Page 103 of Resurrection

“No,” I say. “Just thinking about how good it’ll be when you’re back from Chicago and we can focus on what comes next.”

She smiles as she tilts the bottle higher for Lucas. “Me too. One week, and then we’re free.”

He drains the bottle, and she puts it beside her to position him to be burped. “I thought I might be worried about leaving Lucas. He changes so much—something new every day. I’ll miss that. Iwill. But you’re so good with him.” She stares at me, her features softened with love for me. “I can’t believe how good you are with him.”

With my index finger, I rub the top of the wooden dresser and don’t meet her gaze. “With my old life, I wouldn’t have been a good father—too much danger, too much violence, too much hate in me.” I stare at the crisp whiteness of the dresser. “But we’re building something I never knew I wanted, never considered possible.” My voice becomes rough, and I clear my throat. “For the first time, my soul is at peace.”

She adjusts Lucas and comes to me. She circles her free arm around my waist and settles herself under my arm. “Mine too.” With a contented sigh, she rests her cheek against my chest, so close to my heart it’s like they’re one unit. “Mine too.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Carys

Being in the office again is strange. Familiar and foreign at the same time. My father has been roaming around, but I’ve avoided speaking to him whenever possible. He doesn’t have a place in my life anymore. Anytime he tried to make a personal comment about Finn or Lucas, I shut him out. We’re not friends, and we’re barely a family.

I thought my mother might stop in to see me since she and my father are living together again. Lilly gave me the gossip about them when I checked in with her at Reception this week.

My phone rings, and I glance at the call display. I break out in a grin as I prop it up and accept the FaceTime request. Finn and Lucas pop up on the screen. He has him supported with pillows, so it looks like they’re sitting side by side.

“Happy Friday.” He smirks and checks his watch. “What, maybe four more hours until you achieve freedom from that place?”

“Yes! We sign the papers at four thirty today to turn everything back over to my father and whoever he’s nominating as my replacement. I’ve been giving Daniel and Eliza the rundown onthe accounts, procedures, and so forth so at least two people can keep this place running smoothly.” I scan Finn’s face, wishing I could be there in person. Only a few more hours. “My father has been putting his hands on every file, making comments about the changes I’ve made since he left.”

“He can grumble all he likes. His opinion about anything doesn’t fucking matter anymore.”

I wince.

“I mean”—Finn glances at Lucas—“doesn’t freaking matter anymore.”

“One way or another, his first word will start with an F.”

A knock sounds on my office door. “I’m on the red-eye back tonight. I gotta go. I can’t wait until I’m close enough to touch you.”

His gaze heats, searing me even through the phone. “You can touch me anywhere you want. I won’t mind.”

My thighs clench together at the thought, and another tap on my door draws my attention away from the two faces on my phone. “I love you! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“We love you too.” His voice is gruff when he says those words, as though they’re rusty from lack of use.

My heart stutters when I hear them from him. I’m the only person he’s ever said them to, and he’d do anything to ensure my happiness.

With one last searching glance at the two of them, I end the call.

“Come in.” I straighten in my desk chair and try to appear as though I’ve been focusing on file folders instead of staring at the faces I love the most in the world.

Lilly’s long brown hair is the first thing I see before her round brown face pops in the door. “I tried to call you from downstairs, but the internal phone lines seem to be down.”

I frown and pick up the receiver next to me. Sure enough, there’s no dial tone. “Did you contact someone to fix it?”

“Just before I came up, yeah.”

“Do you need something?” I rest my forearms on the table.

“A time-sensitive package arrived for you downstairs. The courier was very insistent that you got it before four thirty.” She laughs as she hefts the box from between her feet. “I guess someone really wants to say goodbye to you or thank you or something before you leave here.”

I’ve been receiving gifts all week from former clients, current associates, or just people I’ve met in passing over the years who heard I was leaving the company for good. Most of the people who knew my father had a variation ofwhat took you so longin their message. That’s the thing about family, though. It’s hard to see their true colors sometimes. Or maybe we don’t want to see them. The blinders are off where he’s concerned. I have no regrets about leaving this behind.

“You can put it on the couch.” I nod in the direction of the large cream sofa against the back wall. “Can you send Daniel and Eliza back in? I have a few other things to cover before we run out of time. I’m not sticking around any longer than four thirty.”

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