Page 74 of A Smooth Operator

"Lani, Remi, you guys should head out." Dad gave Lani a kiss on her forehead and patted my shoulder. "I think your Mama and I need to have a conversation."

"Dallas," Mama whimpered, "I need my babies at home for the holidays."

My heart went out to her, and I saw that same pain reflected in my father's eyes. He sat down next to Mama. She immediately turned to him, hiding her face in his chest, sobbing. He stroked her back. "We'll figure this out, Sierra."

"Dad?" I asked.

He smiled, shaking his head. "It's going to be alright," he assured Lani and me. "I'll call you about tomorrow."

I put my arm around Lani and walked her out of the living room. At the doorway, I turned back to look at my parents. "Mama, I love you. I'll always love you."

She cried harder at that.

I hated hurting her, but I also knew that this had to be done, and not just because of Echo—because it was the right thing to do.

Chapter 28

Echo

"Idon't wanna." I sounded like a toddler, and any minute now, I was going to stomp my feet.

Remi grinned. "I can just see how our daughter will look when she's throwing a tantrum."

I froze. Did he just say our daughter in that casual way of his? This man who was militant about never ever getting involved with a woman to the point he never slept over was talking babies with me?

"Now, now, don't stop, keep it going," Remi urged. "Just because I said the M-word doesn't mean you need to freak out."

"M-word?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"I said daughter. But we ain't having kids until we're married. I'm a good ol' Southern boy, darlin', and we don't have children out of wedlock."

I swallowed. "Let's get through this Thanksgiving dinner, yeah?"

Remi cupped my face in his hands. "I know you're scared. I know you don't fully trust me—"

"I do," I cut in, holding on to his wrists, keeping him close. "I I let it go, Remi. You're more than one screw up, or two, well, you screwed up a lot."

He laughed but then his eyes became somber. "Thank you, Doll."

"For?" I looked into his blue eyes, feeling happier than I ever had, despite not being able to spend the day at my home instead of going to the Drake residence for Thanksgiving dinner, where Sierra Drake was going to be an uber bitch to me.

"For trusting me even though I broke us. For giving me a chance to show you that I can be better, for being you. I don't think you realize how much you've changed for me. Even Lani."

When Remi told me about his conversation with his mother the previous evening I'd been shocked to hear how much Lani had reformed.

"Heavens to Betsy; I can't believe she finally ended that sham engagement. Tommy, bless his heart, is a douchebag." I closed my eyes. We had to go to his parent's house, and I was so not ready to deal with that drama. I wanted us to find ourselves first, build a relationship for real and then deal with the Sierra Drake shitshow cause there was gonna be one.

He kissed my lips. "It's going to be fine."

"Famous last words," I said sullenly. "You know your Mama told Aunt Fern?"

Remi sighed and nodded. "I know, Doll."

Aunt Fern had been loud and clear when she called me. I was out of my mind and getting too big for my britches if I thought I could be in a relationship with a Drake. She also told me that Remi was probably just using me for sex and would throw me away like trash. I hung up after the trash comment.

Remi had almost decided not to go to his parents' after that call, but then Dallas talked to him and convinced him that we had to come together as a family. And when he said we, he meant Remi and me.

Yeah, it was surreal.

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