Page 125 of Steel

“Grams, Bee is Daddy’s girlfriend and she’samazing. She’s so nice. She did my nails, Grammy.” Lyric finishes that last part on a whisper, as if what I did was such an important thing.

And from the way his mom’s eyes soften when she gazes down at her granddaughter, I realize it is.

She peers over at me after brushing a gentle hand over Lyric’s head. “Hi, Bailee. I’m Margot, and this is my husband, Burke.”

“It’s nice meeting you,” I tell them as I shake their hands.

I squat down in front of Lyric. “My heart song, I don’t know if you’ve eaten yet, but I made you some macaroni and cheese.” I wiggle my brows. “Homemade. With ooey gooey cheese.”

Lyric’s mouth drops open to form an o. “For real?”

I boop her on the nose. “For real. Go on inside and wash your hands. We’ll be right behind you.”

Lyric throws her arms around me and presses her lips to my cheek. “Love you, Busy Bee.”

My eyes fill at the nickname. “Love you too, my little heart song.”

I watch as she skips inside the house, my heart so full from how she makes herself at home in it. When she’s out of my view, I climb to my feet and give my attention back to Margot and Burke.

Reaching out, I grab both their hands in mine. “I know you all are worried about me. I don’t blame you. Not after learning how her mom is. My name is Bailee Sterling, and I’ve known your son since before Lyric was born. Emmy Lou is married to my brother’s best friend.”

“Sterling? As in . . .” Burke starts, his and Margot’s eyes wide with shock.

“As inthoseSterling's,” I finish with a tight smile.

Their shoulders lose the tension that was pulling them taught, but the wariness still remains.

Well, it’s a start.

“That little girl in there and your son are two of the most important people in my life. I know it’s probably hard for you to trust another woman in theirs, but I can guarantee I’d rather step in front of a bullet than hurt them in any way.”

Their eyes warm a little more, and I finally catch a soft smile on Margot’s face.

“Well, Bailee, that’s all we can ask for then,” Burke says.

“It’s not that hard,” I reply with a shrug, giving them a smile and watching their eyes as they do that stunned thing that Ryn’s did.

I really need to call Lena and find out what in the world that’s all about. I know I have a pretty smile, but geez, people act like it’s not something I put out to the world. I haven’t talked to her in what feels like ages anyway. The great thing about our friendship is that we can go days or weeks without talking to each other and it doesn’t damage us. When we do speak or see each other again, it’s like no time has passed at all. We catch up on anything we’ve missed, and we’re there for each other at the drop of a hat if we need to be.

I’ve been keeping her updated as much as I can with our code words—eggplant for okay, two melons for not. She’s gotten all eggplants so far, and I hope that’s all I ever have to send her. Inreply, she sends me a peach if she feels I’m truthful and a rooster if she feels I’m lying.

Man, I miss her.

Margot and Burke go to walk past me, but she pauses when she’s in front of me and taps my chin with her index finger. “You should do that more often,” she says softly.

“You’re the second person who has said that tonight.”

When she raises her brow at me, she reminds me so much of Steel that my heart warms toward her some more. What is it about this freaking family that makes it so easy to love them?

“Then that should tell you something.”

For the next hour, we all sit around the table doing what we can to keep Lyric distracted. It doesn’t seem to matter what we do, she’s just so damn sad, and my heart breaks.

I brush the dark hair from her face. “Want me to braid your hair? You love when I do that.”

Lyric perks up. “And paint my nails?”

I feather my finger down her cute button nose. “Is that what you want, heart song?”

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