Page 78 of One Little Kiss
“We all have children, Winnie. Wes is a part of our family now, and we’ll always take care of him. Emory will be here any minute. She’s a doctor. Between all of us, we can handle anything that comes up. But I promise to come get you if we can’t. Trust us.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.” It slips from my lips like a sullen teenager. I open my mouth to apologize, but he shakes his head.
“We’re a lot to take in. I don’t know your story, Winnie, but we all have skeletons in our closet that make us who we are. Sometimes it takes a village to finally bury them once and for all. Trust is earned, even in families. Just give us a chance to earn it and I promise you, we’ll protect your trust with everything we have.”
My gaze darts between Wes and Easton’s little girl, Ada James, then back to Preston just as the phone in his hands lights up. Again.
“Okay. If he … if he has any trouble, please just yell and I’ll be right back.”
“You have my word. We’ll take good care of him. Go talk to my brother before he has an aneurysm.”
“Thank you, Preston.” I glance around the room full of Westbrooks. “For everything.”
He smiles, but I can see the burden he carries as the eldest brother, and I feel my trust in this family growing a little stronger.
CHAPTER24
COLTON
“It’s about fucking time,” I bellow as the screen turns from black to a soft glow surrounding Winnie. “Thank fuck. I’m sorry, baby. I thought you were Preston, but I’m glad it’s you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. Fucking hell, why wasn’t I there?” My voice cracks, communicating my anguish more than words.
I watch as she lowers herself into a chair, and my heart explodes as she breaks down.
“Shh, CC. Shh. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
“He’s the father, Colton. Child services warned me when I took custody that this could happen if I didn’t get his rights revoked. I couldn’t afford to do it. I— But … what if he takes Wes? He’s all I have left, Colton. He’s all I have left of my mom. I can’t lose him.”
“Goddamn it,” I bark. “Get this fucking plane in the air now.”
Winnie’s face comes into focus, and I can tell she’s trying to make sense of my surroundings.
“I’m coming home. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I should never have fucking left.” I’m so pissed at myself. I can barely contain my rage. “He won’t take him from us, Winnie. This is about money. Nothing else.”
“How can you be so sure? I don’t have money to give him. He’ll take me to court, and then what? What if he wins?” she sobs.
“That won’t happen. Weston isn’t what he wants.” Dark thoughts cloud my mind, but I leave no room for doubt in my tone.
“How do you know?” she asks cautiously.
“Call it a feeling.” A feeling I wish I didn’t have, but I know in my bones he’s looking for a payout. “We’ve dealt with scum like this before. We’ll preemptively take steps to ensure we’re seen as the safest, most stable family for Weston. Then we’ll wait for your father to play his hand. He’s after something, Winnie. Mark my words, it isn’t Wes.”
I sound more confident than I feel, but it seems to put her at ease, at least a little.
“I’m sure my brothers are all there by now. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is Wes? I can tell them to leave. Maybe just Ry can stay with you?”
“They’re teaching Wes to fist bump.” Emotion muddies her words and a hiccup escapes. She’s slightly dazed, possibly confused by this information, but there’s also a spark of awe in her tone.
A slow, satisfied smile creeps across my face. My brothers and I may argue, but family first is something we never back away from. “Yeah?”
She nods emphatically, almost like she doesn’t trust herself to speak. “Yeah, and he gave Ada James his helicopter.”
I can’t hide my shock this time. That helicopter is his pride and joy. Little AJ is a miracle worker. I watch Winnie’s face closely for any signs that this is troubling her, but I find none.
“You always see me,” she whispers.
“I do. I pay attention because it’s important. You’re important, and I don’t want to miss any signs that I’m screwing this up.”
Her gaze leaves the screen, lost in her head, and I give her a minute to collect her thoughts. But a minute turns into two and I start to worry. “Winnie?”
