Page 226 of The Nanny and the Beefcake
There was another strike against their wanker brother.
He’d sort it out after he won.
He continued, following a step behind Aug and Louise, when he encountered another familiar sound. Luckily, this noise wasn’t a bunch of women who wanted to kick his arse all the way back to East London. It was the pop and thud of padded gloves meeting a stuffed bag. It was the flick of a jump rope, tapping the ground. It was the rumble of heated breaths and the slide of trainers gripping the floor.
“This is what your sisters got to see today,” Augie said, stopping in front of a set of doors. He pointed to a large plaque and framed photograph on the wall.
Raz took it in and froze, dumbstruck, hardly able to believe his eyes. “Is this what I think it is?”
Thirty-Four
Erasmus
HelpingHands Boxing Gym
A gift from the Cress Family Foundation.
Next to the plaque hung a photograph. He knew this picture. Years ago, the same photo had run in every major paper in the UK.
“That’s…” he said, his heart ready to beat its way out of his chest.
“That’s you, Meredith, and Sebastian, when he was a tiny thing,” Aug supplied.
He nodded, staring at the image like if he looked at it hard enough, he might be able to go back in time. Of course, he knew the photo. He hadn’t thought about this day in a long, long time. Just looking at it made him smile, and the image cracked open a part of his heart he’d walled off.
The part that held the happy memories of his time with Mere.
“That was the first Cress Family Foundation project. We donated funds to build a facility to house a preschool and after-school program for older kids in East London,” he reminisced. He drank in the image of his wife, smiling at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He had Sebastian in his arms, and the boy held a paper butterfly, and the lad wouldn’t let it out of his sight. They’d had to slip it from his chubby little hand after he’d fallen asleep. The tension in his body released as he recalled gazing down at his sleeping baby and the abundant gratitude he’d felt in that moment. “I helped Sebastian make the little craft—the butterfly.” He shifted his attention back to Meredith. He’d been so proud of her. She’d put her heart and soul into charity work.
“When did you do this? How did you do this?” he pressed.
“Madelyn Malone introduced your grandmother and me to Ralph and Louise Dagby. Your granny Fin believed the organization was a good match with the Cress Family Foundation.”
“Is that what she was doing while we were in Rickety Rock?” Raz whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
“Finola believes it’s what Meredith would want,” Aug added.
“It is,” Raz whispered, his gaze growing glassy when the door swung open.
“Dad, you’re here!”
Sebastian?
He must be here with Granny Finola and his sisters. He looked the boy over. The kid had on a hairnet.
What was the deal with hairnets here?
“Hey,” he said, taking a knee to be at his son’s level. “I’ve missed you.” His heart felt ready to explode.
“It’s a good picture, yeah?” the lad said, looking up at the photo. “Is Mibby with you? I bet she’d like that I’m holding a butterfly in that picture. You know she and Plum love butterflies.”
How would he explain Libby’s absence?
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I think she’d loved the picture.”
“Where is she?” Sebastian asked, looking over his shoulder.
“She’s not here. It’s just your dad, for now, lad,” Aug supplied in his,there it is, take it or leave it, Aug way.
