Two weeks later…
“The kids have really taken to you,” Mom whispers as we watch Amanda and Alex play in the creek.
The weather is nice and we’ve brought the kids for a swim, taking advantage of how beautiful the property is.
“Well, I can say that I’ve taken to them too.” I’m about to call them back in for some more sunscreen when the whir of an engine has me turning. Off in the distance I see Jack approaching with Matt, the brother that lives south from here.
I’ve had a chance to meet the other Crown brothers over the past two weeks. Matt owns a whiskey distillery and visits often. Hunter is a brooding silent type who lives in his secluded cabin up the mountain but has been on the property until searching for the missing stepdaughter ends.
A shiver runs through me as I wonder what that poor girl is going through.
As the Polaris gets closer, I see that Jace, the youngest of the brothers, is sitting in the back along with Hunter. Wow. My stomach knots at this realization. There must be something serious going on if all four brothers have come to collect us.
Mom must have the same thinking because she’s already getting up and calling the children. I quickly follow, gathering our things and placing them back into the basket I had packed.
I’m just finishing up when the men reach us and first to speak is Jack. “Anaya, we have to get back to the house. There’s a surprise for the kids.”
His words come out choked and I know whatever it is must be big. These men are as tough as nails and seeing them all glassy eyed has me unnerved.
They’d been gone overnight. From what Mom said, they had some business down in Texas, but she didn’t elaborate. A quick glance over and I see that she’s just as clueless as I am.
Not wanting to take longer than necessary, I walk with the basket to our side-by-side, but Jace cuts in and takes it before I can reach it. “Here, let me help.”
“Thank you, Jace.” He’s the youngest and most playful of the bunch, so I decide to probe him for answers. “Any hints as to what this big surprise is?”
His eyes twinkle, and this small reaction brings some peace to my heart. There’s no way bad news could follow that full-bodied smile. And lord knows the kids have had enough of that. “Now, what kind of surprise would it be if I spoiled it?”
“Between you and me, I don’t like surprises.” I smirk, giving him side-eye. “I’m the girl who looks up a movie ending while watching a movie. It’s that bad.”
Jace throws his head back and cackles. “Oh, that’s too funny! Well, little Anaya, I can assure you that it’s nothing but a happy ending from here on out.”
I might be younger than all the Crown brothers, at only twenty-one, but I’ve lived enough to know that life doesn’t offer any guarantees and that the promise of a happily ever after isn’t real.
Call me an escapist, but that’s why I love reading so much. Reading. It’s the only place in the world you can get away from it all, diving deep into a story where you lose yourself, forgetting all your problems. Only there, can you find a true happily ever after, hidden in the pages of your imagination.
“Ready?” Jack calls from buckling in Amanda, pulling me from my thoughts. He seems antsy, and a mixture of joy and sorrow is splashed across his face, further fueling my curiosity.
Knowing it’s not my place to ask again, I crawl into the driver’s seat and answer, “Ready.”
I’m all jitters as the men load back up into their vehicle, my hand turning the ignition as I steer behind them.
Never has the path back to the house seemed this long. It feels like ages before we’re standing in front of the massive wraparound porch, complete with white rocking chairs.
Jack is taking the kids, one in each hand as Matt walks in front of them, opening the door and leading everyone inside.
I’m last in line to enter, my foot stepping onto the porch steps when I hear it.
“¡Papito!” Amanda squeals before breaking down into hysterical sobbing.
Could it be?
“Da-ad!” Alex’s shouting comes out strangled, his voice thick with emotion.
Oh my god. Their dad. Austin. He’s here!
Mom’s profile lets me see the tears streaming down her face, and following her line of sight, I see it and freeze—my whole body unable to move.
Amanda and Alex are crowded around a man in a wheelchair as tears flow down his face. His breathtakingly handsome face. The slope of his strong nose and chiseled jaw are like something straight out of a movie. He’s unreal.
Even though he’s sitting, I can tell that he’s tall, his large frame dwarfing the chair he’s in.
Caught in the moment, my eyes continue to take him in. He’s wearing jeans and a dress shirt, the fabric tightening around his thick biceps as he holds on to the children, hanging on to them for dear life. All three of them are now openly sobbing, lost in their own world where finally—finally—there’s a little happy.
As if he couldn’t get any more perfect, masculine hands pull the kids toward him and I’m transfixed, watching his strong fingers swipe away the children’s tears—the entire situation makes my chest squeeze with so much joy.
In this bitterly sweet moment, I am overflowing with emotions of happiness for the children. I’m so happy that they’ve reconnected with their father, a father they love very much and who seems to love them right back.
But as my eyes linger on all three, pain hits me square in the chest, my heart cracking open, letting the sadness and resentment towards my own father come to the surface. Why couldn’t all dads love their kids like this? God, what this man must’ve gone through to find his way back to his babies.
