Page 38 of Rescuing Erin

“A girl, right?”

“Yep. I can’t wait until she’s a teenager. We already have a pool going on what age the kid will be when the first boy comes knocking on the door. We even have a side bet on whether Leo answers with a handgun or rifle. Right now, it’s two to one, rifle.”

“That’s so bad.” I laughed. “Poor Livie. She’s going to have to sneak her daughter out of the house for her first date.”

“There’s a strong possibility that’ll be the case. Leo is a little crazy when it comes to Olivia. It wasn’t pretty when we found her. Something clicked for him that day. He carried her out of that filthy room and has never wanted her anywhere but by his side since.”

“I like that for her. She deserves it.”

“Did you know he threatened to quit his job and take her on the run?”

“No.”

“Grab your coffee and let’s go sit on the porch. I’ll tell you the story.”

I hopped down and followed Colin out into the cool late morning air. Even after only being here less than a week I was positive I could be happy living in this house forever. The fresh pine smelled so good and the rustling of the trees was peaceful.

Colin brushed some leaves off of the chair and offered me the seat. Once we were both settled, he started eating and told me the story of Leo and Olivia between bites. How’d they’d driven across the country. How she came to know her biological father. And how, Pam, her mom, had caused quite the scene, forcing Leo to take some drastic measures to keep Pam from harming Olivia. I was so sad for Pam and Olivia. They’d been so close, I’m sure Olivia was heartbroken when her mom had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. My mom and Olivia’s mom were close friends, and I’d been kept up to date on Pam’s condition. Thankfully, she’d made a full recovery after an experimental surgery and was doing well.

“Why did Leo threaten to quit?”

“Zane told him we were going to use Olivia as bait to try and draw out the bad guys.”

“What? Would he have really done that?”

“Fuck no. He wanted Leo to step up and admit his feelings for Olivia. We all saw it. When Leo ran out of the house with Olivia in his arms, and the house exploded behind him, he covered her with his body. There was no thought, he simply protected her. When we got in the helicopter, he held her in his lap like she was the most precious thing in the world. And when Pam tried to take her home, even though Olivia was still in danger, he went toe-to-toe with her and made it clear she was going with him.”

“I like Leo. That time he came to D.C. with you for the Governor’s Ball he was nice.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him you think he’s nice.” Colin chuckled. “I don’t think many people would call him that.”

“I want to see her. Do you think . . . I mean . . . would she want to see me?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not just saying that to be nice, are you?”

“There’s that word again. Sunshine, I am not a nice person. I don’t blow rainbows and unicorns just to save someone’s feelings. I’m too honest for that. Olivia wants to see you. She’s asked many times.”

“I need to explain to her why I pulled away.”

“You do. She misses you and thinks you’re mad at her.”

“I know. I was wrong. Maybe when we get home, we can go to their house and see them.” I was worried I’d said the wrong thing when the expression on Colin’s face changed. I couldn’t read the look but it was intense. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, sunshine, you said everything right.”

Now I was really confused but instead of asking him to clarify what he meant because, honestly, I was still worried, I changed the subject. “Tell me about the guys.”

“Linc and Jasmin just had twins a few months ago. Two boys. Jaxon and Violet met on an op. She’s an interesting woman who was put in a tough spot. It took a while for the team to come around and like her, but we all have. We understand why she had to do what she did. Violet actually met your dad in the basement of an old barn we used to have. He grilled her pretty hard, but, in the end, she won him over, too. Jax told me before we left for Texas they’re expecting a baby but hadn’t told the team yet.

“With Violet came her twin brother, Declan. He’s a good guy. Zane and Ivy are happily ensconced in their penthouse, up high, away from everyone. If Zane had it his way they’d never leave, he likes his privacy, but Ivy has done wonders making him socialize with everyone. There was a time when he carried such a heavy burden you could see him starting to crumble. Ivy changed that, changed him. We’re all thankful she’s come into his life.”

I wondered if he knew how his face lit when he talked about his friends. He was obviously very close to them. I’d say, closer to them than to his own family. That made me kind of sad.

We fell into a comfortable silence while Colin ate his breakfast. My eyes scanned the yard and fell on a soccer ball not far from an old wooden shed.

“Did you know I played soccer in high school? I was a mid-fielder.”