Page 71 of The Heart

When we come around the car, I immediately hear my mother’s voice calling from the porch.

“Lucas! You’re here! Are you letting that poor girl carry her own bag?” she lectures, putting her hands on her aproned hips.

“Hey, Ma!” I call out, turning back to Leena who’s trying not to laugh and Sebastian who’s actually laughing. I glare at him as I take the smaller bag from her, adding it to the pile I’m already carrying.

“Uncle Luke!” two very enthusiastic voices call out and I drop to a knee as the little bundles of energy come running toward me. I hug my seven-year-old niece and five-year-old nephew for half a second before they move on to their next target.

“Seb! Seb!” they call out, wrapping their little arms around his massive legs.

“Hey, squirts!” he says, ruffling their hair before they make their way to Leena.

“Who are you?” my niece asks, her big blue eyes looking up in wonder as she twirls back and forth in her dress. My nephew, already over the introductions, heads back to the house, tripping twice on the way there.

“My name is Leena, what’s your name?”

“My name’s Isabella,” my niece says shyly.

“That’s averypretty name,” Leena says in that voice people like to use for kids, and my little niece practically glows at the compliment. “Will you show me where we’re going?” Leena asks, offering out her hand. Isabella takes it, a cute little blush blooming on her face. I watch them head toward the house, my niece swishing her dress as she goes, and I can’t help my broad smile.

Even though I don’t want kids of my own, that little girl has my heart. Always has. And seeing how good Leena is with her? That melts my heart. I glance at Sebastian, finding him looking after our woman with the same sort of expression.

When we reach the porch, I drop my bags and go to hug my mother, who is… already hugging Leena. And, by the looks of it, cutting off her circulation.Oh boy.

“Lucas, you didn’t tell me she wasgorgeous!”She holds Leena at arm’s length so she can get a better look at her. I step in closer, deciding it’s time I saved her from this.

“Yeah, she’s gorgeous, Ma. Now, can I get a hug?” I smile, holding my arms out wide so the older woman can slam into me, which she does.

I rest my cheek on her head and smile at Leena as I rock her for a long moment before letting go.

“Ope, I can’t forget my favorite. Sebastian? Get over here,” my mother says, looking behind me. Sebastian puts his bag down and holds his arms open too, sporting the grin he saves for kittens and my mother.

“Mrs. Campbell,” he says, hugging her and lifting her off the ground a little. My mother chuckles, and Sebastian mouths the word “favorite” at me from over her head before setting her back down. I glare at him.

“Okay, okay. You’ve had a long drive,” she says, patting Sebastian’s chest before heading inside. “Let me show you to your rooms.”

I cringe as I suddenly remember how my mother likes to pre-plan sleeping arrangements.

I glance over at Leena and Sebastian. Leena doesn’t seem to realize what’s about to happen, but Sebastian definitely does. He quirks a brow at me before following my mother into the house.

Shit.

I didn’t think this through.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

LEENA

Ifollow Mrs. Campbell up the stairs, glancing around the walls at all the family photos. I smile, stepping closer to one that I recognize immediately as Luke. He can’t be any older than fourteen, and has this giant dimpled grin, his arm wrapped around a smaller boy as the two of them sit on a piano bench together. I frown when I realize the little boy must be Asher.

Now, The Jack of Spades.

“The bathroom is there,” Mrs. Campbell says, pointing toward the end of the hall before pausing between two doors. “The boys can take Lucas and Asher’s old room and Leena honey, you can have Chelsea’s old bedroom. She’s staying in the guest room downstairs with Mark and the kids. Oh, you’ll meet all of them once you get settled,” she adds as an afterthought. She continues speaking, but I’m not really listening anymore. I’m still lingering on how I’ll be staying in a room separate from my men.

I’m not sure what I was expecting. Maybe that she would point us toward some empty rooms, I would choose one with Luke, and maybe in the dead of night Sebastian could sneak in and join us, at least for a little while. Beingassignedrooms isn’t something I particularly like, but I’m grateful that the Campbells would be kind enough to open their home to us all the same.

A sudden feeling of sadness washes over me when the reality that I’ll be sleeping alone tonight finally hits me.

I haven’t slept alone since… well, since the day I was shot.

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