guess my second grandchild.” She narrowed her eyes at me.
My chest tightened. Guess I wasn’t the only one who thought Bee was more the mother of my child than her biological one.
Bonnie laced her fingers over her knees and stared me down. “Speaking of.”
I swallowed. I was basically living in sin with her daughter. We hadn’t technically moved in together, but she’d made my place such a home at this point that I didn’t want to think about a moment without her.
I opened my mouth.
“Don’t lie to my face when I ask you this question, Jared Brooks.”
I mirrored her folded hands and forced my shoulders to relax. “Okay. You know me, Bonnie. I don’t lie.”
She let out a sharp laugh. “You’ve been lying to yourself for years.”
Okay, I couldn’t really disagree with her there. “I’ve always cared about, Bee—Gina. But now things are different.”
“Because she’s your in-house nanny and baby mama?”
My jaw locked. “Of course not. I called on her for help because she’s my best friend and I didn’t know who else to call.”
“And yet you made her lie to her family for a week.”
I clutched the arms of my chair. Stupidly, I’d thought we were past all of this.
Go fish, Brooks.
“It wasn’t because I was using her. I just didn’t know how to handle it. The woman who left the—no, my—daughter on my porch threw me for a loop. Bee is the first person I called because she’s the most capable woman I know.”
Bonnie stared at me unblinkingly. “Acceptable. Men take longer to deal with the idea of change. And there’s much change in your life, Sheriff. Just be careful with my daughter. She may act like she’s tough, but she’s very soft.”
“Strongest woman I know.”
She stood. “Even the strongest women can be hurt needlessly. Remember that. She’s more than just a stand-in mother.”
“She’s not a stand-in anything. She’s more Sami’s mother than anyone could be. And if I had my way, she would have been. And maybe will be in the future.”
Bonnie looked at the floor, sniffing lightly. Her eyes were ringed in red, but no tears fell. “You’ll do, Jared. Just remember she’s more than just a mother. She’s a woman and deserves to be recognized for that side of her regardless of the future you have.”
I frowned. What did that mean? “Of course.” I stood and followed her to the door. “I’m not just playing house with your daughter, Bonnie. I’m betting on forever.”
“Good.” She patted my chest and straightened my badge. “You’re a good man.”
“I try.”
“Don’t ruin everything I’ve organized while I’m gone, or I’ll break your pinkies.”
I blinked. “Right. Christian and the temp we brought in have your instructions, correct?”
She nodded curtly. “Doesn’t mean they’ve read them.” She fixed the strap of her body bag-sized purse in a wild rainbow zebra print and shoved it behind her. I didn’t know what was in there, but it scared me a little. Pretty much just like Bonnie did.
“I’ll make sure they do.”
The front door of the station banged open. Instinctively, I put Bonnie behind me.
Bee came through the door, her topknot crooked and drooping over her ear, her eyes wide. “Dios, thank goodness you’re here.”
Panicked, I strode to her, adrenaline already coursing through me. “Is everything all right? Sami?”
Bee shook her head before she smiled. Her face was full of pure joy. “No, no, she’s fine.” She squeezed my arm. “She’s with Luna and Kinleigh.” She turned to her mother. “It’s time. Erica just called me.”
“You? Not her own mother?”
Then it was a flurry of Spanish and chaos as the women had a conversation I couldn’t follow. The high school Spanish class I’d taken didn’t compute against the bastardized version they spoke.
“Bah!” Bonnie bustled toward the front door. “I’ll drive.” She pulled out her huge key ring.
I beat her to the door and plucked it out of her hands. “Oh, no. That’s not happening. I can’t have you driving in the emotional state you both are in. I’ll drive.”
I shot a look over my shoulder.
Christian waved me off. “Go, it’s been a slow—”
I cut him off. “Don’t you say that word. Are you nuts?”
Christian reddened. “Right. Anyway. I can handle it.”
Right away, I knew that it was going to be the longest day in the history of days. But it was easier to usher the girls out the door and hustle them toward the squad car. Since I didn’t have a partner for when I was on patrol, the front of the car was full