Page 55 of Wildflower and Whiskey
“I imagine so,” Dad said. “Now skedaddle.”
I stepped back into the warm afternoon air, the weight of their advice settling over me like armor. Document everything. Warn the daycare. Reinforce the loft. Protect them, but don’t escalate.
Show up.
I sat in my truck, staring at Elyna’s name glowing on my phone. She was still at the restaurant, probably finishing hershift. I pictured her serving food with Colette’s words still echoing in her ears, and my stomach twisted.
I hit call.
She answered on the second ring. “Phoenix?” Her voice was tired, frayed around the edges.
“Hey.” I kept mine steady. “How’s it going?”
“Busy,” she said automatically. The clink of glasses and low hum of voices buzzed in the background.
“You sound tired.”
A soft laugh. “I’m emotionally drained, it’s different.”
I sighed. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Silence stretched. Then she spoke, but it was so soft, “Thank you.”
I leaned back against the headrest, staring out at the fading light over Val-Du-Lys.
“Listen. Tomorrow we’ll go to the daycare together. Make sure they’ve got photos of Riley and Colette. After that, I’ll come to the loft to install a camera and reinforce the locks. I don’t want you or Braden unprotected another night.”
“Phoenix—” Her hesitation was there again, fragile.
I cut in, “I’m not asking. I’m telling you. You and Braden matter to me. I need to know you’re safe.”
A long pause. “Okay.”
Relief slid through me, loosening the knot in my chest.
“When’s your shift over?” I asked. Even though I was the boss, I didn’t look over schedules. That was Dominic’s job.
“I just finished up. I’m heading to pick up Braden now.”
“Good. I’ll meet you at the loft.”
Another pause, then a soft, almost trembling, “You’re too good to me.”
“Not possible,” I said firmly.
She laughed, it was small and shaky, but real. It hit me square in the chest, the kind of sound I wanted to hear every damn day.
“See you soon, Phoenix.”
“Yeah,” I said, voice rough. “See you soon.”
I ended the call and sat there for a moment, the phone heavy in my hand. Tomorrow we’d handle the daycare. Tonight, I’d start with the loft. And when the locks were changed and the frame reinforced, I’d talk to her about me staying there with her to keep her safe. At least until Riley was out of the picture, or until Elyna could breathe without fear. Until Braden could sleep safe. I pictured myself living with them. Going to sleep together, eating breakfast together, playing with Braden on the floor, or giving him his nighttime bath. None of it seemed scary. Not at all. It even made me feel at peace and that said something bigger than words ever could. I was all in with Elyna. She needed stability and I wasn’t going anywhere.
CHAPTER 26
Elyna
I reached the door of the daycare and looked up to the camera and pressed the bell. It was the regular routine for anyone who wanted to enter. The door made a buzzing sound and I stepped inside. The familiar scent of crayons, paint, food, and something faintly lemony wrapped around me. Afternoon light poured through the big picture windows as I walked up to the door of Braden’s class. I spotted Braden instantly standing and holding on to a table, his cheeks pink. A tiny girl was playing beside him. She must have been a few months older than him because she was walking already.
