birthday. So, maybe he already knows.
"You think he still loves her?"
Her question catches me off guard not because I think he does, but because the thought hadn't crossed my mind, not once. I’m not jealous of Allison being here, there’s no doubt in my mind how Maddox feels about me. When I look at Allison all I feel is sadness.
"Not in the way you're probably thinking. I think a small part of him always will as he should." I exhale a deep breath. "Honestly, he doesn't know how to process her being here. Maddox is so used to letting all that anger consume him that he's struggling with how to handle all the feelings that come with her being here that aren't anger."
"That was before you."
"Nah, it was always in there. He just needed someone to dig around and help pull him out of the haze."
"More like put his ass in his place."
"I keep thinking about what would have happened to me if Joe hadn't taken a chance on me."
"Ah, so that's how she got the job at the diner."
"Maybe..."
"You know your heart is twice the size of your ass."
We both erupt in laughter at her comparison. "Thanks, Lou."
After a few more minutes of small talk, we say our goodbyes. I consider what she said about telling Maddox about the exchange I overheard, but in the end, I decide not to. No good will come from him knowing so I decide to keep the conversation to myself. Allison doesn’t need another person in her life dragging all her skeletons out of the closet.
Today is Vic's birthday, and I’ve been up since dawn working on this damn cake. I need this cake to be as close to melting in your mouth as it can be. Not that it can ever compare to Mabel’s, but Vic means the world to me, and I want to get this right. Maggie suggested I add sour cream to make it richer. The first time I forgot, the second time I didn't butter the pan, and I’m currently working on the third cake.
"Uh, Mama, what's all this cake for?" a small groggy voice says, wrapping slender arms around my waist.
I lean over and kiss my child on his head. "Today is Vic's birthday, and I'm trying to get this cake right."
"Vic gets three cakes? That's not fair!"
"No, he doesn't get three cakes. I messed up the first two, and now you and your brother get cake for breakfast." I wink at him.
"CHARLIE!" Bash yells excitedly.
"Hold on a second." Maddox's deep baritone fills the kitchen. Bash's arms are removed from my waist while he is lifted, and a large palm wraps around my belly as Maddox kisses my head.
"Gross!"
Ignoring my son's protest of Maddox's affection, I turn in Maddox's arms. "Good morning, Pretty Girl."
"Good morning." I beam up at them both.
"Mama said we can have cake for breakfast!" Bash beams at Maddox.
Maddox ruffles his hair. "How about after some protein? "
"Oh, come on!"
"You want to grow to be big and strong like me? Well, that includes eggs before cake for breakfast."
Bash narrows his eyes and looks Maddox over, weighing his options. After a full ten seconds, he utters a "Fine."
Maddox sits him on his feet and sends him to wake his brother. He sees the disastrous state the kitchen is currently in and raises an eyebrow. He pulls eggs out of the fridge and begins to cook breakfast.
"I just want to get this right."
Maddox pushes his glasses up on his face. "Eves, that man would be happy with anything you make him."
"Vic is the closest thing to a father I've ever had. I just need to get this right."
"Baby, you don't have to do anything to brighten his day. Just you being a part of his life is enough for the cranky son of a bitch."
"But—"
"Eves, look at me."
My eyes had been fixed on my feet before I realize I’d been gazing at them. I raise my head to find his tender gaze. I know this side of Maddox is all mine. Nobody else gets his tender gazes or soft touches like I do. Knowing that makes me feel cherished.
"You don't have to do anything to keep people in your life. You know that, right?" I give him a slight nod, but my mind says otherwise. After growing up with practically no parent, no good one at least, I’m not always confident in my relationships with my little found family. That seems crazy, but with the boys it came easy. I knew what I never wanted to be like and woke up every day determined to love them in every way I wasn’t. But the other relationships in my life I’m not as sure in.
"Baby, your views on families are fucked. That old bastard loves you, plain and simple. Not what you do for him or cook for him. He loves you because you’re you, Evie."
"I wasn't always Evie." It’s a sudden and unexpected confession, and I’m surprised that the words escaped my lips .
Maddox doesn't stop cracking eggs. "I know."
"I figured you did." Henry probably told him when he moved in, so I’m not surprised he knows that tiny detail.
"Tell me who you were before," he asks, whipping the eggs he had just cracked.
