Page 84 of Wishing for Love

Crystal felt her eyes fill when Elsie said that. Phoenix looked as if he was going to shed a tear too. “Yes,” he said. “I’ll always be your Uncle Nix, but I’d like to be your father too. You can call me anything you want.”

“Really?” Elsie asked. “I’ve never had a father, but I’ve always had you.”

“You’ve always had me and you always will,” he said. “Remember that.”

Elsie had been sitting next to her in the booth but got up and moved across to sit next to Phoenix and hug him. “I love you, Uncle Nix.”

“I love you too, Elsie.”

“I love you, Crystal,” Elsie said. The little girl moved back next to her for a hug.

“I love you, Elsie. Don’t forget that either. Nothing changes here. Maybe it just continues to get better.”

“Maybe,” Elsie said. “Just like a family.”

“That’s right,” Phoenix said. “Just like a family.”

Crystal looked at her boyfriend and her boss and realized that “boss” was way down on the list. She had what she’d always wished for and hoped she was able to keep it.

29

EXCITED AND ENERGIZED

“Braylon got engaged the other day,” his father said to him two days later.

“He did?” Phoenix asked. “That’s great.”

He didn’t spend a lot of time talking to Braylon. His father did most of that. He wasn’t even talking to West all that much now either, but more with Laken.

Even then it wasn’t a lot, but it would be soon.

He was happy to have the negotiations done and the paperwork getting finalized.

They were nowhere near where things were going to go, but it was a start.

He was more excited and energized than when he got his first patent.

On top of that. His father had gotten the insurance settlement check fairly quickly as he’d said from the driver that had killed Maryn. After his father’s fees, the rest was getting invested.

“Yeah,” his father said. “I talked to him a few minutes ago. I’m surprised your Aunt Aileen didn’t call your mother, but maybe she’s been busy.”

“Or she could have thought Braylon would tell you himself. She knows we are all working together.”

“That is most likely it. Laken is dating someone too.”

“Oh?” he asked. “No one said anything, but it’s not like I talk to her much. More like email communications. I just know that Abby is working with her and I’ll meet or at least talk to her at some point when things get moving.”

“Lily, Braylon’s fiancée, is going to start working with Laken too. She’ll be Laken’s assistant.”

“Keeping it in the family,” he said, laughing.

“Not much different than you,” his father said. “Things are going well? Your mother said Elsie knows and is fine with it.”

“She does. She is. It was easier than I thought and I made it into a bigger issue than it was.”

“That often happens in life. Before we move on to something else, I need to tell you who Laken is dating. Braylon confided in me about this. Things will be publicized soon and Laken’s name will be associated at some point.”

“What’s going on?” he asked.

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