Page 79 of Runaway Queen

“Can you make them?”

“I’m the pancake king, but I’ll need your help.”

“Okay! I can help.”

I gave him a list of ingredients, and he scampered off to get them. I washed my hands, staring out at the water beyond the window. The ocean rolled softly past the dock at the end of the street. The silence felt deep, and salt and pine hung in the air. Mylastochkahad picked a good place to make a home.

“Are you going to be sleeping over every night?” Leo asked once we were deep in the mixing and measuring of the pancakes.

“Is that a problem?” Evasion came naturally to me.

He shrugged. “SometimesZiaChiara sleeps over.”

“Anyone else?”

Leo shook his head. I was ridiculously happy to hear it.

“I think my mom likes it when you stay. She’s smiling all the time lately.”

“Is she?”

Leo nodded. “I hope you stay so she keeps smiling. What’s your last name?”

“Chernov.”

“Chernov. Are you my dad?”

I stared at him, all thoughts startled out of my head. His gray eyes stared at me, unblinking. It was like looking in a mirror, except I couldn’t remember being as young and unspoiled by the world as Leo was.

“Why do you think that?”

“Your name is inside mom’s ring. She said that ring was for my dad. So… you must be my dad.”

“I’m sure there is more than one Nikolai in the world.”Fuck. I wished I’d thought about how I was going to handle this.

Leo narrowed his eyes at me. “But you’re the only one in our lives.”

“Right, you’re right. You’re really smart, did anyone ever tell you that?”

“Yes, my mom tells me all the time.”

“Well, she’s really smart, too.” I blew out a breath and pulled a chair out, sitting so I was at the same height as Leo. Nothing in my life had ever made me as nervous as this conversation had.

“If I was your dad, would that be a good thing?” I couldn’t swallow suddenly.

Leo considered my question and then slowly nodded. The relief of his small, hesitant smile hit me like a ten-ton truck.

Then a small frown crossed his face.

“What is it?”

“I just wonder why you took so long to come to us?”

It was official, this was the most difficult conversation of my life. I was sweating.

“Sometimes we don’t have a choice in these things, Leo. Believe me when I say I wanted to come. If I could have come, I’d have run the whole way here. Also believe me when I say that I will never, ever leave you and your mom again. I’m here to stay. I missed you before I even met you.”

Leo studied me and then stuck out his little hand, holding his pinky up again.

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