Page 126 of Insta-Family (Forbidden Descendants 3)

“Aw,” I murmured as I watched my little girl turn her head toward his voice while she kept chewing on a cloth book full of extrasensory, touch and feel toys. “She heard you talk and looked over.”

“Did she? Hey, Ava Grace. Do you know who this is?”

“She definitely does,” I reported. “She broke out with this huge grin when you spoke again. Then she started kicking her legs. I think she’s looking forward to another round of This Little Piggy.?

??

“And I can’t wait to play it with her,” he assured, his voice growing warm and personal. “Fun fact, I’m only twenty or so yards away in the backyard, as we speak. I could come up at any time and—”

I groaned over the temptation he was providing because I wanted him here on the floor with us more than anything. “Dammit, stop,” I pleaded. “You sound so good tonight; I don’t want to do anything to hamper all this progress you’re making.”

“And I’m telling you,” he started, his voice cajoling. “I’m so much better already.”

“Alright, fine,” I said, laying down on the floor next to the phone and looking up at the ceiling so I could reach over and play with my daughter’s toes as Vaughn and I talked. “Tell me about this session today. I want to know everything. And then, after that; we’ll see.”

“You mean, if I say the right things, you’ll let me come over tonight?”

This new, flirty, alive side of Vaughn was almost more than I could take. I just wanted to gobble him whole.

But I stayed strong. “Not tonight,” I answered, cringing as I held my stomach because I just wanted to say screw it and invite him over, then jump his bones as soon as he got here. “Maybe soon, but you’re really going to have to wow me because I absolutely do not want to do anything to hurt this...frisky side of you.”

He chuckled. “Frisky?”

“I don’t know,” I moaned, feeling my face heat with embarrassment as I drew my knees up and turned my face to watch Ava, who watched me back as she gummed the life out of a crinkle-stuffed zebra poking from her book. “You just sound so vivacious and full of energy and...and good.”

“I feel good,” he answered, that intimate tone in his voice stirring parts that felt really weird coming alive in the presence of a three-month-old. “But honestly, it’s okay if you want me to stay away for a bit. I kind of like this courting you from a distance thing too. I don’t know if I’ve ever actively pursued a woman before. It’s a pretty cool experience.”

Boy, I liked it too. “Well, you do excel at courting,” I said, snickering over the antiquated word he used to describe it, even though I loved it. Made me want to ask him for some relations.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, his tone going husky. “What’s been your favorite part? It was yesterday morning’s text, wasn’t it?”

Honestly, it was how amazingly healed he sounded now, but I rolled my eyes and dryly answered, “Yep, that was it. Now quit stalling. I want to hear about these miracle meetings you’ve been having.”

“I wouldn’t call them miracle meetings,” he answered ruefully. “I’m telling you, the talk you and I had on Saturday completely cracked me open, and I’ve really been able to weed out the nasty shit in my head since then because of that. But I do have to admit, I’m impressed with this doctor.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, sitting up in interest and hugging my knees to my chest. “That’s great.”

“Yeah. I mean, I pretty much knew what all my issues were and where I was having problems, you know, getting over that hump, but she actually had some ideas of how to fix them. We brainstormed together, coming up with the best ways for me to honor Duke and keep him in my life, how to let the pain go but not let him go.”

“Wow,” I murmured, stirred by what I was hearing. It was also a little intimidating, though. He suddenly seemed more emotionally established than I’d ever been.

“So I went to the cemetery and saw him after work,” Vaughn was saying, which snapped me back to immediate attention.

“You did?” Something in his tone made me follow up with, “Was that the first time you ever did that?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I don’t know why I hadn’t visited his grave yet. Denial or just… I don’t know. It wasn’t that I thought that kind of thing was stupid, or immature, or emasculating, or anything, but I guess I just figured it was unnecessary maybe. Except I’ve reached this point that I’ll try anything to work my shit out. So I went, and I sat in the grass between him and my parents, and I told them all about Ava Grace, and the house, and you, and it… It was nice.”

“That’s wonderful,” I murmured, wiping at a tear that had escaped my lashes.

“It was,” he agreed softly. “And it wasn’t like I thought I had his approval or acceptance afterward, but I felt better, anyway, like I was no longer hiding anything from him. I was just open and honest and cleared the air between us, and it felt incredibly freeing.” Then he paused before more cautiously asking, “Does that sound stupid?”

“Not at all,” I answered with feeling. I was about to tell him how proud I was of him, but he burst out with more news.

“Oh! But I did learn something I hadn’t realized before.”

“What’s that?” I asked, still enjoying this new Vaughn.

“It was what I was going to tell you when you said you were worried about me working things out too quickly. The doctor thinks I was actually beginning the acceptance process of my grief, but it was going too well, so I got freaked out and scared because I also unconsciously thought it was too soon. It didn’t feel right to let him go yet. Except letting him go wasn’t even something I ever had to do, so… Yeah, that was a pretty eye-opening revelation for me too. And, no, I’m nowhere near done mourning and missing everyone I lost, but I am confident I can work through whatever comes next, be it a good day or bad. I’m at least in control of how to handle it.”

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