Page 35 of The Doctor

I let out a sigh, worry gripping my body. “And they will likely recommend the cognitive interview at that point.”

Drake winced like he knew what they were asking for. “That’s usually how it works.”

“I’ll think about that. He has seen enough, Drake.”

“It's the best way to get him safe quickly. If those assholes fucked up, Bex, chances are Dom knows what it is. We need him to relive that night.

I knew he was right. But it was ultimately my and Logan’s call. The last thing I needed was for Dom to hate us even more for putting him through the worst night of his life again.

“One more thing.” Drake's face went hard and I braced myself. “Dom’s grandmother was killed. Her place was trashed. I’m not sure of the situation but it looks like they wanted information from her.”

I leaned back in my chair and allowed my heart to break for the kid who had lost yet another family member.

20

LOGAN

Surly was a new emotion in my home. Okay, I remember being moody when I was younger. I remember Bex being endlessly frustrated at me and Mason and our moods. But surely we were nothing like the five-foot-nine scrawny lump of pissed off currently doing homework at the kitchen table.

That in itself was a reason to be pissed off, apparently. Dom couldn’t understand why he needed to do his make-up homework in the first place. Then when I suggested he do it at the kitchen table, it was another struggle.

There was a part of me that wanted to give in. The kid had been through so much, and what did I know about parenting? Maybe he wanted privacy. But with Landon napping and Vicky enjoying some time on her back, he had the quiet he needed while I caught up on some bills and other paperwork while I waited for Bex to get home. I had to have another uncomfortable conversation with him. Bex had called earlier to let me know what had happened to Dom’s grandmother. She wanted to be around for support when I broke the news.

So, I was keeping busy until she got here. I even organized my online grocery order and made sure that Landon was enrolled at the same pre-school as Nick and Jared’s boys. Theywould only be together for the current school year since Mattie and Cooper would be starting Kindergarten next fall.

All in all, I was being a family man and loving it. Even the fifteen-year-old shooting me daggers over his science textbook.

“I’m finished.” Dom announced a short while later as he closed the book. “I did the math earlier and I can do the reading when I go to bed later.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s your thing isn’t it? To read before bed. Or in bed, as the case may be.”

“Reading relaxes me. I don’t always enjoy the prescribed books from school but they’re not all bad. Still, I prefer mysteries and suspense.”

“I love suspense, too.” I gestured to my bedroom. “I have a small bookshelf in my bedroom if you want to take a look through it. You can read anything in there.”

I made a mental note to add a bookshelf to the living area when I got a new place. Bex and I had a meeting with Nick to discuss where our new safe house would be. I wanted to have a look at it before we moved. If the house was perfect, I wanted the kids to feel at home while we looked into keeping all of them permanently. If that was not the case, I would make sure none of them got their hopes up.

I turned to Dom. “You want to clean up here? Dinner will be ready soon and Bex should be here in the next couple of minutes.”

Dom nodded, picking his books up off the kitchen table. “What time do you have to leave?”

“Not for a little while, yet.”

I was pleased we were fitting into each other’s routine. Bex dropped Dom off at school while I was with the younger ones in the morning. If I was on shift at the hospital, then Mrs Salinger would look after them. As soon as Landon got into preschool,that would be a permanent fixture as well. Mrs Salinger looked after all the babies, so Vicky naturally fell into that anyway.

The front door opened drawing our attention. “Hi, honey, I’m home.” Her smile lit up the whole room as she looked at Dom but the sadness buried there concerned me, but we would get through that, too.

Yeah, I knew she wanted our arrangement to be permanent. And I believed down to my soul that we were the best thing for all three children. But we needed to prepare those kids for the possibility the courts may not agree. Hell, first I needed to prepare Bex for that. Not that she would listen to me. On that we were on the same page, we would rather get hurt than have those children feel even a little more insecurity.

Both Dom and I greeted her. One surly and one with compensated enthusiasm. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes as she dropped her bag on the small coffee table in the living room. She picked up Vicky from the floor and planted a big kiss on her lips.

She frowned between the two of us. “Is Landon still napping?”

“He fought it for so long.” I smiled as I settled three placemats on the kitchen table. “I figured he could sleep a little.”

“He’s going to be up all night.” Bex took Vicky and went into the room where the kids slept. “Hello, munchkin, did you have a good nap?”

She was there long enough for Dom to change course and continue setting the table. We overheard Bex promising to let him watch a little Paw Patrol after dinner. I could easily picture Landon’s smile. He was still not talking to anyone except Dom, but he was communicating. And that bright smile of his was showing more and more. Both Bex and I were confident the kid would be talking to all of us real soon.

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