A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1) - Darynda Jones Page 0,108

want to be the girl who stubbornly claimed she didn’t need saving even when she did because those girls always came across as shallow and ignorant as opposed to the first group who just genuinely did not want to be the girls who needed saving. They wanted to be the girls who lived in a world where they didn’t need to be saved from the Kubricks and the Clays and the Liams. They wanted to be the girls who lived in a world that deserved them.

And yet here he was. Her knight in shining, majestic, rugged, panty-melting armor.

She decided to change the subject.

“Your nephew is at my house.”

The once-over he was in the middle of performing from underneath thick lashes paused at her hips. “Jimmy?”

“The one and only.”

“Shit.” He grabbed his jacket. “He escaped again?”

“He’s done this before?”

“Yeah, he doesn’t like hospitals.”

“He must like the gowns. He stole one.”

“He does that, too.”

“Wait! My Moscato!” she said as he started for the door.

He made a U-turn and waited for her to buy her precious Moscato even though it clearly irked him. Oh yeah. Definitely a knight in shining, majestic, rugged, panty-melting armor. Damn it.

22

It’s all fun and games until

Russia tries to hack our queso recipe.

—SIGN AT TIA JUANA’S FINE MEXICAN CUISINE

Levi followed Sun to the apartment where the kids awaited their return. Only they were in her parents’ house eating green chile stew and homemade tortillas. Those things were worth the price of admission right there.

Levi took the box she was carrying and held it as they went inside.

“Hey, Mom!” Auri said, thankfully because anyone else saying that would have been awkward.

“Hey, bug bite.”

Auri beamed at her for a half second before her jaw dropped to the floor. She’d spotted him.

“Uncle Levi!” Jimmy shouted. “You found me again!”

Levi put the box down and opened his arms. The boy, who was almost as tall as Levi, ran into them, but only for a second. He stepped back and asked, “Are you mad?”

Levi frowned. “Mad? About what?”

“About that you have to find me.”

“I’m not mad, but your mom is probably really worried.”

Sun’s parents had also taken note of their visitor. Her dad stood and offered his hand. “Levi, good to see you.”

“You, too, sir.” He nodded to Elaine. “Mrs. Freyr.”

“Mrs. Freyr,” she said as though indignant. “Call me Elaine, and sit down. You’ve had quite a day.”

“Thank you.” His gaze landed on Auri, who was still gaping.

Without another word, she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. He lifted her off the ground and let her feet dangle as he held her, and the emotion that hit Sun like the shock wave from a nuclear blast stole the breath right out of her lungs.

He’d saved her life. It was the one thought that she’d repeated all day over and over. He’d saved her life, and she’d never even known.

“How are you, Red?” he asked into her hair.

“I’m good. Better now.”

Sun had of course entertained the idea of a father figure, and the consequences of the lack thereof, throughout Auri’s life. But it had never hit her quite so hard as now.

Had it been selfish of her to focus so much on her career? Should she have at least tried to find a suitable match so that Auri would not miss out on the everyday normality other kids had?

Not all kids, of course, but there was no denying the immense advantages for a kid with two supportive parents in the home.

Hailey showed up about five seconds later, and because of their supersecret pact, could not stay for dinner. Levi, however, could. Hailey thanked her parents and Auri and then whispered a soft thank-you to Sun before taking a very disappointed Jimmy back to the hospital.

“You stay put, mister man,” Auri said to him. “And I’ll come see you first thing tomorrow morning.”

He brightened at that, and Sun was struck with just how wonderful her daughter was. A daily occurrence, yes, but one she cherished.

They sat down to eat, and Sun was so distracted by the god sitting at the table, as one is when gods sit at tables with mere mortals, that she didn’t even notice when the same daughter she’d just praised, the same one she’d just gushed over, snuck off to look at the evidence she’d brought home on the Sybil St. Aubin case.

While her parents made small talk with Levi, asking him about the business and the world of moonshine, Sun downed about half the bottle of Moscato and