Page 42 of Finally Found You

“Of course,” I reply, striving to maintain a façade of composure, despite the tumultuous emotions rolling beneath me. Emotions I tuck underneath everything else that’s happening around me.

My mind, however, remains tangled with thoughts of Cami. The vulnerability in her voice, the way Elsie spoke to Cami. It must have affected her. Never before have I witnessed such cruelty. Despite those vicious words and the pain she tried to inflict, Cami carried herself with grace and strength. Yet I can’t help but wish I had been there to hold her close, to offer… what can I offer her?

Solace, support… anything to soothe her after her encounter with her heartless aunt.

“Are you sure?” Kenzy persists, her eyes narrowing. “You have that big wrinkle between your eyebrows.

“Are you calling me old, child?” I chuckle, attempting to deflect her concern.

She laughs in return. “No, you’re definitely younger than most of my friends’ dads.” She pauses, her expression growing somber. “Is Cami okay?”

I nod, relieved that Cami is safe. “She thought someone broke into Nonna’s house,” I confess, since I know Cami is out of danger. Though I am concerned Elsie is on her way to us.

I have to speak to her, but I don’t think it is a good idea to have such a cruel person close to Kenzy.

Kenzy looks at me with a puzzled expression. “Did someone steal anything?”

Shaking my head, I clarify, “No. It was your mother. She didn’t have the keys and broke a window to get inside.”

“That’s illegal,” Kenzy states. However, her expression softens slightly as a hopeful glint appears in her eyes. “But maybe she came looking for me.”

“We’re not sure,” I admit hesitantly, doubting that Elsie, after fifteen years, would suddenly embrace motherhood.

Still, Kenzy smiles. “She’s probably just like you. Loving and caring and… we can be a family, you know?”

“Listen,” I say gently, steering the conversation in a different direction. “We have to fly back to San Francisco.”

“Will she be there?” Kenzy’s voice brims with excitement. “Mom. Will Mom be there?”

“Probably,” I respond, my tone carefully guarded. “But if not, we’ll figure out a way for you to meet her.”

As I make this promise, a sense of trepidation settled into my gut. Is that a good idea? I’ll assess the situation when I meet Elsie. It’ll be good to put a face to the name, yet I question whether I can remain civil after witnessing the cruelty she inflicted upon Cami. Furthermore, a part of me feels like an asshole for not remembering the mother of my child. Even though it was a hookup, I should at least be able to recall her, shouldn’t I?

I’ve never been a one-night-stand kind of person. If I decide to be with a woman, it’s because we can keep each other company for some time—a summer, a weekend, a few months—not just a night. Maybe I don’t remember their names by heart, but if someone happens to mention them, I would be able to recall them.

“We can come back to San Diego another day,” Kenzy suggests, breaking into my thoughts. “We’ll drive to Tijuana and maybe bring Mom along. It’ll be the perfect family vacation.”

Her infectious enthusiasm tugs at my heartstrings, but her suggestion might be impossible. It sounds like she’s trying to create a family, and… could I try for her sake? I guess we can become a modern family where the parents put their differences aside for the sake of their children. Can I let go of the resentment I harbor toward Elsie?

After all, she stole fifteen precious years of my life with Kenzy and had the audacity to abandon her daughter without a backward glance.

For now, though, I push those thoughts aside and focus on the present. We make our way to the airport, where the private jet awaits, ready to carry us toward an uncertain future.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lysander

In less than two hours, we’re back in San Francisco. I drop Kenzy at Fern’s with the excuse that she needs help with the babies—Elliot is helping in the vineyard. I promise my daughter I’ll pick her up later today, once I’ve made sure Cami is home, and confirmed whether Elsie arrived in San Francisco, too.

I return to my apartment and anxiously await Camilla’s arrival. My breath catches in my throat as the door finally creaks open, and she steps inside my home. Relief pours like a waterfall, quenching the fire that had been burning within me.

She’s safe.

I should say, “Glad you’re here.” But an irresistible urge takes over me. Instead, I stride toward her, enveloping her in my arms and holding her tight.

“Hi,” she murmurs in that sweet, melodic voice, and that’s all that it takes for me to lose control.

I’m undone. My self-control is out the window.

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