Charlotte smiled at her daughter. “Hey, sweetie. Come in. I want you to meet someone. This is Kim Solomon. Do you remember I told you how she helped find you when you were a kid?”
Tasha’s smile dimmed a bit, and it almost seemed like she forced herself to come into the room. She held a hand out, but it was a practiced thing, something she knew she had to do. “Hello, Ms. Solomon. It’s lovely to meet you.”
Any accent she’d had as a little girl was gone. There was something about the way Tasha was looking at her that made Kim’s instincts flare. This girl didn’t like her.
Still, she shook Tasha’s hand. “I was very happy to help find you.”
Tasha dropped her hand and turned back to Charlotte. “I wanted to let you know I called the bakery and they’ve set everything up for Dad’s cake. Also, I asked them not to deliver it. I said you would pick it up. You know if we have it in the house for too long we’ll find Travis’s fingerprints on it.”
“Smart girl,” Charlotte said, her arm going around Tasha’s shoulders. “My youngest has his dad’s sweet tooth but none of Ian’s self-control. You’ll have to come to the party, Solo. It’s Ian’s birthday, and we have a big house party planned at the lake house we share with Sean and Grace. Adam’s brother and sister-in-law run this amazing bakery in uptown and they’re making all the sweets. Sean’s catering the whole thing.”
“And we’ll get a bouncy house for the kids,” Tasha said, looking happy for the first time since she’d walked in. “And Dad will decide to jump in it and then he’ll complain bitterly about his back and how old he is and he’ll throw us all in the pool.”
“He probably will,” Charlotte agreed. “Are Kenz and Kala helping in the daycare?”
Tasha started telling her mom about how the morning had gone, but Kim didn’t really hear them anymore because her gaze had stopped on Beck’s desk. It was neat, with pens and pencils in a mug and his paperwork stacked up.
But it was the single framed picture that caught her eye. Their wedding picture. She hadn’t worn a big fluffy dress. She was in a simple emerald green sheath and a strand of Tiffany pearls, her hair around her shoulders because Beck had loved it that way. He was in a dark suit that set off his eyes. It had been taken by the Vegas chapel they’d gotten married in as part of the “package.”
She picked it up and the world seemed a little misty.
“It was the only thing he brought with him when he came to Dallas.” She looked up and she and Charlotte were alone again. “Besides clothes, of course.”
“I can’t believe he has this. This was in my condo in DC. I never thought I would see it again.” She’d kept it all those years. Even after the divorce and selling the place that had been their home, she’d kept this picture on her mantle. “I don’t even know what happened to my place in DC. I owned it but I didn’t pay my property taxes.”
“I think you’ll find Beck did,” Charlotte said. “He worked with a lawyer to make sure you still had a home if you wanted it. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.”
He hadn’t told her a lot of things.
He’d brought their wedding picture here. It had been sitting on this desk for years.
She took a deep breath and put the picture back down. She wasn’t staying here any longer than the three months she promised Beck. It would give him time to get to know his son and for them to work out how they would parent together.
She might even fuck him out of her system. But she wasn’t falling for this. Not again. “We should get to the meeting. I want to run by the daycare and make sure Roman’s settling in.”
She also needed a moment. She wouldn’t do anything more than look through the big windows and maybe wave his way, but the walk through the building might calm her down.
Charlotte looked her over as though assessing her. “You’re going to be a tough one, aren’t you?”
“I plan on being impossible.” She had to protect herself. Beck was an indulgence her heart couldn’t afford. At some point he would get mad and they would start their cycle all over again. It wouldn’t be only her who got hurt. This time Roman would be involved.
“That’s okay. Ian did, too.” Charlotte stepped out into the hallway. “He lasted three days. I’ll go let Eve know we’re ready, and I’ll meet you in the big conference room.”
She followed Charlotte and prayed she was stronger than Ian.
* * * *
“But I just got used to not using that name. I don’t understand why people don’t stay dead. It’s way easier than this constant ‘he’s dead and some overly emotional asshole is using his name. Then overly emotional asshole gets some much needed therapy and reclaims his own name only to find out the dude he was honoring has been happily quarantining with overly emotional asshole’s ex and the son he didn’t know he had.’ It could have been he’s just dead. See how that’s easier?”
Beck wasn’t in the mood for Tag’s shenanigans. Not in any way. He was horny as hell, and it had been two full days since he’d gotten his hands on his wife. And seven years since she’d put her hands on him. That was probably the part that was really getting to him. “Well, Ezra’s not dead and I need to figure out what Levi was doing with his unit.”
“His Marine unit. They’re all dead, right?” Alex McKay asked.
“Or are they?” Tag offered, a brow climbing over his eyes.
Alex gave him a one shouldered shrug. “Hey, if they’re in hiding after faking
