Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 23667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“Well, shit,” he mutters. “Miracles do happen.”
“Knox,” I scold, but he grins and leans down to kiss my cheek.
Then Bennett appears, and instantly, I notice the difference. He hugs me and says he missed me, but something is off, I can tell.
We all sit down to dinner, and conversation flows easily. Even though I haven’t been to family dinner in a few months, I have stayed in touch with my children, talking to them daily and seeing them a few times a week. Laughter fills the room, and I can’t stop smiling. This is good, and I’m glad I came.
But I can’t stop watching Bennett. His attention keeps drifting off from the conversation, and his shoulders are tense. Twice during dinner, his phone buzzes, and both times his face flushes as he looks at the caller ID and then quickly turns it over.
Interesting.
Robert doesn’t notice a thing because it seems he’s too busy watching me.
The dinner is loud and chaotic, filled with laughter and the boys giving each other crap, but it feels good. For the first time in months… it feels like the Kingston family again.
I glance over and catch Robert watching me. He’s quiet as he stares down the length of the table.
When our eyes meet, something shifts in his expression. It’s almost like seeing me here has a calming effect on him.
The conversation shifts when Knox casually says, “I saw Audrey Sterling today.”
Bennett immediately stills. It’s subtle, and no one seems to notice but me and Knox. It’s obvious he was looking for a reaction.
Robert keeps eating like nothing happened.
Knox glances at Bennett with a smug smile. Those two have been thick as thieves for as long as I can remember, and Knox’s comment just reinforces my thought that there’s something going on with Bennett and Audrey.
Cole groans. “Why are we talking about the Sterlings during dinner?”
Knox shrugs. “Because she’s living in our territory.”
Luna looks confused. “Why would a Sterling move here?”
Nobody answers immediately.
Then Bennett says a little too quickly, “Maybe she’s smarter than the rest of them.”
The whole table goes quiet. Slowly, I lift my wine glass to my lips to hide my reaction.
Well, that is interesting. Bennett is defending Audrey.
Robert finally looks up. “You got something you want to say, Bennett?”
Bennett leans back in his chair. “Nope.”
But the tension at the table says otherwise.
I glance between them all, and realization slowly settles in my chest. Things are changing, and not just between me and Bobby. The whole family.
Dinner eventually winds down, and everyone slowly filters out.
Luna hugs me goodbye twice.
Cole tells me I need to come back soon.
Knox gives Robert a long look that clearly says they need to talk.
And Bennett? He disappears outside with his phone pressed to his ear.
Robert puts a hand on my lower back as he walks me toward the front door.
“You were quiet tonight,” he says once we’re alone.
I glance up at him. “I was observing.”
His lips twitch. “That sounds dangerous.”
“It probably is.”
He opens the front door for me, and cool night air rushes in. But instead of walking me to my car, he stops on the front steps and turns toward me.
The porch light casts shadows across his face, and suddenly he looks less like the Mafia king and more like my Bobby again.
“Come home,” he says quietly.
There’s no demand in it this time, and that’s what makes it harder.
I step closer and smooth my hand over the front of his tie. “Not yet.”
Pain flickers across his face before he hides it, but then he nods.
“Okay.”
And for the first time since I left… I’m not sure staying away is what I really want anymore.
CHAPTER 8
ROBERT
I sit behind my desk pretending to read over paperwork, but my attention keeps drifting to the woman sitting across from me.
Eleanor is curled up in one of the leather chairs in my office with her legs crossed beneath her and reading glasses perched on her nose. I don’t know why I thought I would get any work done with her here in my office, but I asked her to come, and I don’t regret it for a second.
I really like having her here. I’ve been a mess since she left, and with her sitting across from me, I feel more at ease and focused.
Having her here last night in the house was perfect, and I’m not the only one that thought so. Cole smiled more, Luna felt more at ease since she wasn’t just with a group of men, and Knox and Bennett even seemed more like their old selves.
Eleanor flips another page and then looks up at me over the top of the papers. “Are you actually going to read those or are you just staring at me?”
I lean back in my chair. “Can’t I do both?”
Her lips twitch.
God, I’ve missed that smile.
I toss my pen onto the desk. “You know, you sitting in my office like this is dangerous.”