“Exactly.” Victoria’s eyes shine. “It’s Daddy’s first time trying something new, and he needs encouragement, so instead of saying something that could make him sad, we would find a way to say something that might make him smile and not feel so bad if we didn’t like them. Get it?”

Zoey nods and turns to Rolland. “Papa, it’s nice when you cut my strawberries little even though I’m big and like to hold and bite them.”

Rolland’s mouth drops open, and then the room erupts with laughter.

I smile at the scene, and hesitantly take the seat at Rolland’s side, smiling down at baby Phoenix in his little basketball striped onesie.

“Point taken, Zo.” Rolland kisses her head. “Papa won’t cut your strawberries anymore.”

Zoey smiles, kicking her feet and looks to Captain, who winks at her.

“Okay, here goes nothing.” Captain sighs.

“I’m sure they’ll be great.” I turn his way. “The only real trick is to make sure they’re evenly thin.”

All eyes cut to me.

I glance around the room but settle on Cap as his grin grows.

“You know how to make crepes?” He’s already wiping his hands on a towel and stepping away from the stove.

“I... I mean, yeah. I was sort of the maid and the chef of the house the last couple years.”

He leans across the counter, tosses up the spatula, and catches it on the opposite end, thrusting it toward me.

I look to Royce, who grins from his brother to me.

Well, screw it.

I hop up, my bra still tucked under my top, and cook breakfast for not one Bray, but every single one.

Royce

“So she cooks and has a green thumb.” Victoria drops into the seat beside me, giving her a perfect view of Brielle and Zoey in the garden.

I scoff a laugh. “She’s got it all, VicVee.”

Victoria nods, slowly swinging her head to mine and waiting for me to look over.

“Does she?” She raises a brow.

I turn away, smiling at Zoey when she tucks Brielle’s hair back and tries to stick a little wilted flower they cut from the stem in it.

I know what Victoria’s asking.

Am I hers?

If Brielle has everything, does that mean she has me?

Is that even a fucking question?

She’s stirred the corners of my sleeping soul.

I lick my lips, meeting Victoria’s brown eyes. “Is it weird if I can’t remember when she didn’t?”

Victoria smiles, shaking her head. “Not even a little bit.”

Raven joins us with my nephew in her arms, and Victoria jumps up to hold him so she can ease herself into the cushiony seat. She winces, but once she’s settled, reaches for her son again.

Brielle laughs in the distance, and the sound echoes through my body, wrapping around my bones.

The three of us spot Captain walking up to them, and he points toward the trampoline.

Zoey smiles, tosses her little shovel and runs, but Brielle, she drops a hidden smile to the grass, her eyes peaking up and hitting mine for a quick, shared secret.

Yeah, baby, I’m thinking of it too.

Slowly, hesitantly, she turns away, following the two to the giant toy, and with every step she takes, my lungs constrict.

A small smile graces her flawless lips, and with a bit of a hop, she joins my brother and niece inside the netting, jumping and attempting to dunk a ball in the little hoop attached to the top.

She fails, but still she laughs.

She’s fucking stunning.

And perfect.

Happy.

Can I keep her that way?

I’ll kill myself trying.

She glances toward Brielle. “I like her. She’s—”

“Bass Bishop’s little sister?”

Raven shakes her head with a playful scoff. “It has nothing to do with that and you know it, but it is hard to explain. It’s like...” Raven trails off, searching for the right words.

“Her existence is comforting?” Victoria tries and Raven’s eyes slide to her. “I don’t feel on edge when she’s around, worried or a need to watch my back, watch what I say.” Both of them look to me. “How is that possible when we’re still getting to know her? Does that make us fools?”

I shake my head, my gaze moving back to the girl of the hour, the night, the fucking century. “Nah, ‘cause that’s the same shit I noticed the day I met her. I thought then I was being fooled, and even more so after the second day, but I know for fucking certain, this is her. She’s soft, but not in a weak way. Kind but not to trick. Generous but not for clout.” I sigh, my body relaxing in the seat. “Loyal but without hatred, trusting but not blind.”

Breathing with ease for what might be the first time in a real long fuckin’ time for the girl we allowed to be sent away. Left and forgot about.

She’s not someone who should ever be forgotten.

“She’s pure-hearted despite the fucked-up place she came from.” Raven frowns after her, but there’s a calm to the way her lips curve.

“Yeah.” Victoria nods in my peripheral. “All that. She’s—”

“Stronger than us,” Raven finishes her sentence. “But in a different way than us.”

I glance from Raven and Victoria, who share a look among themselves.

Brielle’s voice calls for me, and when I lock my gaze on to hers, everything fades away.

She smiles and my chest plate fucking cracks. “Come over here. Zoey said Uncle Bro can teach me how to dunk.”

I don’t hesitate or make her ask twice.

I push to my feet and head right for her.

Cap knows what’s up and spins, cutting his smirk toward the pool.

He distracts Zoey long enough for me to glide my hand into the silkiest, shiniest of hair, hook my fingers through mini belt loops, and lower my lips to a pair of the softest, plush, waiting ones.

Wanting ones.

Ones that have been wrapped around my cock, nice and fucking tight.

I planned to ravage her quick, but that’s not what happens.

The second my lips touch hers, I kiss her soft and slow, but end it quick, and when she smiles against my mouth, I lose my damn breath.

My stomach sucks in, tightening.

Baby girl, you’re mine.

A low laugh leaves her and my eyes flick open to meet hers.

She leans into me, then holds the ball up at our sides. “What do you say, Playboy? Teach me?”

“I’ve got a better idea. Let the little master show you how it’s done.” I juke around her, grab Zoey by the hip, and spin her in the air.

Without a second thought, Zo bends her little knees, ready to push off for a high jump and twists her little hips, folds her arms behind her head, and dunks the ball straight in, gripping on to the plastic rim with a smile. I hold her there until she lets go, and then pull her into me.

Zoey laughs, and comes in for a high five, smiling bright at Brielle. Her hands come out for a sassy little. “Boom!”

Everyone laughs and Brielle bows.

Zo kicks to be let down and rushes right over to Brielle. “Um, my daddy said Rora needs to move in his room ‘cause you’re gonna need hers soon.”

My eyes fly to Captain’s when he starts busting up laughing, and a low cursed ‘Jesus’ leaves Victoria.