Page 164 of Shattered Souls
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“I’m going to find out who hurt our little girl and why, then I’m going to deal with them and make it all better so she’s her bright, bubbly self by the time Shortcake gets home, and we can show them the surprise we’ve been planning formonths.”
Gray and I share a look before he shrugs. We both know if anyone can get answers from Aurora and cheer her up, it’s Logan.
Five minutes later, he’s calling Aurora into the kitchen.
“What?” she demands, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. I swear, she’s like a mini Grayson at that moment with her mother’s fiery attitude and his stubbornness.
“I made you a milkshake.” He gestures toward the tall pink drink, layered with whipped cream and sprinkles and complete with a red and white straw, sitting in front of a bar stool on the kitchen island.
Her eyes narrow in suspicion. “Why?”
Crouching down, he gets to her height. “Because you had a bad day at school, didn’t you?”
She stares at him for a moment before her shoulders drop an inch, and she nods.
Goddammit, I fucking knew it. I knew I should have gone back to that damn school and demanded to know what happened.
“Well, there is no problem a milkshake can’t fix,” Logan tells her, scooping her into his arms and depositing her on the bar stool. However, before she can clasp the glass in her hands, he pulls it out of her reach. “I have one condition, though… You have to tell us what happened today while you drink it. Can you do that?”
Lips pursed, she seems to think it over while staring longingly at the pink drink, before eventually nodding.
“That’s a brave girl,” Logan praises, pushing the drink in front of her.
We wait impatiently while she takes a long sip of the drink, smacking her lips together. A small smile brightens her face for the first time since I picked her up, and it loosens some of the anxiety rattling around in my chest.
“Tell us what happened, Pumpkin,” Logan encourages, his arms resting against the top of the island opposite her. “Did somebody say or do something to upset you?”
Her eyes drop to the tabletop, and that sadness is back. I fucking hate seeing it. She nods, her bottom lip trembling before she says in a small voice, “Sally and her friends were making fun of me because I don’t have a daddy.”Sally and her friends are dead.I don’t care if they’re practically babies. Tears well in her eyes. “They said it’s because I’m not love-ble.”God fucking dammit. I really am going to have to scare a three-year-old into line, aren’t I?
I arch a brow at Grayson, hoping he knows how the fuck to fix this since Bertram is—was—his dad, too.
Lips pursed, he appears resigned as he moves to sit on the stool beside Aurora.
“I think you mean loveable, sweetheart,” he begins slowly, “And you’re plenty loveable. In fact, you’reso loveablethat you havethree daddies.” Logan holds up three fingers to emphasize my point.
“I remember Sally,” I say.
“She’s the one with that weird nasally voice,” Logan unhelpfully interjects, making Aurora laugh as he imitates her.
“The way I see it,” I continue, ignoring him. “Sally is jealous. Only very special people get to call three people daddy.” The three of us move to surround the stool where she’s sitting. “We all love you so much, sweetheart,” I tell her. I don’t need to look at the others for confirmation because I already know they feel the same way when I say, “You’re our baby girl. Our kid. We’re always going to be here for you. Support you. Love you. No matter what.”
“What are we doing here?” Riley asks when we step out of the car in front of a sprawling single-story ranch-style home with a craftsman twist to fit the northeastern landscape. It has a wide, welcoming front porch that runs the entire length of the house, with sturdy stone pillars and wooden beams.
I can’t take my eyes off her as she takes in the mix of natural stone and sage green siding that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Oversized windows allow plenty of light and offer unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. Since the house is located in the country between Springviewand Halston, we are surrounded by forested woodland that I imagine will make a picture-perfect landscape when the snow begins to fall.
“Let’s just go inside,” Grayson says vaguely, already striding toward the front door and letting himself in. Frowning, Riley hesitates before following, not exactly being left with much of a choice when her daughter bounds in behind Grayson, seeming keen to explore.
The inside has an open floor plan with high, beamed ceilings and plenty of space. The living area is central, with a large stone fireplace as a focal point. It is perfect for cozy evenings spent huddled in front of the fire with a movie.
At the back of the house is a modern kitchen with rustic accents, granite countertops, and high-end appliances. There’s a large island for all of us to gather around and a dining area that opens up to the backyard through sliding glass doors.
“What do you think?” I hedge, watching as Riley spins in a slow circle, taking it all in.
“It’s beautiful, but I don’t understand. What are we doing here?” Tearing her gaze away, she looks at each of us, puzzled. “Are you thinking of buying this place?”
“Mommy!” Aurora’s loud screech jolts her into action as she moves through the house in search of her daughter, the three of us on her heels.
