Page 107 of Silver Sanctuary
“Do you think we should be staying longer? Nanny just offered, but I said we needed to go back to Texas.”
Nash shook his head. “It’s time. We have to face it sooner or later, and I think we both know the longer we wait, the more anxiety there will be around it. Besides, there’s a very important date coming up…”
Thirty-Two
“Ican’t wait to tell everyone in my class that my dad knows how to fly a plane! Not only that… he actually flew us to Montana and back! I have the coolest dad ever!”
Christ. That kid knew how to hit him right in the heart.
“How many times do you think she’ll say ‘dad’ today?” Lacy joked. Embrie had been full throttle with the title. And although he reassured her it would be okay if she decided not to call him that after things settled down from the day she was taken, he loved that it stuck.
“She could say it a million times, every hour, and it would never be enough for me.”
Nash unlocked his truck, dropping the tailgate to pull their luggage out. Four weeks in Montana with his family had passed by in a blink.
For the first time since he’d lost his parents, it felt good to relive the memories he had with his mom and dad. Embrie was so curious about his life growing up that he had started looking forward to taking her to all the spots that were special for him and his dad.
“Pops said I can get my pilot’s license when I’m sixteen! How cool would that be?”
“That’d be incredible, Casu Marzu.”
Embrie looked over her shoulder at him as she opened the door. “These are getting too hard, Dad.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, kid. I’m too stubborn to let this joke die.”
“The sign of a true dad.” Lacy laughed as she patted him on the back.
“So, what’s your guess?”
“Australia?”
“No way, mate!”
“Ecuador?”
“Nope.”
“I give up.” Embrie sighed dramatically.
“Italy.”
“What?! No way!”
“Way, Cheese.”
Embrie laughed. “I think maybe it’s time to change the game…”
Lacy pulled her shirt down over her head, the final step in getting ready for bed on their first night back. Well, that wasn’t completely true. They weren’t reallyhershirts. She’d absolutely raided her husband's collection while they were in Montana, and there was no way she would be giving them back. They were too soft, too cozy, and smelled too much like him. Even though Nash and Lacy were wrapped in each other’s arms at night, she needed that extra layer ofhimto remind her that everything was okay.
“Colt called me today.” Nash’s voice drifted out from the bathroom as he finished brushinghis teeth.
She instantly froze. Lacy waited until the bathroom light clicked off, and Nash walked back into the bedroom. “Why?”
“Heard we were back and wanted to give me an update on the case since I asked to be left alone in Montana unless it was an emergency.”
Lacy smiled as she sat down in bed. “It was nice to have that time to ourselves. What did he say?”
“Archer’s parents agreed to twenty hours of community service, each, on top of a fine. They promised Archer would be there with them, and, if Embrie is comfortable with it, we can set something up for Archer to apologize to her.”
