Chapter Nineteen

Adrian

 

Perrie sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “When I left the meeting with Dahlia, she told me to call her if I wanted to speak with Damien. She made it clear that he didn’t know we were speaking, and I kind of respected her for that. Damien is…was…controlling. He was all about the power and needing to know everything was just so. She wasn’t the kind of person I ever expected him to fall for.”

“What was it?”

“Weak.” She said it simply. “I guess he learned to respect someone who could argue with him.”

“You never argued with him?”

“Every day.” Her lips twitched. “He hated it. It was the bane of his existence, which is why I never thought he’d get involved with anyone strong-willed. He hated being wrong and doing things any way other than his.”

“But you called her, right?” I moved, taking a seat next to her on the swinging seat. She froze for a second as I laid my arm along the back of it, but she soon drifted her gaze in the way of our kids and relaxed. “So, are you seeing him?”

“Tomorrow.” She paused. “I have an interview at The Scarlet Letter for a position as a bartender. I have to call my sitter.”

“Charity?”

“You’d think, right? But no—Dahlia was very clear. I’m not being offered a job, merely an interview. She’s savvy and smart, I’ll give her that.”

I smiled, looking out as Zac cannonballed into the pool.

Perrie rolled her eyes for me. “Zac! No balls, okay?”

I grinned.

Zac looked back at her, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, Zac! No balls! I don’t want your balls in this pool!” Lola shouted.

Perrie slapped her hand against her face. “Goddamn it.”

I did all I could do—burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Zac asked.

“No cannonballs, Zacco!” I reiterated, forcing my laughter under control. He saluted me, and I snorted when he dived underwater. Judging by Lola’s shriek, he was going for her ankles.

Not a smart choice after the dinosaurs last night.

Lola screamed at the top of her lungs. “Dinosaurs!”

Zac sputtered with laughter as he broke the surface.

“Zac!” I said sharply. “Stop it.”

“’Kay, Dad!” He turned to Lola, and apologized loud enough that we could hear it.

Perrie sighed heavily. “Kids give me a headache.”

I laughed, leaning right back. The grill was smoking and I’d probably wasted the chance to cook, but fuck it. I’d order in. The kids were having fun and we were talking. Hell, I was learning things about her I never thought I would.

I’d buy fifty pizzas if we could carry on like this. Unraveling the mystery of Perrie Fox was priceless.

“Are you nervous about seeing Damien?” I asked her, looking at her. My eyes skirted her profile, from her button nose to the freckles that dotted it and the lashes that fanned against her skin to the lips that pursed in the perfect pout of her indecision.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. He’s my brother, but eight years is a long time.” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “I didn’t think I ever would again, so maybe that’s the thing I can’t accept. That I am going to see him.”

“I get that.”

“Do you?”

“No. I was trying to be sympathetic.”

She laughed anyway. “I think the grill is screwed.”

I sighed. “I know, but when you talk, I listen.”

“That sounds like a line.”

I side-eyed her. “If it was, would it work?”

“For what?”

“To get my cock inside you again.”

She pursed her lips. “At least you’re honest.”

I grinned, trying not to laugh at her expression which was somewhere between annoyed and amused. “I’ll just go order pizza, then.”

“You do that.”

 

***

 

I set the kids in the front room with two giant bowls of popcorn and a movie. Perrie paced the length of my kitchen, wringing her hands in front of her. She was nervous as fuck, and hell, she was making me nervous with her constant fidgeting.

“Sit down. And no more coffee.” I swiped her half-full mug and tipped it down the sink before she could say anything.

It was her damn third, after all.

“I can’t help it. I’m nervous.”

“No. Really? I couldn’t tell.”

She shot me a death-glare with those dark eyes of hers and flattened her hands against her stomach. “I’m going to be sick.”

“Well, you haven’t eaten and you’ve had two and a half cups of coffee that have been shaking around in your stomach. I’d be surprised if you weren’t sick.”

“Sorry, Dad.”

I grinned and met her eyes long enough to make her lips twitch into a smile.

“I just—ugh.” She slumped onto a chair at the table, dejection slumping her shoulders. “What if…” She trailed off before she’d gotten started, yet again.

I waited for her to continue.

“What if it’s just like it was when I moved away? What if Damien hasn’t changed and he’s still the same person he was eight years ago? What if feeling like this about our meeting screws my interview because I can’t focus?”

“It won’t.”

