Page 100 of Smitten with the Single Dad

He swallowed and held eye contact with her. “Do you love us?”

She wrapped her other arm around him now as well. “I never thought I could fall in love with someone else’s children—let alone so fast. But oh my goodness, Jake. I love you and Griffon so very much. You have my heart, little bear. You and your wolf of a brother have my whole heart.” She kissed his forehead again, then pulled back and looked at him. Now the tears were falling from her eyes freely. She forced a smile even though her heart was breaking for this little boy and all that he was processing.

“I promise not to break your heart,” he said. “I love you too, Vica.”

She pulled him back in for another hug. “Amore mio,I love you so very much. You make my life so much richer and better. My heart is full with love for you.”

A creak on the floor at the door had them both pulling away and glancing sideways at where Wyatt stood with wide eyes.

“Where were you, Dad?” Jake asked, not bothering to untangle himself from Vica.

“I, uh … I got an alert on my phone about a leak in the kitchen. So I ran down to the restaurant to check it out.” He stepped deeper into the bedroom, his eyes laser-focused on Vica.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, taking in his all-black attire. She didn’t believe for a second that he was down in the restaurant kitchen. “Did you find the leak?”

It was almost like he forgot his lie for a moment and pinched his browstogether in confusion before blinking and nodding. “Oh, yeah. It was just an ice cube that melted and hit the sensor. All good.”

“Should you really berunningdown to the restaurant? I thought you were taking it easy?” she asked, tilting her head to the side and scanning his body.

He was keeping something from her, and she hoped it was just for Jake’s sake and that Wyatt would come clean when his son was out of earshot.

“I walked briskly,” he replied with a cheeky tone. “I am taking it easy. I swear.”

“What time is it?” she asked, glancing at her phone on the nightstand.

“Just shy of five.”

Pulling in a deep breath through her nose, she swung her legs over the side of bed. “Well, I am awake now.”

“I’m sorry,” Jake said. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

She turned back and cupped his cheek. “Do not be sorry,orsetto. You can come to me any time. I will always wake up for you. I am not mad. I just hope I helped.”

Jake nodded. “You did. Thank you.” He climbed off the bed and yawned. “I’m going to try to go back to sleep for a bit.”

Wyatt ran his hand affectionately over his son’s head. “I’ll come tuck you in, buddy.”

“I’m okay, Dad.”

Wyatt frowned, but let his son go without pushing the issue. Once they heard Jake’s door close, Vica approached Wyatt in the middle of his bedroom. “All black was the first thing you could find to put on to run down to the restaurant?”

He didn’t even bother to hide it. “No.”

“Because you didn’t go down to the restaurant.”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Where did you go?”

“To look for the car that tried to run you off the road.”

Vica’s eyes flew open wide. “Did you?”

She could already tell by the way anger flickered behind the blue-hazel of his gaze that he had.

Dread swirled in her belly. “Who?”

But all he did was shake his head. “We need more answers before we know for sure. It doesn’t make sense where we found it.”

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