what I drew, Mama,” he says, holding out a sheet of paper.
I wipe the remnants of my tears off my cheeks and take Benny’s drawing while he looks over at Logan, frowning. “Do you need another recharge?”
Logan chuckles. “Absolutely, I do.”
Lucas steps out, his brow furrowed as he looks at his brother. He doesn’t speak. I gaze down at Benny’s picture of a lopsided playhouse with a bright blue sign above the door that reads Benny! “This is awesome,” I tell him.
“Did you know Leo’s brothers build houses?” he asks.
With a smile, I reply, “I did know your dad’s brothers build houses. And do you know what you call your dad’s brothers?” I don’t miss the widening of eyes on both the Preston boys.
“No.”
“They’re your uncles.”
“Nuh-uh,” Benny says. “I already have an uncle. Holden.”
“You can have more than one uncle.”
“Nuh-uh,” he sings, and I sigh, roll my eyes as I look at the drawing again.
“It’s a great playhouse, Benny.” Then my eyes thin as I peer up at the brothers now standing on the porch. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you both be at work?”
Lucas shakes his head while Logan scoffs and laughs at the same time. “We were fired,” Lucas tells me.
“Your dad fired you?”
“Yep,” Logan responds. “Papa Preston does not play.”
I get to my feet. “When did this happen?”
“Halloween night.”
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Leo
When I open the front door of my house, the first thing I notice is the smell of Mia’s cooking. The second thing I notice is the music. Soft and smooth, “Easy” by the Commodores plays just loud enough for me to assume it’s coming from a phone. I slip off my shoes at the entryway and make my way to the kitchen. Benny’s sitting on the kitchen counter with a sketchbook and crayons, and Mia is setting the table. I’d comment on how amazing it feels to come home to this scene, how it warms my heart, yet raises my insecurities, but… the table that Mia is currently placing silverware on? It wasn’t there this morning.
“Hi,” I say, and Mia spins, her hand to her chest.
“I didn’t hear you come in!”
“Leo!” Benny shouts, sliding off the stool to recharge my soul.
Mia asks, beaming up at me, “How was your first day?”
“Yeah, how was your first day?” Benny echoes, his arms raised. I’m not sure at what age he’ll stop wanting to be picked up and held, but right now, I’m all about it.
I answer, “It was… anticlimactic, to be honest. A lot of sitting in the car listening to my training officer tell old, boring stories.” I drop a kiss on Mia’s forehead and tickle Benny’s side before releasing him back to the floor. He climbs on the stool, the only seat that was here. Now there’s a bench on either side of the kitchen table. My eyes narrow as I look down at Mia. “When did you get a table?”
“Oh, this,” she says, her smile confusing as hell. “I commissioned your brothers to build it. They did it in, like, two hours. Pretty cool, huh?”
I’m not sure what part of that sentence I’m not supposed to read into. “Wait.” I follow her to the stovetop, stand beside her as she stirs. “When did you see my brothers?”
“They came here. Lucas and I played in my room,” Benny answers from behind me.
Mia turns, her hands warm against my chest. She lowers her voice when she says, “Did you know your dad fired them?”
I rear back. “Who?”
“Lucas and Logan.”
Shaking my head, I mutter, “I haven’t really spoken…” I trail off, my mind racing. “Wait, they were here?”
Mia nods, her lips pressed tight.
Shoving my hand in my pocket, I pull out my phone, my jaw tightening as I mumble, “I’ll tell them they won’t be doing that again.”
“No!” She covers my phone with both her hands. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not.”
She motions toward Benny as if this conversation isn’t one we should be having in front of him. “It’s fine,” she repeats. “It was… helpful.”
“Helpful?” I scoff.
Fingertips to my jaw, she smooths out the muscles before kissing me quickly. “Yes. Don’t worry, okay?”
It’s impossible not to worry, especially when it comes to those idiots and anything important to me, but I let it slide. For now.
“I’m going to go up and change real quick.”
Mia frowns. “You can’t stay in uniform?”
“Horny girl,” I mouth, and her laughter fills my ears, my heart.
“Leo! Come look at my drawing!” Benny calls out.
I stifle my chuckle. “No luck on the whole Dad thing, huh?”
“Nope,” Mia sighs.