Page 66 of The Last Promise You Made

“We should write a story about him,” Mila said. Then, she saw us standing just outside the door. “Daddy!” She came running, hugging Maddox’s legs. “We played with the kittens, and are having lunch, and did you know that Addy’s mama died? That’s why she’s staying with Uncle Ryder. She’s not only my friend, but she’s my cousin! I’ve never had a cousin.”

“Breathe, Bug-a-boo,” Maddox said.

“Addy being your cousin has to be a secret for now, remember?” I said with a grunt.

“But it’s Daddy! And you told me family knew.”

“Maybe we should make a list of people who know,” Maddox suggested, looking at me apologetically. “Why don’t you go down and get some cookies to bring up to Addy.”

“Oh yes! I almost forgot about the snickerdoodles!”

Mila ran out, and I made my way over to Addy. “Did you have fun?”

She nodded, looking between me and Maddox, a wariness returning to her eyes that I wanted to wipe away. I reached out, took the paper bag from Maddox, and pulled one of the tubes from inside it. “I need your help with something important.”

She clutched the jaguar to her chest.

“We need to take a DNA test to make sure the world knows you’re my daughter.”

Her eyes grew a little wider.

“It won’t hurt,” Maddox said. “It’s just like a Q-tip, except instead of cleaning your ear, we swab your cheek. I’ll do your dad first so you can see.”

Maddox took the other tube from the bag, cracked the seal, swabbed my cheek, and then stuffed it back in the tube. “See, simple as that.”

“You want me to do it, or can Maddox do it?” I asked.

She shrugged, and I missed the new chatter I’d heard all over again. It snagged at my heart that she was more comfortable with my niece than her own father.

I cracked the tube, asked her to open her mouth, brushed the insides softly, and then stuck it back in the tube. “Easy-peasy, right?”

She nodded, a small smile lighting her up.

Mila came skipping back in with a napkin and two enormous cookies.

Maddox’s radio squawked loudly, and we all jumped except Mila. He stepped out of the room to listen. When he returned, he looked at me with a seriousness that made my stomach plummet.

“We need to head to the station.”

I placed my hand on top of Addy’s. “I’m sorry I keep leaving you today, sweetheart, but I promise you’re in good hands with Nana. You’re safe here.”

She nodded and smiled at me softly. “I like Mila’s room.”

My heart thudded at the complete sentence that sounded smooth instead of stilted.

“Oh, this is not my room. I don’t live here. My room is full of rainbows, but this is my second favorite room in the whole world, and Nana always fills it with the bestest toys. I’ll let you pick what we play with after we eat our cookies.”

I headed for the door and looked back at the two little girls eating their treat. Addy was at least a year older than Mila, but Addy was smaller, fragile looking, and it burned another hole in my chest.

Maddox’s hand landed on my shoulder. “She’s fine here. Just like you said, she’s safe.”

Then, he headed for the stairs, and I reluctantly followed. I wasn’t sure I could manage much more bad news, and I could tell by the grim expression on my brother’s face that whatever was waiting for us at the station wasn’t good.

? ? ?

After we’d gone downstairs, Maddox had insisted on Gia coming with us, saying there was someone there who had information about the sketch Gia had posted that morning. We followed Maddox in her car so she didn’t have to sit in the middle of the bench seat in the truck. There had to be something seriously wrong with me that I was disappointed by that thought. I wanted her next to me. I wanted that spike of adrenaline she caused, even when I knew I shouldn’t.

Gia Kent was everything I couldn’t stand. She excelled at lying. She never stayed put. She’d treated my family and our ranch like nothing more than a piece of evidence to be gathered. But she hadn’t treated Addy that way. She’d gone over and above to make sure Addy was safe and cared for.

---