He was thought dead, yet here he is, clearly willing to fight the Grim Reaper himself to return to his family.
“Gentle, kids. Your dad is still recovering.” Matt calls from somewhere off to my right. I’m unsure of his location because my eyes are still glued to the trio huddled together.
That’s when Austin lifts his head from the top of Amanda’s little head. “Let an old man enjoy his kids. A little cracked rib won’t—” his words die in his mouth as his eyes fall to mine, his forest green meeting with my watery blue. “Who’s she?”
Gone is the softness from his voice, replaced with nothing but steel and barbed wire. I’m about to answer when Amanda jumps from his lap and runs toward me, placing her hand in mine and dragging me forward.
“Papito, this is Anaya. She’s our very own Mary Poppins.” Her smile beams up at me, pushing out the cold draft Austin’s glare sent rushing in.
“Is that so?” Austin’s narrowed gaze pierces right through me, threatening to make me break and run out the door.
What’s his problem? Whatever. I’m here for the kids, not him. Remembering who I am, I cock a brow and stare him back down, answering with a simple, “That’s so.”
There’s an awkward pause before Jack clears his throat. “We talked about this. Anaya is Mary’s daughter and I’ve known her for years. She’s good.”
Nothing. No response from Austin.
The steely man just sits there, his eyes never leaving my face. As the silence stretches, threatening to swallow us whole, we all wait for someone to cry uncle. It won’t be me.
“She’s awesome, apá. She even knows how to play Minecraft.” Alex’s sweet voice cuts through the tension, clearly understanding something isn’t right, and my heart breaks. He shouldn’t have to take up for his nanny.
“And she makes the best pancakes, too,” Amanda adds in my defense.
Sheesh. His distaste for me must be so obvious that even the five-year-old senses it. I can’t let them feel this added discomfort, not on my behalf. It’s the opposite of what I’m supposed to be doing here. Making things easier for them.
Wanting to ease the tension, I put on a smile and say, “If you’re up for eating, I can whip us up breakfast for dinner so you can try the pancakes yourself.”
I’m met with more silence, so I wait. And wait. And wait.
Mom takes pity on me and speaks up. “Right. Well, you probably want to get settled, Austin. How about we let you get to your room, and we’ll be waiting in the kitchen with the kids when you’re ready?”
Immediately, the whaling begins. Alex’s face has gone ghostly and Amanda is visibly shaking with how upset she is.
“We just got him back! He can’t leave. He just can’t!” Amanda protests as big fat tears stream down her trembling face.
“Shhh.” Austin presses both kids into a firm embrace, all while cooing and placing soft kisses on Amanda’s head.
Feeling helpless at the pain I’m witnessing, I move forward, my feet moving of their own volition. Before I know it, I’ve crouched down next to the wheelchair and my hand is rubbing slow circles on Amanda’s back.
My spirit may be battered, but this is one thing my past trauma will never allow. I won’t sit back and let another father break his daughter’s heart. Regardless of what he’s gone through, the kids are my priority, and if he fails them, I’ll be the first one to give him hell.
“Sweetie, he isn’t going anywhere.” My eyes flit up, issuing a silent warning to their father. “Right, Daddy?”
Austin raises a brow, his steely eyes turning molten and sending heat coursing through me. But with a clearing of his throat, it’s gone just as quickly as it appeared. “That’s right, pumpkin. I’m right here.”
Taking him at his word, I continue with my reassurance. “He’ll only be a few rooms away, and if your heart gets to hurting too much, then I promise I’ll take you to see him myself.”
I’m about to withdraw my hand when Austin’s fingers brush against mine, the simple contact making me suck in a sharp breath. His touch, it’s electric, causing my entire body to react. Never in my life have I felt anything like it. How can something so small make my body overheat?
As if unfazed, Austin continues to stroke down Amanda’s back, but his narrowed eyes never leave mine. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. I promise.”
A shiver racks me at his words, his gaze making me feel as if the promise were directed at me. But that’s absurd, isn’t it?
Amanda finally lifts her head from Austin’s chest, her head bobbing up and down in a small nod. “Okay… But hurry, papíto.”
Austin’s stoic face does a one-eighty at his daughter’s term of endearment, the action making his dimples come out to play. Lord help me, those dimples. “I’ll be quick, baby. Nothing could keep me away from you two.”
With another quick hug, the kids finally release their dad and follow mom and me into the kitchen. As we’re stepping into the hall, I hear Jack’s low gravelly voice. “What the hell was that?”
So it wasn’t all in my head. The man really has something against me. Well, screw him. Jack’s the one who asked me to come here, not him.
But the farther we get from the conversation, the more my mind whirls.
Even though I don’t care what Austin thinks, I don’t want him to keep me from the children. I’ve gotten attached and think we’ve made significant progress with their anxiety. Tearing yet another person away from their lives would only do more harm to their fragile emotional state. Surely he wouldn’t ask me to leave, would he?
