“We came back here! This is my favorite home!” Rose says, throwing the door open and racing out.
“Her happiness is infectious,” Liesel says.
“It is, but she knows how to use it to get what she wants,” I say, raising my eyebrows as Rose throws open Liesel’s door, grabs her hand, and drags her into the house, excited to show her around. She doesn’t realize that Liesel has already been to the house before, back when I was a jackass, married to the wrong woman, and thought Liesel was the devil.
Kai and Enzo walk up behind me. “Our kids and Siren and Zeke’s son are getting flown here as well. We want to be all together.”
“Good,” I say, gripping Enzo’s shoulder. It’s about time we were all together as a family.
Then I walk inside to look for my girls.
At first, I don’t hear them, just the eery silence of a house that I haven’t lived in for months, but then I hear Rose’s giggling from upstairs followed by Liesel’s laughter.
I decide to head to the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast, letting them have time to bond.
Rose is a good judge of character and outgoing, so it doesn’t surprise me that she instantly took to Liesel. She knows Liesel is a good person instinctually, but Atlas isn’t so trusting, and Declan is a mystery. We have no idea what he’s been through or where he’s been his whole life. Whatever has happened, we will figure out how to heal together.
Enzo walks into the kitchen as I start filling the coffee machine with grounds.
“Siren and Zeke’s plane will be here in thirty minutes. The kid’s plane about twenty minutes after that. And Beckett’s plane will land in about an hour and a half.”
“Good. After everyone is settled, we can all talk about what to do next.”
Kai enters the room. “I have most of our fleet surrounding this island, protecting us. No one gets through unless we want them to.”
“Thank you,” I say.
She nods stiffly. “Phoenix is being held on one of the yachts just offshore. Just tell us what you want us to do with her.”
I let out a long sigh. Deciding what to do with Phoenix is going to be difficult. Instead of thinking about it, I make coffee, eggs, bacon, toast. I mindlessly cook while people come in and out of the kitchen.
Rose, eventually drawn by the smell of bacon, brings Liesel down from playing tea party in her room.
I hand Liesel a cup of coffee, knowing she needs it to regain her energy after what we’ve been through. To my surprise, Liesel also makes herself a plate of eggs and bacon.
I smile, happy to see her finally eating something.
“Can I have some of your coffee?” Rose asks Liesel. I watch from the door as they sit out on the back deck, looking out at the ocean. Rose is an expert manipulator, and I want to see how Liesel handles her.
“Are you allowed to have coffee?” Liesel asks her.
“I am if an adult says I can,” Rose bats her eyelashes.
Liesel tries to hide her laugh, but she can’t. “You should ask your dad.”
“But I don’t want to run all the way inside,” Rose whines.
“You can have some,” I say as I walk over to them. Although I wish Liesel would feel like she can decide for herself what Rose can or can’t do, she is her mother after all.
Liesel holds her cup up to Rose with a sly, knowing grin, but she doesn’t say anything as she lets Rose take a drink. Rose, being Rose, takes a sip, doesn’t like it, but won’t say she doesn’t like it because she wants to act like a grown-up.
“Do you like it?” Liesel asks.
“Dad doesn’t make the best coffee. I like it better from Starbucks.”
I frown. “When are you drinking coffee from Starbucks?”
She shrugs. “It tastes more chocolatey from Starbucks.”