Page 77 of Tangled
“I have no idea how I’m going to eat anything tonight,” she muttered to him as she sank onto the chair.
“You’re nursing. It’s the same as eating for two,” Emi Jones, Ava’s mom, said from the other end of the table. She sat with Ava on one side and her husband, Luther, on the other. Despite the famous couple sitting not twenty feet away, Scarlett only had eyes for the three-month-old bundle Emi held over her shoulder. Taye Anthony Warwick had been born right on schedule and,the nurses claimed, with a smile on his face. He’d inherited his father’s charm, of that there was no question.
“Chai?” Manvir, Tia’s father, asked, setting a mug down in front of her.
“And more mandazi,” Alma, Tia’s mother, said, setting a second plate down on the other end of the table. “I’m going to play with that recipe,” she added with a smile to Scarlett. Tia’s parents were known for their fusion Mexican-Indian food. Throwing in a little African wouldn’t be a stretch. They’d also officially retired over the summer and moved to Mystery Lake. Scarlett wouldn’t be surprised if they opened something small in their new hometown, though. Food was in their blood.
“You can slide that over here,” Cody said, pointing to the plate Alma had set down. He had one hand twined with Tia’s, who sat beside him, sipping her chai as she watched Mitch and Ava play with Maya. At four months pregnant, Ava was barely showing.
“Not a chance,” Anthony said, snagging three of the triangular-shaped doughnuts before Beth managed to grab the plate. Beth shot her husband a look, and he shrugged. “Ski season started last month. Those high school kids are keeping me on my toes.”
She rolled her eyes, set one more mandazi on his plate, then passed it to Cody.
“You okay?” Brad asked, taking her free hand in his and urging her to lean into him.
She took a sip of her spicy, sweet drink then rested her head on his shoulder. Two months ago, in exchange for a reduced sentence, Rathwell had pleaded guilty to all sorts of charges, including Gracie’s murder. She hadn’t loved the idea of him getting any leeway, but she was realistic enough to know that chances were, he wouldn’t survive long in prison. Not that she wished him dead, but she wouldn’t be sad if it happened.
Predictably, the information he provided in exchange for the reduced sentence had thrown the LAPD into chaos. In addition to the charges the Feds were pursuing against Simms for hiring Alexei Petrov and the death of Maria Abel, they were now also in the thick of a massive corruption investigation into the entire LAPD. Maybe someday, the organization would be filled with more people like Ryan and Mari than people like Rathwell and Halliwell.
Thinking of those two had her mind flitting back to the night she’d met Brad. Halliwell had paid the price for the role he’d played in everything. They had no confirmation, but she was pretty sure Katz had killed him because he’d helped Rathwell cover up Gracie’s murder.
Richard Karrol was still at large, but Jessica was hot on his trail. HICC had pledged to help whenever and however she needed, and Scarlett hoped the reporter would take them up on it. She had no idea how Jess would do it, but she had complete faith that if anyone could bring Karrol down, it would be Jessica Kilkenny.
Perhaps the most surprising development since that afternoon in Lima Bean, though, had been the letter she’d received a month later. At little more than a paragraph, Lupita had simply thanked her for being Gracie’s friend. She also explained that she’d tried, for years, to help Gracie get sober, but that Gracie had always insisted on going at it on her own. Though short, the letter ached with regret. And love. It hadn’t been until three days later that Scarlett realized something—in Spanish “Lupita” referred to the river of the wolf. She had no proof, of course, but her heart told her they’d been wrong all along. The Wolf wasn’t a man. The Wolf was a woman who had loved Gracie deeply.
She hadn’t shared her insight with anyone other than Brad, and they’d agreed that unless it became relevant, no one elseneeded to know. Despite the Wolf’s reputation, Scarlett found comfort in knowing that Gracie had had someone else who’d loved her. Even if she hadn’t been able to accept that love.
“Better than,” she said, answering Brad’s question as her gaze drifted around the table. With twelve adults and three babies, she’d never had such a big Christmas before. And dinner would be even crazier when everyone got together. It was the kind of family Gracie would have wanted. The kind of family Gracie would want for her.
On some days, they were a bit much. Most of the time, though? She loved it. Loved them. And she loved that their son would grow up with this remarkable family. Withtheirremarkable family.
Her gaze lingered on Maya, bouncing on her uncle’s lap, her dark hair curling down her brow and her deep, dark eyes alight with laughter.
“You want another?” Brad asked quietly. “Maybe a little girl?”
She rolled her head and looked up at him. “We have no control over that, and you know it,” she said with a smile.
“Not the gender, no.”
She chuckled. “You just want to get lucky.”
“I already am lucky,” he said, putting an arm around her and kissing the top of her head. “But I wouldn’t mind putting our little bundle of joy down for a nap and spending a few hours naked with my wife. Burn a few calories so we can fit dinner in tonight.”
Her body hadn’t been her own since Taye was born. He was an easygoing baby, but he liked to eat. Frequently. And be held. The idea of spending a few hours reconnecting with Brad and her own body again appealed to her. If only she wasn’t so exhausted.
As if reading her mind, Brad leaned over so only she could hear what he said. “It would make my Christmas if you lay back and let me take care of you.”
Despite the new-parent fatigue weighing on her, her body responded to his words. They were what she’d needed to hear. “You always do,” she said, and it wasn’t a lie. Even when she initiated things and took control, healwaysmade sure she was more than taken care of.
He shifted in his seat, and she let out a soft laugh. Untangling her hand from his, she set it on his thigh, then let her fingers drift north. With the tablecloth covering them, no one would see. Even so, Brad’s hand came down on hers.
“I can either embarrass myself right here in front of everyone, or we can leave. Your choice, babe.”
She sat up, using the motion to sink her hand deeper between his thighs. He sucked in a breath and met her gaze. “I talked to your mom this morning before we left the apartment,” she said. “She and your dad are going to take Taye for the rest of the day.”
His pupils dilated as her hand curled around his inner thigh. “Have you been planning to have your way with me all day then?” he asked.
She smiled. “Maybe a time or two. Although we should have time for a nap, too.”
