“What’s funny?” Riley asks.
“You three,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look… I haven’t spent a lot of time with Mercy, but it’s easy to see that little girl has a fighting spirit. She’s being raised by three strong, intelligent, and downright tenacious women. Sure, finding out she has a father she didn’t know about is gonna throw her for a loop, but I fucking guarantee that once she meets Noah... she’ll fall in love instantly and have that man wrapped around her little finger. You’re worrying for nothing.”
“You forgot beautiful,” I tell him with a smirk.
Shaking his head, he laughs. “I didn’t think that was relevant to the topic, but yeah. You know you’re gorgeous, baby. Your girls are, too.”
“Aw, thanks, Jake,” Riley says, tossing him a playful wink. “I prefer gorgeous girls, too, but you’re pretty handsome yourself.”
The banter is a much-needed respite from the heavy discussion we were having, but unfortunately, we’re not finished yet.
“Thank you, Jake,” Penny says softly, directing us back to where we need to be. “It’s kind of our job to worry, but you and Lexi are right. Mercy can only benefit from having someone else to love her.”
“Oh, it’ll be more than Noah,” Jake says, eyes widening as he smiles playfully. “Believe me when I tell you that Mercy’s about to gain a whole new, extremely large family.”
Penny smiles, and I can tell she’s thinking about Noah, wondering about all the possibilities of everything that could happen. She loses herself to whatever’s playing out in her head for a minute, but she’s quick to shake it off. “When are you going?” she asks Riley.
“I’ll probably leave today. I could use a little escape after… everything.”
We all understand that.
She deserves it, too.
Penny has Mercy to keep her occupied, and I have Jake. Riley’s been floating around a little lost these last few days.
“I’m excited to meet my brothers, and this way, Jake can finally call Adam and tell him the whole truth,” Riley says, looking at him. “I know it was a big ask, Jake. Thank you for giving us time even though I know you didn’t want to.”
He nods, easily accepting the gratitude.
“You sure you want to go this soon?” Penny asks, holding onto a little of her hesitation about everything.
“No sense in wasting time, Pen. If we’ve learned anything in the last few days, it’s that life is short. In a sense, I’m getting a bit of a second chance,” she says solemnly, thinking about another loss she’s suffered. “I’m not gonna take that for granted.”
“I’ll help you pack a bag,” Penny offers.
“Hell yeah,” Riley says. She stands up, pulling Penny with her. “If I get on the road soon, I’ll get there in time to hang out at the bar for a bit. I kinda wanna fuck with the cocky owner and make him think I’m trying to steal his girl.”
“There’s a story there,” Jake says as they disappear down the hall.
“I’m sure there is,” I agree, “and I’m as curious to hear it as you.”