“You don’t know that. Years, Adrian. I’ve been trying to find a real, permanent job now for years. One that worked with school and life and was flexible. This could be that job. I need it to be that job,” she finished quietly. “I’m tired. I’m so tired of going to work and being afraid of my safety.”

I sighed, taking the seat opposite her as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ll speak to the chief today about letting you out of your contract.”

“Great, then if I don’t get this job, I’m screwed.”

“Perrie… You’re about to meet with your brother. Don’t you have ownership of the Fox business?”

“A little,” she admitted. “What my mom left me when she died. I’d never have to work again, but it doesn’t seem right.”

“You could work with your brother.”

“Benedict would never allow it.”

“You’re not a kid under his influence anymore and neither is Damien. From what I know, Benedict barely runs it anymore. It’s all Damien.”

She linked her fingers behind her neck and rested her forehead against the table. I couldn’t imagine how she was feeling right now, but her body language told me enough. Terror tightened her shoulders while fear shook her clasped fingers. When she sat back up and chewed on her lower lip, I saw the hesitance that shone in her eyes.

She didn’t want to see him just as badly as she wanted to, and she had no idea how to feel about that.

Hell, I wouldn’t either.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m panicking for nothing. Dahlia said enough that I know the person I remember him being is still in there, but I’ve rejected all his attempts to contact me. What if he hates me?”

“You’re the most unhateable person I know.”

“That’s not even a word.”

“I know, but I can’t be bothered to think of a real one.”

Perrie snorted, and I smiled.

“There’s a lot of water under the bridge, and you just have to cross it. There’s nothing else you can do but take a deep breath and try it.”

She nibbled at her lip again. She was going to hurt herself if she carried on doing that.

“I know.” She pulled her phone from her purse and checked the time. “Crap, okay. I have to go. Are you sure you’re fine to watch Lola?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Don’t you think it’s a bit late to ask that?”

“Well—”

“You’re not canceling it.” I laughed, getting up and rounding the table to her. “But nice try.”

She put a hand in my outstretched one and let me pull her up. “Damn it,” she muttered, stuffing the phone back in her purse. “Let me say bye.”

She went into the front room and perched on the sofa next to Lola. She whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.

Then, she darted in front of the kids, bent down next to Zac, and touched a kiss to his cheek, too.

My stomach plummeted downward, my heart clenching tightly as Zac turned his face toward her, his eyes bright and his smile wide.

And I knew.

With one kiss to the cheek of my son, I knew the one thing I hadn’t allowed myself to acknowledge.

I was falling for her.

Hard and fast.

I turned away when she ruffled his hair and said another goodbye to them both, this time adding the warning to behave themselves.

“Okay,” she said, rejoining me in the kitchen. “Do I look okay? Most of my dresses aren’t exactly…normal work ones.”

I spun and looked at her, arms folded across my chest. Her hair hung loose around her face, her make-up was as perfect as always, and the dress hugged her curves to perfection.

“You look beautiful,” I said honestly.

She opened her mouth, then closed it as a blush spread across her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” My lips curled to the side and I handed her her purse. “Go. You’ll be late.”

She glanced through the door toward the sound of the kids laughing, but swallowed hard and nodded her head instead. “Okay. I’m going. Um… I’ll call you when I’m coming back to get her, okay?”

“I’m not working ‘til five,” I said, following her to the front door. “Take your time.”

“Okay. Sure. Fine.” She fiddled with her hair, twisting it around her finger over and over. “Thank you. For watching her.”

“It’s my pleasure.” I reached over and extracted her finger from her hair, then tucked the light strands behind her ear. “Good luck.”

“Thanks. Crap. I need a Xanax.”

I laughed.

I had a better idea.

I took her face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers. Soft and gentle, but firm enough that she knew I meant it.

Her sharp intake of breath when I released her mad me chuckle.

“That works, too. Okay. Bye.”

She all but ran out of the door, leaving it wide open as she headed for her car.

I shook my head. It was a wonder she’d never been robbed the amount of times she left doors open or unlocked.

She waved as she got in the car, and at this point, her nerves were more than palpable. They were infectious, because, hell. I had butterflies for her.

Not the interview. I knew she’d be fine and she’d have a real job soon, but for her.

I was nervous for her heart.

Damien Fox had broken his sister’s heart once, and if he did it again today, I had a fist that wouldn’t think twice about meeting his nose.

I watched Perrie leave until her car had disappeared down the street, then went back inside. The kids had migrated from sitting normally on the sofa to sitting like, well, kids.

