Page 19 of Treasure and Tarot

She hid in his arms, and Sebastian rocked her, humming under his breath. “Easy. Easy, sweet girl.”

Colton chuckled, but there was only gentleness in it. “They’re not mean, honey. They’re just guys who can be as bad as brothers sometimes. Guys! Tone it down. You are out in public.”

The one he’d called Iago looked over, and his eyes widened. “Sorry, Boss! We didn’t know there were kids in at this time in the morning.”

“Well, there are, and you’re scaring Miss Abby.”

“Oh.” Iago came over and squatted down a few feet away from Sebastian and Abby. “I’m sorry, Miss Abby. Do you like pretty rocks? I found one on my walk this morning, and you can have it if you want.”

Sebastian wanted to snap at Iago to stop being nice to his kid, but how psycho was that? Someone who was going to be around for days, at least, was being kind. What was wrong with him that he didn’t want that?

“What do you say, Abby? Do you want to see it?”

She nodded, curls bouncing, her thumb creeping into her mouth.

He didn’t stop her, because she didn’t actually suck it. She stuck it between her lips, but then just sat there before she pulled it back out. Sebastian wiped her hand with a napkin while Iago pulled a pretty chunk of pink and white quartz out of his pocket.

“See, it has pink like your shoes.”

She studied it, then glanced up at him. “I have it?”

“If you want, baby girl.”

“Tank ’ou.” She held out her hand.

Iago placed it gently on her palm. “You’re welcome. Okay,” he said, heaving to his feet. “I’ll go get coffee and keep those two in line, huh?” He winked, and Abby actually giggled.

God help him.

“Daddy! I has rock!”

“You do! You can put in it your room with your other rocks.” He smiled at her, because she was so damn happy.

Colton stared at her with this quizzical little smile on his face, as if he wasn’t sure how to feel or what to do. Sebastian guessed he couldn’t blame him. If he really hadn’t known about Abby, then this was all new to him.

She stared back. “Wanna see?”

She held the rock out for Colton to see.

Colton studied it with all due seriousness. “It’s very pretty. You like pink, huh?”

“Uh-huh. You gonna talk to the ghosties in our house?”

Colton looked at him, eyebrows raised in question.

“He is. He’s going to try to find out why they’re all riled up, baby girl.”

“Oh. Oh, theymad.”

“They are, huh. Do they make you scared?” He could tell that Colton had talked to a lot of people, kids included, about ghosts. There was no doubt in his voice now.

She nodded, her eyes wide. “The mean man. Him bites!”

“That’s not very nice, is it?” Colton leaned down, lowering his voice. “Well, I’ll talk to him.”

“Say be nice to Daddy and Abby?”

God, his baby girl was adorable.Adorable.

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