Page 46 of The Sweet Spot

“No, I didn’t. Scarlet’s not your mother?” His words aren’t meant to be cruel, but I bristle a little anyway.

“She’s not my biological mother. That woman...” I choose my words very carefully. “She was never a part of my life. She actually died recently, and I wasn’t even told until her parents reached out to Dad a few weeks later.”

I drop my hands into my lap and clasp my fingers together until the blood stops flowing

and my racing heart slows. “Dad and Scarlet dated in high school and reconnected when I was three. Scarlet Kingston has been my mother every day since. But if it weren’t for my aunts being there before that, my life before Scarlet would have looked very different.”

“I’m not really following you, Brynn.” It’s not just the sound of my name on his lips or the pain in his voice that has my mind working overtime. But those things, together with my inner voice saying maybe... just maybe this will be the only chance at a family I might ever get, are what I’ll say caused my momentary insanity when I’m asked later.

And I’m going to be asked because this is crazy.

But, hey, so far everything about Deacon and me has felt crazy.

“I’m your answer, Deacon. Marry me,” I tell him with as much confidence as I can muster.

“Brynlee . . .”

“Hear me out. I’m not saying I’m in love with you. I’ve had blowouts that lasted longer than the amount of time we’ve known each other.”

“That’s not true,” he argues gently.

“Close enough. I’m not the same person I was as a kid, and neither are you. But that’s fine. That’s not why this will work. This works because I’ll be done with the Revolution before you ever have to travel out of town for a single night. I’ll be here. I can stay with Kennedy. I’m not saying as her mom, but family comes in a lot of forms. And I can be her family. Bonus points, that would give me legal rights if you’re across the country and her mother is in another hemisphere.” Holy shit. I can’t believe I managed to hide the tremble in my voice. “She’ll have to get used to the first big change, but then, there wouldn’t be another.”

“That’s a huge change, Brynn. I mean, just looking at it from a father’s perspective, Kennedy is already going to deal with the change of living with me and of a new school. Now you want to throw a wife into the mix?” he asks without any venom in his voice. Just concern, and concern I can understand.

“Isn’t that basically what you’re looking to do with a nanny?” I question. “At least with me I’m not being paid to be here. I’m someone she could count on. I’m someone who could care about her.”

Deacon sits across from me, shell-shocked. “Why... why would you offer to put your life on hold, Brynn? Why would you do this for me? What could you possibly get out of this? You’re young and smart and beautiful. You have a great family. Why would you tie yourself down with my mess.”

“Why not. Deacon? None of us are promised tomorrow. I could be dead before I turn twenty-five?—”

“Fucking hell, Brynlee. Don’t say that.” He moves next to me, radiating a sexy protective possessiveness that scares me. I don’t want to break this man.

“Deacon, there’s some?—”

“And what if it doesn’t work out? We just cut ties and go our separate ways? I work for your family, red. I’m not sure that’s going to be as clean as it sounds.” His hand cups my face, while his dark eyes stare at me like they’re trying desperately to understand me. “And what about your family?”

“We’d deal with them after we worked it out with Isla and Kennedy.”

Deacon stares at me for so long, I start to wonder if he’s shocked into silence.

Was this the stupidest thing I’ve ever done?

But just when I think maybe I should take it all back, he pulls me up in front of him and holds my face gently in both hands. “You’d really do this for me?”

“I would,” I answer, savoring his warmth against my skin. “But Deacon, there are things?—”

“It would need to be fast,” he cuts me off before I get a chance to say more, lost in his own thoughts. “Like before Isla leaves.”

I nod, understanding what he’s saying. His ex-wife is leaving in a week.

I close my eyes, and words sit on the tip of my tongue until I can work up the courage to say them. “Would you think I was crazy if I said I have a friend who’s a judge who owes me a favor?” I laugh nervously because why stop sounding like a lunatic now? “I taught her self-defense one-on-one a few years ago. She told me if I ever needed anything, I just needed to ask.”

The smile that pulls across his handsome face is everything. “Baby, I think we’re both crazy because I’d ask if she could stop by tonight.”

“Wait—” I stop us. “Can we keep this quiet until I’m done working for the Revolution? I’ve worked hard for my professional reputation, and I’d rather people find out after the fact. Like once I’m working for Crucible. “

“That’s in a week, right?”

---