Page 51 of Heart of a Hero

Daddy. I wanted to press my hand to my chest, my heart racing at the word. A glance at my mom told me she’d most likely been the culprit to plant the idea in Taylor’s head. But I didn’t mind. In fact, I needed to thank her for it.

Laughter rumbled in my chest. “Let’s go see what Grandma and Grandpa have planned first, okay, munchkin? I bet it’ll be something real special.”

Taylor pouted for a split second before her natural curiosity and enthusiasm took over once more.

“Okay!” she chirped brightly, skipping over to inspect the sparkling tree up close.

I pulled Nora close, so that she rested against my side. “Well, darlin’, ready to see what other surprises tonight has in store?”

Mom clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “All right, I know we usually wait until tomorrow to open gifts, but I thought we could start a new tradition this year.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she reached behind the tree, pulling out two beautifully wrapped packages. “Nora, Taylor, these are for you. A little something to welcome you to the family.”

Nora’s eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. “Oh, Ridley, you shouldn’t have!”

“Nonsense,” Mom tutted, pressing the gifts into their hands. “You’re part of us now. And we take care of our own.”

She winked at me, and I felt a surge of gratitude for my amazing mother. I noticed my grandfather and Darian were unusually quiet. I didn’t dare look at either of them. If I did, there was no telling what might come out of their mouths. Since they were behaving, I was just going to stand here and pretend they weren’t there.

Taylor’s fingers were already tearing at the shimmering paper, her excitement palpable. “What is it, what is it?”

Nora helped her peel away the wrapping, revealing a… what the hell? I turned on my mom, needing an explanation. Before I could say anything, I heard it… a whining sound I could only attribute to the other part of the gift Taylor just opened.

Scratch came in with some mixed breed puppy in his arms and a smirk on his lips. Fucking hell.

“Doolittle wanted to congratulate you on finding your family,” he said. “And this little guy is for your daughter.”

He kneeled down and handed the puppy to Taylor, who immediately dropped the metal bowls and leash to gather the furry creature into her arms. It was nearly half her size already, and I had a bad feeling it was going to be a large dog.

“You know we live in an apartment, right?” I asked.

Mom shrugged. “For now.”

What the fuck did that mean? Dad wouldn’t meet my gaze, which told me my mother had been up to something. Sooner or later, I’d find out what it was. Probably sooner.

Scratch ran a hand over Taylor’s hair. “You met your great-grandpa and great-grandma yesterday, right?”

She nodded, and I nearly choked on my spit at the thought of someone calling Darian a great-grandma. Thankfully, she seemed to be taking it in stride.

“Well, I’m her dad.” Scratch groaned as he got back to his feet. “Shit. Does that make me a great-great-grandpa? I’m getting too old for this nonsense.”

Taylor giggled. “You said a bad word.”

“So I did.” He shook his head. “Just call me Scratch like everyone else does. Might make things simpler.”

“Or call him Grandpa Scratch like Foster, Isy, and Tara do,” Darian said. “Foster should be here soon. Same for Tara. I’m afraid they’re too old to be much fun for you to play with, though.”

“She’s always wanted a puppy. Thank you,” Nora said.

Well, hell. Guess we were figuring out if pets were allowed at the apartment, and if not, looked like I was buying a fucking house. Since my mother most likely came up with this scheme, along with Darian, I’d be hitting up my parents and grandparents to help with a down payment or closing costs.

Mom gathered them both in a warm hug, murmuring softly, “Welcome home, my darlings. Welcome home.”

As I watched my girls and mom embrace, their faces aglow with joy and love, I felt a lump form in my throat. This moment, right here? It was everything I’d ever wanted. Everything I’d fought so hard for.

Taylor raced over to me, the puppy clutched to her chest. “Daddy, can I take it out to play now?”

I laughed, scooping her up and spinning her around until she giggled breathlessly. “You bet, munchkin. In fact, since Grandpa Scratch was so nice to bring it all the way here from Florida, I think you should ask him to go with you.”

Scratch flipped me off and I just smiled back. Served him right.

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