Page 135 of Conquering Oz

They never spoke of it after that night, but it always stuck with her. So much so she’d shared it with Oz. The next day he’d made a point of telling her uncle he had an open invitation even when they weren’t there and gave him his own key. Hank hadn’t spent as much time at the lake in the last two months, though. He’d been prepping his house to sell. The city had gotten to be too much for him.

“I just want quiet and calm, kiddo.”

He’d earned it. Hank was looking at property down south. It was cheaper, and on his fixed income, it made sense. That didn’t mean she didn’t try to fight him every step of the way. Elodie knew she was being selfish, but she was having a hard time parting with the last remaining member of her immediate family. They’d always been close, and in the last few years since she’d had her son, Hank made a point of visiting regularly with Luka. He shared stories about her mom in a way only a sibling could tell them.

Elodie stepped back and watched as everyone filed in. It wasn’t a huge group. Their family was small. But growing. Trey walked in with his son on his hip. When Dahlia tried to take him, Trey turned and lifted his chin to the table, insisting she makea plate for herself. Trey was a great dad. And an even better husband.

“You make anything?” The booming voice came from behind her.

Elodie slowly turned to the man a few feet away.

Fucking Rogue.

She smiled. “No.”

His gaze narrowed. He knew she was lying, but she refused to tell him her personal dish. She’d tasted it, and aside from a little too much dill, her potato salad was delicious. Elodie folded her arms and flattened her lips, staring back at him. Her relationship with Rogue was a work in progress. He had redeeming qualities. He just made it really hard to see them sometimes.

Unlike her friend Madalyn, who had gently told her that her cooking skills could use some tweaking, Rogue’s idea was to buy her a four-month long cooking class for Christmas. It wasn’t so much the gift that got under her skin. It was the delivery that followed.

“I ain’t eating in this house again until you get yourself some fucking lessons. And I wanna see the certificate as proof. Ain’t taking your word.”

Rogue had paid a lot for those classes.Wasted fucking money, Rogue.She refused to go on principle alone. Rogue didn’t stay true to his word and ate at their house plenty of times, but Elodie assumed that came from a higher power with a strong threat.My husband is the best.

She was rounding the counter when she saw a moppet of curls making a beeline for the corner’s sharp edge of the table.Shit!She lunged forward and hooked her arm around the tiny waist and stepped back, hugging the little girl into her chest with a relieved sigh that gave way to an amused chuckle. This little baby was like a hurricane. No one was safe in her proximity.

Elodie brushed her face against her neck and the girl giggled, kicking her feet.My girl.Not biologically. Elodie was more than happy and satisfied with her son, but there was something to be said about the bonus kids she collected along the way. This sweet spitfire had become one of her favorites.

“Tabby!” he shouted, jerking his head from side to side.

Elodie battened down her smile. They’d given her such a soft and sweet name.Tabitha.They’d expected her to live up to it. Apparently,Tabbyhad other plans. A wild child under the age of two.

How?How does this beautiful ball of chaos come from those two people? Elodie hooked her arm under the little girl’s legs, pressing her lips to her cheek and eyeing the girl’s father.

“I’ve got her!”

Nash jerked his head, and an ease washed over his features. Girl dads. Braver than most. He circled the counter, trying his best to give his daughter a stern authoritative glare. He failed. As soon as Tabitha reached for Nash, his face softened. Barely two and she already had him wrapped around her finger. Oz was no different.

Elodie rubbed Tabitha’s back as she clung to Nash. “How is she the product of two of the most reserved people I know?”

Elodie was only half joking. Nash and his wife shared so many traits. Quiet, reserved, and low-key. The polar opposite of Tabitha.

“Apparently, it skips a generation.” Nash smirked.

Apparently!

Elodie watched him walk out to the yard with his little girl clutched to him. Family. They were very much a part of hers.

“That wasn’t my idea!”

Elodie spun around gazing into the doorway of the dining room. She couldn’t see them, but she recognized her voice. His? Elodie wouldn’t hear him. He’d always been discreet. Hiscounterpart was a different story. Elodie smiled and zoned in on eavesdropping. This couple had the best arguments. Nothing was more entertaining.

“Okay, sothatmight’ve been my suggestion.” There was a small stretch of silence before she heard a heavy masculine sigh and faint grumbling.

Elodie muffled her laugh and looked over at Dahlia and Quinn. They were just as invested in this conversation.

“Well, yeah, that was my idea too but not the last part.” Elodie furrowed her brows and leaned closer toward the door. “As a friend, it was my duty to go along with it. Don’t get mad at me because you don’t understand girl code.”

Elodie broke down, laughing and clutching her chest.I love that girl!

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