Saxon's Savior (Protect and Serve #3) - Pandora Pine Page 0,45

down the same rabbit hole as our parents.

I cried for the little girl who’d loved butterflies and drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. I cried harder for my steadily shrinking family. Which reminded me I needed to call Sedona. I pulled myself together and dialed his number. My call went straight to voicemail. “Hey, it’s Saxon. Give me a call the minute you listen to this message. It’s Sistine.” I hung up, feeling like a bit of a dick for leaving him hanging like that. It was still early out west, with the three-hour time difference. If he didn’t have the courtesy to answer my call, then he deserved a cryptic message.

Grabbing the new blanket Mandy left me, I walked into the girls’ room and sat down on the floor in front of their beds. Both of them were sleeping.

I pulled up the Notes app on my phone and started typing all the things I would need to do tomorrow, starting with calling the attorney who’d handled Sistine’s will, and ending with making funeral arrangements.

Having a game plan made me feel a bit better about things. My thoughts turned back to Dallas. What the hell happened tonight? We’d had a great time at dinner and an even better time in his bedroom before the call from the hospital stopped things in their tracks. He’d been wonderful with Lola, who’d trusted him instantly. Why the hell had he run from us when we got back here?

“He wasn’t ready for this kind of commitment,” I said aloud. Thankfully, neither of the girls stirred at the sound of my voice.

To be honest, I wasn’t ready for this kind of commitment either, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter. Sophie and Lola needed me to be there for them. I’d never imagined being a father. Now I was. These girls were going to be depending on me for all their needs.

I could only pray I was up to the task.

21

Dallas

I felt like shit. I wasn’t a big drinker, but I’d been wasted often enough to know what a Grade-A hangover felt like. I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol last night, but my head was pounding, and my body ached all the same.

Guilt like I’d never felt in my life weighed me down. I felt like Jacob Marley dragging the chains of my life’s decisions. There was one person I knew who could help me figure myself out. My mother.

I’d spent the night tossing and turning. Part of me wanted to text Saxon to apologize, while the other half of me wanted to hide under the bed. I didn’t like this feeling. Not one bit.

Around nine, I hauled my dragging ass into my truck and drove across town. Quentin and Mom’s cars were parked in the driveway. Screwing up all the courage I could muster, I climbed out of the truck and rang the doorbell. My heart was pounding so hard, I felt it in my toes.

“Don’t you dare ring the bell, Dallas!” Mandy called from the kitchen. She was standing with her back against the kitchen sink, sipping a mug of peppermint tea and watching me fidget on the doorstep.

Quentin was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper when I walked into the house. He raised an eyebrow at me but stayed silent.

“You!” Mandy pointed to my brother. “Out!”

“What the hell did I do?” Quentin wore a mutinous look on his tired face.

“I need to have a heart to heart with Dallas.” Mandy was talking to my brother, but didn’t take her eyes off me.

“Good luck, man.” Quentin snorted. He grabbed the paper and walked out of the kitchen. I heard the television come on.

“Morning, Mom.” I hovered in the doorway so I could make a fast escape if this conversation went sideways.

“Are you here to talk or are you preparing to run?” The word again was implied but not said.

“Here to talk.” I slunk into the kitchen and took my usual spot at the table. I watched as Mandy made me a cup of tea. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

Mandy sighed and took a seat. “I won’t know if I’m disappointed until I hear the full story. Now talk.” She took a sip from her cup before setting it on the table and turning her full attention to me.

I loved that about my mom, she always waited for the facts instead of making a snap judgement. “Saxon and I had a nice dinner at Portside and then went back