Page 151 of Stuck with my Boss Daddies

“Alright,” she said. “I get it.”

I frowned. “Get what?”

She smirked. “Why you glow when you talk about them.”

I groaned. “Not this again.”

Kai chuckled. Samuel shook his head. Adam beamed.

Hayley grinned. “Relax, sweetheart. I like them. And I really like seeing you happy.” She clapped her hands together. “Well then, I suppose I should feed you all.”

Adam perked up immediately. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”

Samuel shot him an amused look, and Kai simply nodded. “We’d appreciate that.”

I blinked. “Are you sure?”

Hayley scoffed. “Of course I’m sure. I need to properly interrogate these men before I give them my full stamp of approval, don’t I?”

Adam grinned. “I knew there was a catch.”

Hayley smirked. “Damn right there is.”

She moved to the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves, and I followed without thinking. The familiarity of it—the way shemoved around the space, the way she set out ingredients like she’d been preparing for this all along—made my chest loosen.

I wasn’t a kid anymore, but some things hadn’t changed. Hayley still took care of me in ways I didn’t always know I needed.

The guys settled in naturally, Samuel offering to help chop vegetables, Kai setting the table, Adam sneaking bites of whatever he could get his hands on until Hayley smacked his wrist with a wooden spoon.

And just like that, it felt like home.

Over dinner, the conversation flowed easily. At first, it was surface level—Hayley asked about their jobs, their lives, how they all ended up owning The Foundry together. But then, as the night stretched on and the food dwindled, the conversation shifted.

“I think your parents would be proud of you,” Hayley said suddenly, her voice softer than before.

I stilled.

She was watching me, her sharp edges momentarily softened. “I know they would be.”

The air felt heavy, but not in a bad way. More like something long unspoken settling into place.

“You knew them?” Kai said quietly.

“I didn’t know them personally. But I have read and heard a lot about them.” She glanced at me. “From what I know, your mother was fierce. In the way that mattered. She never let anyone tell her what she could or couldn’t do. And your father?” Her lips curved. “He was the kind of man who could make anyone laugh. He had a way of lighting up a room.”

A lump formed in my throat. “Yeah, that’s right. That’s how I always think of them.”

Hayley reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. “They loved you more than anything.”

Silence settled around us, warm and full of understanding.

Then, after a moment, she smirked. “And I bet your mother would’ve adored these three. Your father, though…” She cast a glance at Samuel, Adam, and Kai, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “He might have had some questions.”

Adam laughed. “Fair enough.”

Kai chuckled, shaking his head, and Samuel just smiled.

Hayley leaned back in her chair, watching me carefully. “But he’d have come around. Because he’d have seen what I see.”

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