Page 28 of Iron Hearts

“Mom waspissed. Dad was proud, though.”

“Why was she mad? Afraid of losing you?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “She wanted me to take up the family business, get my dad closer to retirement.”

“Did your dad want to retire?”

He chuckled. “Not even close,” he said. “Mom was always super overbearing and wore that man down. What she wanted, she got, and I was done. I was eighteen and so close to freedom I couldtasteit. So, I grabbed on with both hands and held on like a motherfucker. Blew that town and everyone in it and blazed my own trail.”

“I couldnever,” she said softly.

“Why not?” he asked.

“My mom may be a helicopter parent sometimes, but sheloves us so much. It wouldkill herif I bounced. And I couldn’t leave her with Caden, Aden, and Braden. They’re a handful on a good day.”

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“What?” I rolled my head on his shoulder to meet his downward look.

“Caden, AdenandBraden?”

I snorted and fought not to giggle.

“How many fuckin’ ‘Live. Laugh. Love,’signs would I find if I went through this house?” he asked. I snorted and clapped both hands over my nose and mouth to keep from laughing too loudly.

I looked up at him in the blue glow from the television that still played, and he grinned down at me.

He was achingly handsome, butno way.Not only was heforty-twoto my twenty-four, but he was also aRoyal Bastard.I couldnever!

“At least three,” he said judiciously.

“Nailed it,” I said, counting in my head and coming up with… yeah, three.

“Unbelievable,” he said and chuckled.

“My mom believes in holding on to positive vibes,” I said.

He nodded and asked, “Is she a hippy chick?”

I thought about that for a minute and said, “No, I don’t want to sayhippychick, more like a little sage and hood and wish a muthafucka would.”

He wheezed, and I put my hand over his mouth. His lips were soft, the faint stubble growing rough against my palm.

“Mm, mm-mm mmm, mm-mm-mm, mm!”he said against my hand, and I didn’t getanyof that.

I moved my hand and asked, “What?”

“You gotta stop making me laugh,” he said with a grin, and I scoffed.

“I can’t help it if I’m a funny bitch.”

That touched off another set of snorting and giggling.

“You’re something else,” he said, and it sounded like praise the way he said it. I felt a glow suffuse me, and I cuddled a little closer. His arm tightened around me vaguely, and it was nice. Warm and cozy.

It was a weird sensation. Felt good. Safe. Like I hadn’t felt safe since my dad had been around. That part weirded me out a little bit, but not, like, enough to move away or anything.

I closed my eyes and listened to the droning announcer’s voice narrating the show, but didn’t pay much attention to anything he was saying.

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