Page 35 of Keepsake

That had his attention. Dash’s eyes flew from his plate to my face, his forehead creasing. “They have a daycare at Lone Pine.”

“A good one.” I smiled and nodded. Feeding Lachlan one more time. “But Lachlan needs time to get to know me. I think it’s a good idea.”

“That’s your plan?”

I forced my gaze up, facing his accusing eyes. He reminded me so much of his mother like that. Sofia was passionate, full of heat, especially when something annoyed her. I was the quiet and uncertain one. She was a thunderstorm.

Sofia’s son looked at me like I was the enemy, but I didn’t cower under his Castillo stare. I faced him head on and nodded. “My plan is to make you all comfortable. And I think Lachlan will be—”

“You want him to bond with you, so we get stuck here.”

I rested Lachlan’s spoon on the plate. “I want to take the load off your shoulders.”

“He doesn’t know you,” he spat and raised to his feet.

“Sit down, Dash,” barked Alvaro.

But I waved him off. I didn’t need him to defend me. I actually didn’t need him at all.

“And how will he ever know me? I don’t see what the problem is here.”

“The problem is that I’m sick and tired of—”

He never said it. I was dying to know what he was sick and tired of, but that was the moment Lachlan chose to tip the lasagna plate off the table, falling into a messy splash, followed by a thud.

Tomato sauce made a painting on my floors, reaching even my toes. I looked down and then looked up at Lachlan just to catch the moment a switch turned on him and he opened his mouth and started to cry.

It was loud, but not so loud I didn’t hear Dash’s next words.

“She won’t last a minute.”

He made moves to go to Lachlan, but I held my hand up the same time Alvaro was leaving his chair, his face murderous as he snapped at Dash, “Go to your room.”

The teenager didn’t think twice. He stomped his feet and left, Alvaro going after him. Taking a calming breath, I smiled at Lachlan. “It’s ok buddy, accidents happen.”

I went for him, sure he was going to resist me, but to my surprise, he let me hold him and transfer him to my lap. I smelled his hair trying to make sense of the child in my arms. He was a three-year-old who wouldn’t talk or feed himself. He sobbed like a much younger child, and I felt his pain right in my chest. I moved my body from one side to the other, humming something soothing. Still hiccupping, his cries subdued, so I took the opportunity to cut my own lasagna into small pieces to offer to him.

He opened his mouth and let me feed him. Exhaling, I wondered out loud, “What am I going to do with your brother?”

“This is a very nice dinner, Logan!”

Vienna’s voice came out of nowhere, making me jump in my seat. She was eating it all up happy, unbothered by the mess this dinner became. She cleaned her plate and sent me a smile so bright it confused me.

Maybe I needed to book a pediatrician appointment for her as well.

“How’sthefirstofficialday going?” Willa asked on the phone.

After dinner, I let them watch a little TV until Lachlan started rubbing his eyes. One of the parenting books said that was a sign they were tired. Tantrums were another. Scared of getting into that specific part, I told Vienna to turn off the TV and brought her and Lachlan upstairs.

I didn’t need to be a genius to know rubbing your eyes was a sign of sleep, but at the same time, until the book pointed it out, I didn’t think about checking.

The thing I had learned about children is that they didn’t have any idea what they were feeling. Not at Lachlan’s age. He couldn’t inform me he was getting sleepy. He only felt the consequences when it was too late.

My shoulders were up to my ears when my phone rang and flashed Willa’s name, relaxing me a little. Putting my shoes on and grabbing a coat, I closed the glass doors and stepped into the cold.

“Traumatic.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. What’s wrong?”

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