Zac was almost upside down, one leg on the arm of the sofa and the other foot resting on the top of the back sofa cushions. His popcorn was on the floor, and he lifted his arm up and down as he shoved it in his mouth.

Lola had moved to the floor—kind of. Her butt barely touched the ground as she rested her feet on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa. She, too, had placed her popcorn bowl on the floor, and there was a suspicious puddle of the snack next to the bowl.

I half-smiled. It didn’t look comfortable, but hey.

“I’m heading into my office to work. I have some paperwork to get done. Do you two need anything?”

Lola shook her head.

“No,” Zac said around a mouthful of food. “Is ‘ere ‘oos inidge?”

“I’m sorry,” I said dryly. “I don’t speak tiny savage.”

Lola giggled.

Zac swallowed his mouthful. “Is there juice in the fridge?”

“Bottom shelf so you can reach it,” I confirmed. “Come get me if you need anything, all right? And I mean come and get me, Zac. Don’t holler and wake up the nearest graveyard.”

“No zombies.” Lola shuddered.

I would prefer no zombies. I wasn’t sure the LVPD were trained to handle an undead invasion.

“No zombies,” I agreed. “Got it, Zac?”

“Yeah. Got it.” His response was closer to a grumble, and I knew he’d forget that fact in about five minutes, but I lived in hope that one day, he would listen to me.

I left them to their uncomfortable seating positions and annoying movie and headed through the house to my office. The paperwork glared at me the moment I stepped through the door, and the sigh that left me when I sat down was heavy.

I blinked at the paperwork.

I was falling in love with Perrie Fox and I hadn’t even realized it. We’d been inseparable since I showed up at her house.

Maybe that should have been my first clue. That the first thing I had to do when I left work that night was go and explain to her. The second one was the fact I was so desperate for her to understand, I did the one thing I’d never done before. I told her about Katie.

The third clue should have been the fact that the idea of not having her in my life anymore was almost painful to think about.

But, no. It took a two-second kiss to my son’s cheek to make me realize it. It took the momentary delight on his face when she’d done that.

He was attached to her. I hadn’t even known it until then. Maybe I hadn’t been looking for it, or maybe he’d just never made it clear. I knew now, though. I knew Zac loved Perrie as much as he loved Lola.

That was it.

It was the swift realization that my son loved her. That was all I needed to recognize that I did, too.

I ran my hands through my hair. I was screwed. I knew she still looked at me and saw me as the enemy, no matter how many times I kissed her and she melted into me. I knew she saw me as the person who almost ruined her life a second time around.

And I didn’t know how to change that.

I didn’t know if I should.

After all—she was a Fox. If the rumors I’d heard at the station about Benedict Fox being in rehab and Damien having full control of the business were true, her life was about to change again.

She’d become a multi-millionaire, getting her Cinderella story. The one she deserved.

The one that set us a million miles apart.

I fired up my computer, tapping my fingers against the desk.

I did the one thing I promised myself I wouldn’t.

I set the paperwork aside.

I opened the database and pulled every file related to the Fox family.

She would never tell me—and if I was going to lose her, I wanted to know why.

 

***

 

One hour into the reading of the files had told me nothing. They were all restraining orders and other smaller charges. None of them against a Fox had ever amounted to anything, but there were plenty of things the Fox family had thrown out that had stuck.

Of course.

Money talks, and Las Vegas knew that better than anywhere else. It was corrupt to its core.

The other annoying part was that I’d barely made a dent. Was I in for more reading of this menial bullshit, or was there some other more important stuff? As far as I could figure out, all of the stuff I’d read so far was before she was even born.

Fucking awesome.

I stretched my neck on the way to the bathroom. The movie would have finished now, and a poke of my head into the living room said I was right. Floorboards creaked from upstairs, so after doing my business in the bathroom, I padded my bare feet up to the stairs.

“Do you think my mommy and your daddy will get married?” Lola’s soft, gentle voice asked.

I froze.

There was a pause before Zac answered. “I don’t know. Grown-ups are dumb sometimes.”

“If they did, would you be mad if you had to share your daddy?”

“You’d be sharing your mom, too.”

“I know. But I’d share her with you. You don’t have one.”

I closed my eyes.

“That’s why I’d share Dad with you. You don’t have one, so you could have mine.”

A lump formed in my throat.

“I think I’d really like a dad,” Lola said softly. “Do you want a mom?”