While watching him work from the kitchen bar stool, I prop my face up on my hands. I can answer that simple question in so many ways, but Maddox knows about all the dark parts of me. So, I decide to give him a straightforward answer.
"Posey."
He pauses just slightly, giving me a once-over. "Nope, it doesn't suit you."
I laugh softly. "It gets better. Not just Posey, but Posey Rose."
The comical look on Maddox's face makes me laugh even harder. "It's no wonder you don't like roses." Maddox shakes his head.
The laughter dies as I tell him somberly, "That's not why." As Maddox puts down the spatula, I stop him. "Please, don't. I'm fine." He looks utterly lost, unaccustomed to my refusal. I don’t tell him that the only flowers that monster ever bought me were roses, every year on my birthday. I just tell the chill that runs down my spine to fuck off and push the memory aside.
"Look, if you come over here, you'll wrap me in those thick arms and make me forget everything until all I feel is you."
"And?" he says as if I’ve lost my mind.
I give him a small smile. "Sometimes, Big Guy, it's good to sit with it. I wouldn't be the Evie you know and love today if Posey didn't live the life she did. I'm learning to make peace with that part of myself and learn to love her along the way. So, I'm okay to sit with the pain because I know you won't let me drown in it. You'll pull me back if I drift too far away."
Maddox rubs his chest absentmindedly as he takes my words in. "Come here."
Slowly, I walk over to him and kiss his arm, his skin molten beneath my lips. I wait for him to yank me to him and kiss me senselessly, but instead, he hugs me. We stand like that for so long that my feet fall asleep. Maddox kisses my forehead before pulling me back. He doesn't say a word, knowing that sometimes silence is the best kind of comfort to give someone.
As I head back to work on my cake, I hear him whisper or try to whisper as much as his deep voice allows him, "Baby, you and those damn shorts make me want to pull you back on something alright.”
"On what? That little thing?" I sass over my shoulder, pointing to his crotch.
"Damn, woman, you wound me," he says into the shell of my ear with a haughty chuckle. He may have refreshed my memory of how 'little' he was as he bent me over the counter while the eggs cooled and the boys’ watched cartoons in the living room, leaving me sore the rest of the day.
After this morning, I finish the cake, finally deciding it’s good enough. I set about doing the daily chores one does on their days off. Like laundry, painting my toesnails, and vacuuming to kill time until Vic gets back home. Vic’s Navy buddies always take Vic fishing for his birthday. Not that any of them need an excuse to be on the water. I’m surprised Vic doesn’t live on the damn water.
Mercy shows up for an impromptu visit that results in him being in the pool with the boys. I sit with a book on the back porch while they splash. I’m pretty sure they’re splashing more water out than what’s staying inside the pool, but everyone’s happy, and that’s good enough for me.
Brrr. Brrr.
I look down at my phone and notice Allison calling .
"Hey!"
"Evie?" Allison's voice sounds faint. Alarm bells sound off in my head.
"Allison? Is everything okay?"
"I-I don't know how, but he found me."
"Okay. Where are you right now?"
I hear a sniffle on the other end of the line. "Home."
Home for her is some shitty little motel off the highway on the edge of town. I know she’s been saving to rent an apartment, but knowing she calls home some shitty little motel makes my stomach turn. That motel isn’t a place to start fresh, it’s a place for people who decide to live at rock bottom.
“Is he there now?”
“No.”
"Get dressed and meet me at Joe's. We'll have a slice of pie and plan from there. Okay?" Hoping I mask the emotion in my voice to where she can’t detect it.
"Thank you."
"No problem. See you in a few."
After disconnecting, Mercy watches the boys while I run to the diner. When I pull into Joe's, Allison sits on the back stoop of the restaurant with her knees drawn up. She’s holding onto them for dead life with her arms. She appears so childlike and frail that it sparks an emotional fire. Not long ago, that was me. I get out and approach her, putting my feelings aside.
As I approach her, she opens her mouth no doubt to apologize, but I don't want her apology. "Let's go get some pie. I know Joe just made chocolate pie, and we both know that pie alone is capable of solving all the world's problems."
After getting us each a slice of pie, we sit in the back booth. Allison stares at her hands. I noticed how extremely pale she is and the way her body trembles.
I take a bite of pie to steel my nerves. "We’re more alike than you think. That terror you feel? We're old friends, and I know how it's consuming you. It's all you can taste, see, or feel. It's got you locked in its claws, refusing to let you come up for air."
