as if she might have all the answers. Breezy followed his example. Blythe smiled at her.
“I’d be a little in shock too if someone stole one of my children. I think you’re handling it very well. It’s natural to fall apart when you have someone strong standing by, ready to pick up the pieces. Before, there was only you to handle everything, so you did. Now, you have all of us to help and especially Steele, a man you know won’t stop until Zane’s back with you both. Of course, your body is going to react to that.”
Breezy took a step away from Steele and back to the aisle. She picked up the knife to finish peeling the potatoes. Steele stepped up behind her, trapping her between the aisle and his hard body. His arms wrapped around her middle, just under her breasts, and he dropped his chin on top of her head.
“What are you doing?” She tilted her head to look up at him.
“Seeking solace.”
She blinked. That was such a Steele thing to say. It meant everything and nothing. “Well, you can’t have it, go away. I’m working here.”
“You have to give me solace. That’s your job as a woman, Bree.”
Alena, Anya and Blythe both laughed. Alena rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him, Bree. He’s playing the sympathy card on you, which means he’s up to no good.”
Blythe nodded. “Be on the lookout for treachery of some sort.”
“Blythe. Not you too,” Steele said. “That’s betrayal, plain and simple. I’ll be having a word with Czar about this.”
Breezy noticed that even with the easy teasing all around her, Steele’s hold on her didn’t loosen at all. She turned back to peeling potatoes, a small smile on her face. She couldn’t help it, Steele made her want to laugh. He had a way of making her feel as if she were part of everyone else, and very important to him. She didn’t want to let her mind go there. It was too easy to reach for that fantasy, even when he’d torn out her heart.
“I feel that not sticking up for you is fair payment for the fact that, knowing I have four children, you’re in heavy negotiations to bring back a fifth.”
“That was all Alena and Lana,” Steele denied.
“We voted,” Alena explained hastily. “It was put to a vote. Only Czar didn’t get a vote, the rest of us all agreed we’d spend every penny we had to get him and bring him to you.”
“How many more children do you think I’ll be able to handle?” Blythe asked, her voice infused with a mixture of laughter, genuine puzzlement and a touch of exasperation.
Alena and Steele looked at each other. They looked at Darby. Then Lana. All of them shrugged at the same time. It was Steele who answered.
“Any number, Blythe. However many need you.”
They all nodded. Blythe met Breezy’s eyes and she looked a little lost as if to say, see how they are?
Breezy sent her a faint smile. “That could be a lot. Of course, Steele’s good with children. He could take on a few.”
She expected him to laugh and when he didn’t, she turned her head to catch the thoughtful expression on his face.
He nodded solemnly. “Bree’s right, Blythe. It shouldn’t be all you. Bree’s good with kids. She spent her life taking care of them, and they all loved her. She has a big heart and if you share your counselors with us, we could do it. We could help out by taking a few.”
“Wait. Wait.” She couldn’t turn around and face him because his arms were solid bands holding her prisoner as surely as if he’d chained her to one spot. There was no getting away from him, even with a major struggle. “What are you saying? Why am I included?”
“You’re my old lady, silly,” Steele said, as if he hadn’t crawled out from under three naked women. He was matter-of-fact. “If I’m taking on a child who has been abused in any way, that means you are as well. It’s the two of us.”
“That’s wonderful,” Darby said. “I knew you were going to be awesome, Bree, the moment I heard Steele had someone. It would be so great if there were two homes providing for children who had nowhere to go and needed us desperately.”
“Honey,” Breezy started cautiously. She was only a few years older than Darby. Did the teen really think she was capable of taking on a child with such an abused