Page 80 of Adoring Delaney

Jasper’s features relaxed and his eyes danced. I was a man, and as I had unnecessarily reminded Delaney, I did not have a vagina, but I couldn’t miss the twinkle in Jasper’s eyes. Once again pride shone at his daughter’s hardheadedness. He was more than proud his first-born daughter was giving me shit. Likely he’d started teaching her the art of driving men up the wall as soon as she could cogitate, hoping to keep pimple-faced jackasses from trying to get into her pants. His efforts were lost on me. I had never been a pimple-faced anything, and no one attempted to get into her pants because if they had, I would’ve put a stop to it.

“You don’t say?” He chuckled. “Why do you want her to get Natalie’s last name? Thought you were gonna lay off her?”

“I was. But something’s gnawing at me.”

Jasper was instantly on alert. “Something new happen?”

“Delaney thought she saw Natalie at a restaurant when we were in Virginia. When I pressed her, she said it was a woman who looked like Natalie. I looked around but didn’t see anyone and didn’t get up and check because my friends had shown up at the same time and I didn’t want to leave Laney with four strangers. Today she went to the mall, and she just called to tell me she’d run into Natalie again. But this time, Delaney says she approached Natalie when she noticed her. She also told me Natalie was there looking for a job and even had applications. They’re going to lunch together.”

“Paper applications?”

“That’s what I was thinking. Anyway, I asked Laney to find out the woman’s last name. Now she’s in a snit telling me she won’t interrogate her.”

“It’s not like you asked her to tie her to a chair and waterboard her.”

“Thank you. That’s what I said. See? Pain in my ass.”

“You could always show up at the restaurant and ask yourself. Or you could snap a picture of the woman and we can run it through facial rec, see if we get a hit.”

I thought about both of those options, and while both were good ideas, neither was going to happen.

“That’s not gonna happen for a variety of reasons—none of which I want to discuss with my woman’s father—but I will tell you, I like my balls and if I show up, your daughter will undoubtedly own them.”

“I see your dilemma. Seeing as I, too, do not have a vagina, I wouldn’t be caught in a mall. But we can mobilize Quinn.”

That was brilliant.

“You think that’s smart? I could be wrong and the woman could be harmless and desperate for a friend. Or my gut could be right.”

“All the more reason to send Quinn in. We’ll brief her and she’ll be in and out and neither Delaney or Natalie will know what she’s up to.”

Delaney would know. She’d sniff that shit out in a second.

“Call her and tell her how to play it. They’re at The Bistro.”

“I’ll let you know.”

Jasper backed out of my office and I contemplated how pissed Delaney was going to be and found I’d take her anger if it meant I could get information on Natalie.

Delaney had just finished telling my parents, Honor, and Ethan about the baby. She’d sat next to me on the couch glued to my side. This being the second time she’d recited the horror she hadn’t needed to stop as many times to gather herself. Though the tears flowed and the pain rolled off of her.

My mom was wrecked. Honor looked beaten down, she, too, was openly showing her sadness for Delaney and me.

My brother and my dad had matching scowls. They were feeling this deep. Not only what we’d lost, but also their women were torn to shreds and neither of them liked it.

I also learned something. This was one thing my dad couldn’t take from my mom. He was sitting close, his arm around her shoulder, trying as he might but Lily Lenox wasn’t giving my dad her pain. She’d locked it in her heart and mama bear was out. One of her boys had suffered the unimaginable and she was determined to feel every ounce of hurt I had.

That was my mom’s way. That was why my brother and I had tried our best to shield her. When someone she loved was in pain, she took it on. If it was one of her boys, she’d dwell on the wound and lick it for a good long time.

“Laney girl,” my mom sobbed. “I cannot…I can’t. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry. I was stupid, I—”

“Stop,” my brother interrupted. “You’ve never been stupid. Not a single day I’ve known you, and I’ve known you my whole life. Nothing that happened is your fault and you shouldn’t be apologizing.”

Delaney pinched her lips together and nodded, not believing a word my brother had said.

“I’m so sorry,” Honor whispered. “I couldn’t understand why you kept your distance and I pushed because I thought you were still…I don’t know, scared after what happened. I thought I was doing right, pestering you to come over to our house. I thought maybe spending time with Carson and us would help you. You know, being around family. I had no idea. I’m so sorry if seeing me hurt you. God, Laney, I’m just so sorry. I don’t know how you can stand to see me.”

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