Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

FIONN

“More tea, Daddy?” Fia lifts her small pink teakettle in the air, pigtails swinging as she comes over to my side, where I’m seated in a tiny child-sized chair that barely fits my frame.

But there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

“Please, ma’am. This tea is the best I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” she asks, eyes as bright as her mother’s, this gorgeous hazel hue.

“Really.” With a smile, I glance at Amara, who’s fighting her own grin as she observes us from her spot on the sofa, directly in our line of vision, stroking Max’s fur.

She hasn’t let him out of her sight, constantly touching him like she’s afraid he’ll disappear.

Fia pours more tea, which is nothing but water, but I still lift up that tiny pink cup and pretend to drink it.

“Mm, so good.”

She giggles, returning to her spot across from me in the den and sipping on her own brew.

“Are you looking forward to going to Tynan’s for dinner?” I ask Amara.

She’s barely said much to me today. I need to fix this, but fuck me, I don’t know how. I don’t expect her to be okay with me killing that piece of shit. Unlike for me, this is hard for her. I’m willing to give her time to come to terms with her new life, but ending our marriage is non-negotiable.

“I am.” She hugs her knees, pressing them to her chest. “It’ll be nice for Fia to have someone to play with.”

“Yeah.” I grab a plastic biscuit and place it on my plate. “Family is important, and my family is now yours.”

Her mouth pinches and she stares down at her lap for a moment. “Do the rest of them know?”

“Know what?”

“How I got here and why?”

“No. But you’re more than welcome to tell them.”

“No.” She tucks her knees closer. “I have no plans to say anything.”

“Whatever you want, babe. Tea?”

A smirk slips on my face as she shakes her head, while I’m just glad she’s talking to me.

“You’re good with her.”

“Is that a compliment?” A half-grin appears just as Fia grabs a piece of “cake” and pretends to take a big bite.

“It may have been.” Her teasing smile makes every cell in my body pulse with awareness.

“I’ve gotta drop by the office in a bit, but I won’t be long.”

“Okay.” She nods.

I continue playing with Fia until it’s time for me to go.

“Daddy will see you later, princess.” I lift her in my arms, kissing her temple.

“Love you.”

Shit. Hearing her say that is never gonna get old.

“Love you too, sweetheart.”

When I place her down, she returns to her tea party while I approach my wife, tugging her chin in a tight grasp.

“I’ll see you later, baby.” My lips fall to hers, kissing her softly.

And she kisses me back, her fingers dipping into my biceps, like she never wants to let me go. I want to believe that no matter what I do, she’ll always kiss me this way, because our connection? It’s unbreakable.

“Please be careful,” she says softly as I back away.

And I realize right now, in these seconds of her staring at me with concern, that I’m falling for her. Falling hard and fast. And there’s nothing I can do about it.

“Are you sure about this?” Tynan asks. “Because you’ve never made a damn thing in your life.”

“Come on, babe.” Elara shakes her head. “Give the man a chance.”

“Yeah, what she said.” I grin.

Brody laughs beside her.

“What’s so funny? Think your uncle can’t hack it?”

“Not at all.”

I scoff. “Wow. I’ll prove you fuckers wrong.”

“Language.” Elara pops a brow.

“Yes, ma’am.” I hit her with a salute.

I don’t know how she puts up with us, especially a grumpy ass like my brother.

“Baklava is not for beginners. So if you mess it up, it’s on you.” Tynan grabs some flour, butter, and a bunch of other crap.

But I need to do this. I want to be the one to make it. As soon as I heard her say there was something she wanted, I knew I’d be the one to give it to her, and I want her to love it.

“Yeah, yeah, fine. Stop talking and tell me what to do.”

He folds his arms across his chest, and then he’s giving me the first steps of the recipe.

Before I know it, I’m making the dough with Brody’s help. Or trying to, anyway.

“You have to keep mixing it,” he tells me, shaking his head. “It can’t be that clumpy.”

Yeah, the kid knows more than me.

“Okay, genius.” I ruffle his hair as he laughs.

“If you don’t do it right, it won’t come out good.”

“Yeah, listen to my kid.” Tynan grabs some eggs and sugar, adding them to another mixing bowl.

“I think it’s sweet that you wanted to make her something she asked for,” Elara throws in. “That’s really thoughtful.”

“She’s not thrilled with me right now, so I’m trying.”

“Well, neither was Elara. At first.” Tynan smirks, catching her eye, and her face flushes.

“Yeah, I wanted to kill him. I think I even tried once.” She shrugs, a playful look on her face.

“Mom!” Brody’s eyes pop.

“I was only playing.” She throws her hands in the air.

But as she focuses on me, she shakes her head.

“Definitely wasn’t playing,” she whispers to me. “Amara will come around. I did. Just give her time.”

“Yeah, let’s hope this baklava helps.” I start on the filling, mixing the ingredients.

“It will. You’ll see.”

I wish I shared her optimism.