Page 87 of Legacy

From what I’ve gathered, most of the houses in the makeshift neighborhood on the compound are abandoned or rarely used. Steel and Tempe live in one, and Soul owns the house next door, but he never stays there. Luna told me she and Ghost have been scoping out an empty lot, considering building something custom. But she’s content at the clubhouse for now.

Jesse’s house is in the middle of the small grouping, and the rest belonged to former members who moved their families off the property or members who now stay at the clubhouse.

“Did you have fun with Austin?” I squeeze Bea’s hand, looking down as she skips along.

“So much fun. We colored in my book. I wanted to make a pink pony, and Austin said there aren’t any. I told him I can make mine pink if I want.”

“Yes, you can.” I squeeze her hand again, and the smile she gives me hurts my heart.

“He made his pony brown with spots, and it was okay, but it wasn’t pink. His ’magination isn’t like mine.”

“You do have quite the imagination, Beatrice King. Did you eat?”

“Tempe made us turtle pizzas.”

“Turtle pizzas?”

“She puts them on bagels because they look like shells. I ate mine fast because I wanted ice cream. Tempe always has the best ice cream.”

“So I’ve heard.” I swing open the door to the house.

We step into the entryway, and I lock the door while Bea sits down to take off her pink cowgirl boots. But instead of jumping back to her feet when she’s done, her chin drops, and she stares at her dangling feet.

“Something wrong?” I slip out of my shoes.

“Austin says Jameson is like his daddy.” Bea blinks up at me with a frown.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“He didn’t have a daddy before, so he likes it.”

I crouch down in front of her. “Why does it sound like that makes you sad?”

Her bright-blue eyes focus on me. “I don’t want to hurt Daddy’s feelings.”

“How would you hurt his feelings?”

“’Cuz…” She presses her lips together, thinking. “I want a mommy. I know I can’t have mine. But do you think I can get one like Austin got Jameson? One who could love me like I’m hers?”

I can’t breathe, and there’s no way I have the right answers. But with tears burning behind my eyes, I grip Bea’s hands and wish that was enough to pour my own love into her.

“You’re impossible not to love Beatrice King.” I grip her small fingers. “And I promise your dad would never love anyone who didn’t love you just as much as he does. You’re the most important person in his entire world. Only a woman smart enough to see how absolutely incredible you are could win his heart.”

The smile that climbs her face is so big and bright that it takes everything in me to fight back tears.

“You promise?”

“I promise.” My words nearly choke in my throat.

Jesse would never let anyone into Bea’s life unless they were here for her as much as they were here for him. I just wish I wasn’t jealous at the thought of it.

“Please don’t tell Daddy, Reagan. I don’t want to hurt his feelings. I love him a whole lot.”

“He knows you do.” I squeeze her hands. “Love isn’t something that divides by spending it. It multiplies. Kind of like how you love your dad, and Uncle Marcus, and Auntie Luna—”

“And Austin.”

“And Austin.” I smile. “Loving all of them at once doesn’t shrink the amount of love you have to give. Love only grows.”

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