With a deep sigh, I vow to play nice, shoving my pride aside. It’ll be worth it if I can help the kids.
Austin
“What the hell was that?” Jack hisses as he gets behind me, wheeling my chair down the hallway opposite from the kitchen.
“You don’t need to do that. I can walk, you know.” I look toward Matt and Jace for help. “Come on, guys. Tell him it’s a couple of broken ribs, not legs.”
They both lift their hands up, palms exposed, not wanting any part of this conversation. Hunter was the smartest, slipping out before the tough conversations were to be had.
“Don’t look at me bro, I’m the biggest baby. I’d be milking it if I were you. Asking for room service and the whole nine. Maybe even asking the nanny for a foot rub.”
The thought of that woman putting her hands on Jace has my blood boiling, a small growl erupting in my chest and catching me off guard. Before I can analyze it any further, Jack cuts in.
“Stop trying to rope the guys in and tell me what’s your problem with the nanny.” He ignores my claim of self-sufficiency and continues to push me toward my room.
“She’s just a little thing. Way too young to care for my kids. And besides, she’s a stranger.” Even as I spit the words out, I know that’s not why.
Despite her youth, she seemed to know what she was doing with my daughter. Amanda even called her Mary Poppins. Yeah right. She’s no Mary—she’s nothing but a Monroe, with her blonde hair and luscious curves, the thoughts she elicits are nothing short of inappropriate.
Her full lips calling me Daddy comes to mind and I do everything I can to shove that shit right down. I’ve never been into Daddy kink, but when she uttered the word, it was as if she’d given my dick the green light. Everything I’d just been through went out the window, leaving no room for anything but the heat she stirred inside. It was fucking terrifying.
In all my years, I’ve never reacted to a woman the way I did her. My cock stirred the moment I saw her, the fucker acting like it found its new home. Not okay. Not only is she supposed to be watching my kids, but I just put my family through hell—a hell that cost Blanca her life. What kind of sick fuck gets aroused by another woman so soon after losing his wife?
Jack cuts into my thoughts of self-loathing. “Anaya is twenty-one, the typical age of an au pair. And I told you, she’s fully vetted and I know her. She’s been coming to the ranch for the past four years.”
Doubling down on my reasoning, I add credence to my argument. “Yeah. And wasn’t that psychologist fully vetted too? Didn’t stop the cartel from paying him off to take the kids.”
“You know this is different. She’s Mary’s daughter, not some cartel princess.”
Jack’s words make me shudder, remembering my stepdaughter. “Speaking of cartels, any word on Penelope?”
We’re inside my room now, all present brothers freezing at hearing her name. It’s a blow to all of them that they took her right from under their noses, but the bigger blow is to my conscience. She never would’ve been in that position had it not been for my meddling.
If I just would’ve let sleeping dogs lie, her father would’ve never known she existed. Hell, her mother would still be alive if it weren’t for me.
Guilt seeps in, a deep rage rolling over me, making my chest rattle as I take in a ragged breath.
“The men of WRATH securities think they have a lead. As soon as it’s confirmed, we’re moving in and bringing her home.”
Hope blooms in my chest. “I’m going with you.”
“You can barely walk, brother,” Matt speaks up, always trying to be the voice of reason.
“I can walk well enough. Besides, it’s my fault she’s in this mess.” I press my lips into a thin line and suck in a sharp breath through my nose before continuing. “I did this to her. I need to get her out.”
Jack lets out a sound of frustration while running a hand over his face. “It’s not all on you, Austin. I should’ve vetted the doctor better. Kept a closer eye on his activities while on the ranch.”
My eyes narrow as I focus on his words. He’s leaving out a big piece of information. I have no doubt that his emotional entanglement with my stepdaughter clouded his judgment too.
When my brothers first broke the news that Jack had been intimate with Penelope, I just about lost what was left of my mind. To be frank, the only reason I’m not ripping his head off for making a move on my stepdaughter is because I fucked up too.
Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones and all that shit. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be okay with it once we get her back.
I rub my temples and sigh. One day at a time. One fucked up crisis at a time.
“What matters is that there’s progress and we’re getting her back.” Jace, the optimistic of our bunch, cuts into the thick tension of the room.
“Yes. That’s true.” I tear my gaze from Jack and look at our youngest brother. “I still want to come along on the rescue mission. They’re not making a move right away. That should give me enough time to heal.” I rise from the wheelchair, the pain in my chest making me wince. “The chair is just a safety precaution because my balance isn’t the best, but with therapy and a crutch, I’ll be back to normal in no time.”
They all nod, though the doubt is clear in their eyes. Doesn’t matter. I don’t need to prove myself to them. I just need to get well enough to get Pen back, and get her back I will, even if it costs me my life.
