Page 37 of Blind Trust
Lydia slapped his chest playfully before walking to the microwave just as it beeped. She grabbed the bag of popcorn with her fingertips and emptied it into a bowl. When she faced him, a tear slid down her cheek. “Thank you.”
He took her into his arms again. “For what, honey?”
“For all of this. Our kids will never know what it was like for me. Because of you, they’ll never know what it’s like to clean up their mother because she’s so drunk she can’t make it to the bathroom. Or learn the best hiding spots to avoid the carousel ofnew daddiesbrought home to replace the one locked up in prison.”
Lydia’s voice murmured against his chest, and hearing her relive the painful memories of her childhood made him hug her tighter.
“Tori and Angelina will never have to do...” Lydia looked up at him. “They’ll never have to live the life I did before meeting you. Because of you, our children will have a better life than I ever could’ve dreamed of for us.”
Brooks wiped the tears from her cheeks before kissing her lips. A deep kiss, which he hoped conveyed how much he loved her. When he pulled back, he found her blushing. He tilted his head in the direction of the family room. “Everything good about those five blessings sitting in there is because of you. You’re a wonderful mother, and they’re lucky to have you. I am too.”
“Six.”
“Sorry?”
“Brenda called. They have a little boy. Eight. Autistic like Michael. She thinks our family would be perfect, but I said I’d have to talk to you first.”
Unbridled hope sparkled in her eyes. She was an advocate for the weak, abandoned, and suffering. And he couldn’t tell her no.
“I think I saw someone in the neighborhood selling a twin bed on the Facebook page. I’ll check to see if they sold it.”
Lydia beamed and wrapped her arms around his neck, rewarding him with a kiss so passionate he was afraid one of the kids might walk in on them. He was about to warn of this possibility when the house phone rang.
Separating, she shook her head and grabbed the bowl of popcorn. “If it’s Robbie from next door, please tell him Thomas is not allowed to talk after eight, even on a Friday.”
“Okay.” They were probably one of the last families in the country who maintained a landline, but the adoption proceedings for the twins had been volatile, and he wanted a surefire way for his family to get help if they needed it. He picked up the receiver and answered. “Hello?”
“Imagine the looks I received when I interrupted my own dinner party to answer a phone call that could’ve been taken by you.”
Brooks turned on the sink faucet and started the dishwasher to create a noise barrier. “He wanted to know what to do.”
“So you tell him.”
The scathing tone caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. “No. I want no part in it.”
“No part in it? There’s not a single part that doesn’t have you irrevocably tied to it. Look around you, Brooks. You have a good life. A wife who adores you and children who are growing into well-adjusted adults despite where they’d be without you. I hear you’ve even got one considering William and Mary.” Brooks’s eyes flashed around him.Is my home bugged?Anger unfurled within him. “It’s a good school. I’d hate to see her application get derailed.”
“Please don’t do that.” His reflection stared back at him fromthe window.How did I let it get this far?He could hear his children laughing. His wife’s words weighed heavily on him.“Because of you, our children will have a better life than I ever could’ve dreamed of for us.”“What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing. I’ve taken care of it, but don’t you think for one minute that your hands aren’t as bloody as mine. You’ve got a lot to lose. Remember that the next time a decision needs to be made.”
The line went dead—and not for the first time in his life, Brooks wished he were too.
13
The Whitlock property bustled with activity. It was a brisk morning, but the sun rose in a cloudless blue sky. Energy grew in Lyla as she listened to the dogs yipping with excitement as the huntsman and his assistants managed them. Behind her, at the stables, field masters were already directing riders into their groups.
The wide lawn was covered by a white tent, where party staff and florists had decorated tables with crystal, bronze chargers, and the most stunning arrangements of sunflowers, dahlias, and roses. Set up on the side of the tent was the newest addition to the Whitlock Estate Hunt—a BBQ food truck with a full-size smoker filling the air with an aroma that had her mouth watering. Next to the smoker was a hot chocolate and mini-donut stand.
Kekoa is going to lose his mind.
Excusing herself after another round of welcoming guests, Lyla watched for her friends and kept an eye out for Mrs. Davenport, who she shamefully prayed would wake up with a head cold. It was wrong, and she really didn’t wish ill will toward Mason’s mom, but she had to figure out a way to keep her away from Nicolás.
Lyla pressed a hand to her stomach. Why had she lied? Why had she given Mrs. Davenport Nicolás’s name? Her anxiousness was going to keep her from enjoying the mini donuts, which would be a shame but also maybe a rightful punishment for her hasty lie.
“Looking for your boyfriend?” Lyla’s mom walked up next to her. “I thought it was a joke, but you took off back to work beforeI could ask. Then you drove up in his truck. You rushed into the house, grabbed a Pop-Tart and an apple, and then raced to your room. The last time you did that was after Brian Pierce kissed you in the seventh grade.” Her mother’s blue eyes twinkled. “So when did this happen?”
Lyla closed her eyes. “We’re just friends, Mom. I shouldn’t have lied, but that woman is...is...”
