Page 46 of Danger Close
Their foreheads rested together, breath mingling.
“Just—promise me one thing,” Ezra added.
“Anything.”
“You’ll let me redecorate your suite.”
Ricky laughed into his shoulder.“God help me, I forgot who I was dating.But how about this,” he pulled back to look into Ezra’s eyes, “we build our own home, still on the Ridge, but a place for the three of us, with space for Sophia to grow up, a place we can call our own.”
“I would love that,” Ezra breathed as he leaned in and kissed him.A kiss that Ricky swore he could taste the promise within.
They were still kissing when a soft voice drifted over the hum of the engines.
“Uncle Ricky?”
He turned.Sophia was sitting up, bleary-eyed and blinking.
“Hey, sweetheart.”Ricky crouched beside her and spoke in Albanian.“You okay?”
“Where’s Uncle Ezra?”
Ezra leaned over.“Right here, pumpkin.”
She looked between them, eyes big, then reached out a hand and took one from each of them.“I dreamed we all together.”
Ricky felt his jaw drop.She had said that in English.“You did?”He didn’t want to make too big of a deal out of it, and he could see Ezra’s excited look of wonder.
“Yes,” she said with a smile.
Ezra’s answering smile was gentle.“We are.”
Sophia’s brow furrowed in that little Van-crinkle.“Are we going stay together?”
Ezra hesitated.Ricky glanced at him—and then answered.
“We’d like that.If you want that, too.”
Sophia bit her lip.“Because ...family—stay together.Right?”
Ricky felt something twist in his chest.
Ezra nodded.“Yeah, baby.They should.”
She hesitated again, then added shyly, “I want stay.With you.”
“You sure?”Ricky asked softly.
“I learned English from girls,” she said with pride.“So I say yes.”
Ricky couldn’t be any prouder.
