Page 33 of Bryson's Treasure

Chapter 13

Bryson satacross the breakfast table from Azadeh. She was shoving pancakes into her mouth as fast as she could. He had promised her he would never take her food away, but it didn’t help. He’d spent the last few days trying to find her a therapist, and he’d finally found one. In a few days, she would sit down and talk with a licensed therapist. He liked that the man could speak to Azadeh in her native language. Sometimes he worried there was a disconnect between them because she didn’t completely understand.

“Are you excited to go skating?”

“Uh-huh.” It came out as a grumble because she still had food in her mouth.

Today was the first date with Azadeh and Lynn. Last night he’d wanted to stay up and talk with Lynn about her plans for the future, but when they were about to talk, Azadeh screamed from her room. It had been happening more frequently, so he was happy to finally have found a therapist. The nightmares worried him. She wasn’t dealing with her trauma properly.

“You need to stick by Lynn’s and my side at all times today.” Bryson watched her every move, making sure she understood.

“Will Uncle be near?” Azadeh asked as she dropped her fork.

“No.” Bryson was sure her uncle had given up. “Other people in the world are dangerous as well. I don’t want you to get lost, because I’ll be worried about you.”

“I will stay by your side.”

Bryson let out a breath. “Now that we have that settled, have you thought about what you want for Christmas?”

Azadeh stared at him with her pretty blue eyes. “A mom.”

Bryson choked on the sip of coffee he’d taken. “I’m not sure I can find you a mom for Christmas. How about a new toy?”

Azadeh smiled up at him. “Lynn makes a good mom.”

Bryson thought back to the time they’d shared in the spring. Lynn would make a great partner and mom, but that wasn’t something he could make happen by Christmas. “I agree. Lynn would make a great mom, but I haven’t dated her long enough to ask her.”

“How long would you need to date?”

Bryson rubbed a hand down his face. This wasn’t the conversation he’d planned to have with Azadeh. The sun had barely come up. “It’s more of a feeling than a timeline.”

Azadeh tilted her head. “I love her and you. Don’t you have feelings for her?”

Bryson blinked a few times to stop the sheen in his eyes. This was the first time she’d told him she loved him. Bryson had known he loved the young girl the second she’d handed him the keys to the cuffs around his wrists. “You love me?”

She nodded. “And Lynn.”

Bryson walked over and wrapped Azadeh in his arms. “I love you too,” he whispered in her ear.

“Does that mean I can have Lynn as my mom?” Azadeh asked as she pulled out of his hug.

“Not yet. We have to wine and dine her until she never wants to leave us.”

Azadeh pouted for a second before turning back. “You mean if I give her my doll, she might stay with us?”

Bryson brushed the hair from her eyes. “No, but going skating with her today is a start. Have you ever tried skating before?”

He needed to change the subject, just in case Lynn walked into the room. He knew Lynn loved the young girl, but he wanted her to like him just as much. The date today was the first one of many he had planned.

“No, but Lynn showed me a video online. I think I’m going to be good.”

“I bet you will be.” Bryson loved how Azadeh tried new things. She’d gone riding a few times, and he knew she would want a horse. Whenever they went somewhere, she would eye toys but never ask for one. Growing up, she didn’t have money, and Bryson highly doubted her good-for-nothing uncle ever wanted to buy her a gift. In the coming months, when everything had settled down, he would get her something.

“Have you ever skated?”

“When I was younger, I would skate with Noah and my other brother, Grayson, in the winters. We had a large pond on our land that would freeze over during the winter. On the weekends, we would play hockey against each other.”

“Will you teach me?” Azadeh asked before taking her dish to the sink.

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