Page 39 of Forever We Embrace: The Later Years
Luca’s smile brushes my skin before he glances toward the conference-room doors. “She told one of them that privacy isn’t a decorative promise they can put on a brochure.”
“I’m very proud of her.”
His fingers tighten briefly at my waist. The smile stays, but his attention sharpens when he looks back at me. “Did Nicholas keep everyone under control?”
“Mostly. Alastair used a phrase I need to discuss with you after we leave.”
The humor eases from Luca’s expression, but he doesn’t ask for details in the middle of the reception. He presses a kiss to my temple instead and keeps his hand against me while Luther approaches.
Luther settles his palm against my lower back and leans in close enough that his shoulder brushes mine. “You two plotting without me?”
“Only postponing it,” Luca says, glancing toward Rosalie before lowering his voice. “We’ll talk at home.”
I nod and let Luther guide me toward the nearest chair as Maceo approaches with James beside him, one small hand wrapped around two of his fingers.
“The roof comes off,” he says.
James climbs onto the seat beside mine and demonstrates how the roof lifts to reveal several rooms drawn in different colors. He explains which one belongs to the library, which hallway Grayson widened, and why one of the chairs is shaped like a circle even though the drawing looks more like a potato.
Samuel and Rosalie move toward the interactive wall display with Grayson and Luca beside them. The display shows the construction phases without resident information, and Samuel presses each illuminated section while Grayson explains which parts already exist.
I’m still examining James’s removable roof when Rosalie asks Luca whether the tiny courtyard will have flowers. Luca crouches beside her to answer, and Samuel notices a small blue light blinking beyond a row of temporary partitions.
His attention shifts before anyone else’s does.
He steps around the side of the display while Grayson turns to help Rosalie move one of the model trees. It lasts only a few seconds, but Maceo notices the gap beside Luca almost immediately.
“Samuel, baby, come back over here.”
There’s no answer. Maceo moves first. Luther follows while I hand the paper model back to James and push myself upright. Grayson’s face changes when he realizes Samuel isn’t behind the display, but Luca catches his wrist before he can move in the wrong direction.
“Maceo saw him,” Luca says, already guiding Rosalie and James closer to us.
We find Samuel beyond the temporary partition, standing beside an unattended workstation and watching the blue authentication light pulse beneath the monitor. His hands are tucked against his chest, and he hasn’t touched the keyboard.
“It keeps blinking,” he says when Maceo reaches him.
Maceo crouches instead of standing over him. One hand settles lightly around Samuel’s ankle, grounding him without pulling. “I see it, baby. You’re not in trouble, but these computers are for work. You’ve gotta stay where one of us can see you, okay?”
Samuel’s mouth trembles as he looks past Maceo toward Grayson. “I only looked.”
“I know.” Maceo offers his hand and waits until Samuel takes it. “Next time, you tell one of us before you follow something.”
The monitor wakes from its screensaver as Nicholas arrives behind us. A grant-administration portal sits open to a login page, with Keller Industries and Ember House listed beneath the same administrative account group.
Maceo’s attention sharpens, but he doesn’t react in front of Samuel. He stands with the boy’s hand still in his and asks Nicholas to secure the workstation. Nicholas calls the internal security lead while Maceo photographs only the system information visible on the login screen.
Grayson kneels as Maceo brings Samuel back. His hands go immediately to Samuel’s waist before he pulls him close enough to kiss his hair.
“You scared us, baby,” Grayson says. He keeps his voice soft even though the strain hasn’t left his face. “You didn’t do anything bad, but you’ve gotta tell one of us before you walk away.”
Samuel nods against his shoulder. Luca crouches on his other side and smooths one hand down his back until the small body loosens.
“The light was blinking,” Samuel whispers.
“I know,” Maceo says. He stays beside them, still low enough to meet Samuel’s eyes. “You were curious. Next time, you take my hand and show me.”
Samuel reaches for him without lifting his head, and Maceo lets him catch two fingers.
