Page 14 of Under Ground

“Casey, are you licking your hands again?” Lana calls. “If you go wash your hands, I’ll get you an ice cream for dessert.”

Her eyes widen. She uses the table to push herself to her feet and sets off running up the hallway.

I laugh. “That worked.”

“It always does.”

Before Casey returns, Lana walks back into the living room, an ice cream in a cone in her hand. It’s only a small amount of the dessert, but clearly Casey’s eager to get her hands on it. “Do you want one too?” Lana asks.

I laugh. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Mummy, you give Daddy my ice cream?”

Lana laughs as Casey runs back in. “No, honey. This one is all yours.” She hands it to her.

Casey eats while Lana sits next to me. We sit in silence as Casey devours her ice cream and beams at the both of us.

“Be back,” Casey yells, launching herself up the hallway.

I laugh. “She’s so full of energy.”

“She never stops.” Lana leans back in her seat.

Casey comes running in with something in her hand. “I got it.”

“What do you have there?” I ask.

“My Daddy photo,” Casey says.

“Show me.”

She raises it to my eye level, and I pluck her from the floor, seating her between Lana and me on the couch.

It’s weird—she’s got this photo of me, obviously torn from a magazine and framed.

I take it from her outstretched hand and run my thumb over the glass. “This is one well-loved picture.”

Casey beams.

“I suggested the frame because she would have been devastated if it had been destroyed.” Lana hovers. I’m sure she’s worried I’ll say the wrong thing—whatever that is, and upset Casey. But that’s the last thing I want.

I smile at her. “Good choice. How about you take a photo of me and Casey to replace it?”

She blinks rapidly. “You … you’d do that?”

“Obviously one day she’ll understand, but she’ll always have a photo of the time we met.”

Tears appear in her eyes, and I can’t look away. Lana Maitland is such a beautiful woman, and the thought of making her cry rips me apart. Even if it’s because I’m doing a good thing.

“This is just so sweet,” Lana says.

I lower my voice. “Casey’s not at fault. She knows what she doesn’t have and she wants it. Can’t blame her for that.”

She shifts her gaze to Casey. “Honey, would you like to take a photo with Alex?”

Casey nods, her blue eyes wide.

Lana holds up her phone, and Casey snuggles into my side. I slip an arm around her and smile until Lana nods.

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