Allison slowly turns her gaze from the window to look at me. "I don't remember what it's like to come up for air."
"That was the hardest part for me." I take another bite of pie and smile to myself when I notice Allison pick her fork up. She’s put some weight on and is finally starting to look healthy and not so gaunt.
"Which part?"
"Learning to breathe again. Everyone thinks getting away is the hardest part, but to me, it’s learning to live without fear. It had been a companion for so damn long, I didn't know how to live without it." Allison takes a small bite of pie, and I continue. "Before all this," I circle my hand in the air, "I lived with the fucking devil. He manipulated me, beat me, raped me, and left me with scars. Some visible, some cut so deep within me they'll never truly fade away."
I look out the window. "I can remember laying on the floor and begging death to show mercy on me, but it never did."
"How'd you get away?"
"I ran like hell."
"Has he ever found you?"
Her question made me uneasy. My devil hadn't found me but in the back of my mind, the words not yet were whispered sarcastically.
I give her a shaky smile. "Not yet."
She narrows her blue eyes on me and asks, "What would you do if he ever does?"
"Fight like hell, because I have so much to live for.”
Allison pushes the pie around on her plate. "He used my addiction against me and made me sell my body for money or drugs. If I refused..." Her voice trails off.
"I'm so sorry," I tell her honestly. "Are you sure he's found you? Or is he just trying to manipulate you into coming back?"
Allison hesitates slightly. "I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I called you."
"You're scared honey. But you’re not alone, you should reach out to people. I’m glad you did."
Allison offers me a sad smile in reply. "What do I do now?"
"First, we smash that fucking phone and get you a new one. Then, you live."
"What if I'm not sure how?"
"You wake up every day and choose to live. It's going to be hard, but I'll be right there with you."
I take her small hand in mine and give it a slight squeeze. She could do it I have no doubt. I look at her and realize how this was who I was not a short time ago, but now I feel ready to take on the world. I know I can help her feel the same way about herself.
"Do you have any family?"
Allison shakes her head. "Not anymore."
I decide right then and there to do everything in my power to help her.
"Now, let's call the sheriff and get you in some self-defense classes."
"Maddox will never let me step foot in there."
"You let me worry about that." I reassure her as we finish our pie.
"You want me to what? Have you lost your damned mind?"
Lord, grant me strength because I’m two seconds away from kicking this overgrown asshole out of my house. "Maddox?—"
"Want me to teach her self-defense," he says to himself with a humorless chuckle. I watch him pace my bedroom like a caged animal, rolling his broad shoulders, his body tight with tension.
I put my hand on my hips. "Look. At. Me."
Maddox stops pacing and stares daggers at my forehead. "Maddox Cole, I said look at me.”
I keep quiet until his fierce green eyes lock on mine. "Don't raise your voice at me, and you have one more time to ask me if I lost my damned mind ," I say sarcastically, mimicking his condescending tone, "before I throw you out of my house! Do I make myself clear?"
Maddox gives me a quick nod. "Crystal."
I take a deep breath before continuing. "Maddox, I never asked you to teach her self-defense, I simply asked if she could come to the gym to learn self-defense. You told me once you thought all women should learn to defend themselves."
"I do but?—"
"Baby, I’m not saying to ignore the river of grief and pain you feel toward her, but she needs to learn how to defend herself."
"Evie, I taught her self-defense. She knows it.”
“Well, she needs a fucking refresher Maddox,” I snap.
His eyes turn into slits. “Why?”
I grab the hem of my shirt and twist it in my hands, not sure how to answer him. His large hand covers mine stopping their fidgeting, his eyes searching mine. "What are you not telling me, Pretty Girl?” he asks softly.
"It's not my story to tell, but trust me, Maddox, she needs this.”
His eyes search mine for a long moment before he lets out a deep sigh. "She can join Lucien's classes. That's if and only if she wants to Eves."
Oh, she will, I think, but I don’t tell him that. I kiss his cheek and grab the cake before heading next door. I knock once before Vic opens the door. His tired eye crinkles when they see me.
“Bout time you brought your ass home, I was getting worried. ”
“Hush girl. I was out preparing to be stomped on by those two left feet you got.”
Laughing I hug his neck. “Happy Birthday old man!” We spent the evening dancing and eating cake. And guess what? I only stepped on his feet twice. Damned man.