Page 88 of From the Embers
While Asher was relieved to find out that he hadn’t seen a ghost and seemed to accept our profuse apologies for not taking his accusations more seriously, he struggled with the truth about what his father had done. We told him as gently as possible after consulting a child psychologist, but there was no way to sugarcoat that kind of depravity. His deluge of questions switched from those about heaven to ones like if Daddy was going to come back and take him or Madison in the middle of the night. Or if Rob could make our house catch fire from jail. We assured him that none of those things were possible, but he asked if he could sleep in our room for a while. And while Madison seemed to be coping pretty well, we were not about to leave my baby girl out.
Every night, the five of us piled into that bed. There was little sleep to be found, with elbows in my ribs and, on more than one occasion, Eason catching a foot in his nether regions. However, we were together and safe, so the few minutes of rest we did catch were the most peaceful of all.
I had always been adamant about giving the kids a sense of stability after Rob died. But when that stability became tainted by fear and trauma, it was time to go.
I had no intention of ever going back to work at Prism. And only part of that was because of the role it had played in Rob’s attempt on our lives. The biggest reason was: I just didn’t want to.
After everything we’d been through, my family needed me more than ever. And truth be told, I needed them a hundred times more.
The minute the FBI closed its audit, I was selling the company. Business was good, though news of Rob’s return from the dead had hit the media and soiled our good name. But we still had plenty of offers rolling in from around the world.
Without anything else holding us in Atlanta, Eason and I had a long talk. His career was just taking off, and for that, he needed to be in LA. We just needed to be with him.
And thus, the decision was made. In less than twenty-four hours, our little family was off to California.
The man of my dreams smiled down at me. “Mmm, I could go for another shower with you.” He pecked my lips again and then stood up. “If we have packers here, why are you sitting there packing your stuff?”
“Oh, right. Why don’t you just go grab one of the guys and tell them to come box up my underwear?”
He let out a horrified gasp. “No way any man is touching my woman’s Hanes Her Ways.”
I barked a laugh. “Hey! I have some sexy stuff too.”
“Yeah, but you know what those white cotton granny panties do for me.” He bit his bottom lip and waggled his eyebrows.
God, I loved that ridiculous man.
I swatted at him, but he jumped out of my reach, laughing.
When he finally sobered, he planted his hands on his hips. “I see you still haven’t cracked into my red M&M’s yet.”
I followed his gaze to the nightstand and shrugged. “I haven’t been much in the mood for candy recently, I guess.”
“Hmmm.” He turned his sexy gaze back on me. “You planning on doing that before we leave tomorrow?”
I eyed him suspiciously. “I hadn’t planned on it.”
“Kids, Mom has candy!” he yelled while staring right at me. “What about now?”
“Eason! It’s almost dinner time. And if you have any hope of them falling asleep tonight for you to get that sexy shower, I’m not sure candy is the way to do it.”
“Hmmm, guess I didn’t think that through. Too late now though.” He shrugged nonchalantly as the sound of a stampede raced up the stairs.
Asher got there first. “I want candy.”
Madison was next, her hands raised high above her head. “Me. Me. Me.”
Luna pulled up the rear. “I need candy!”
Eason grabbed the jar of M&M’s off the nightstand and brought them over to me. Four eager hands extended out in front of me. Yes. Four. Eason had his stuck out front and center.
Unscrewing the top, I shook my head. “Two each.”
“Two!” Asher complained. “Eason promised us ten!”
He bumped Asher with his hip. “Boy, don’t you get me in trouble.”
Asher giggled, falling over to the side, his hand still outstretched as he climbed back to his feet.
“Psh. Ten? Eason was telling stories again.” The lid released and I lifted it off. “Because there is no—”
And just like that, there were no more words left in the English language.
Okay, well, maybe one. “Eason!” I breathed, tears welling in my eyes as I stared down at a gorgeous emerald-cut diamond solitaire.
“You hid it in the M&M’s?” Asher asked, clearly somewhat in on the plan.