I slumped down and quietly sat. I didn’t want to hear this answer, even though I already knew it.

“More than anything,” Zac replied quietly. “I asked Santa for a mom last year.”

“Oh, good thinking. Santa can get anything. Do you think my mommy is the mom he’s bringing you?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to have your mom. I think she’s perfect.”

I opened my eyes and quietly blew out a breath. Tears stung my eyes—they were so young, so innocent, and here they were. Talking about how they would share their parents with each other so they both had a mom and a dad.

There were no words for the pain—and pride—that ran through my veins as I sat and listened to them.

“I think so, too,” Lola replied after a minute. “But she’d be perfecter if she was happy more.”

“Do you think she’s happy when she’s with us?”

“Yep. She laughs at your house.”

“Is that because my street is clean?”

I side-eyed the wall at that.

“Because your street makes me sad,” he continued. “But your house is pretty.”

I smiled.

“I like it here a lot more. If they got married, could we live here instead?”

“You could have my bedroom. It’s bigger than the other one.”

As much as I hated it, I had to put a stop to this conversation.

I got up and knocked lightly on his room. “Hey…Can we talk?”

“Uh-oh,” Zac said, sadness tinging his tone. “Did you hear us?”

I nodded, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants.

“Oh,” Lola replied. “Are you angry?”

“Angry? You think I’m angry?”

Two little heads bobbed the affirmative at me.

“Oh, god, no.” I went and crouched in front of them both on the bed. “Don’t be silly. I’m not angry at all. I just wanted to talk about it with you.”

“Are you going to marry my mommy?” Lola pushed hair from her face.

I tucked that same hair behind her ear. “I can’t answer that, sweetheart. I don’t know. I love your mom—”

“I think she loves you, too.”

“She smiles a lot with you,” Zac added.

I touched his hand. “But it’s not always that simple. I know it’s hard for you guys to understand, but there are lots of things about being an adult you’ll get one day.”

Lola looked down at her hands. “But that’s not fair,” she said in a tiny, but very wobbly, voice. “I want you to get married. I think you’d be the best daddy.”

Fighting the tears was becoming damn near impossible. The weakness in her voice broke my fucking heart.

“Lola.” Lightly, I touched her chin, and she looked at me. Unshed tears glistened in her dark eyes—tears that gripped old of my gut and twisted it. “Things don’t happen just because you want them to. I wish they did.”

“Don’t you want to be my daddy?”

Zac sniffed. I glanced at him—he was almost crying, too.

“I would love to be your daddy,” I answered honestly. “And I would love for your mommy to be Zac’s mommy. If we could get away with making that choice just us three, that would be fun, huh?”

They both nodded.

“But we can’t do that. There’s a lot happening right now. Your mom is at a job interview and has something important this afternoon. We won’t be working together soon, so I don’t even know if we’ll see each other anymore.”

Horror exploded onto both of their faces.

“No!” Lola’s tears escaped her eyes. “I don’t want that. That’s not fair.”

I agreed.

“It’s not. And I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen, okay?” I stood and pulled the little girl onto my lap. She snuggled into my chest, sniffling and trembling. I motioned for Zac to come over, and he curled into my side. “I promise you guys that I’m gonna try really hard, okay?”

“I want my mom to love you,” Lola whispered.

“I want that, too,” Zac echoed.

I smiled, kissing the tops of both of their heads. “Me, too, kids. Me, too.”

It wasn’t a lie.

I did.

I wanted Perrie Fox to love me back, even if it wasn’t a good idea.

I hugged them for several more minutes until Lola fidgeted. “Are you guys all good now? Want some food?”

“Yeah.” Zac escaped from my clutches. “Got any candy? We’re sad and need candy.”

I set Lola on the bed to her silent agreement. “I think I can find some. You sure you’re fine?”

They both nodded, and I glanced at them to confirm, then headed out of the room.

Then, I stopped the other side of the door and got exactly what I was hoping for.

“I have an idea,” Zac said, whispering conspiratorially.

“What?” Lola stage-whispered in return.

“We have to make them fall in love. Like the fat baby with the arrows.”

The fat baby with the arrows. My god.

“Yes!” Springs squeaked as Lola moved. “How do we do that?

“Let’s come up with a plan.”

Trying to hold in my laughter at my son’s description of Cupid, I left them to it.

Maybe I should have told them that you can’t make people fall in love, but damned if I didn’t wanna see them give it a good fucking shot.