He nodded. “I agree.”
Landry tried to hide her smile, biting her lips together as she set out making chocolate chip muffins in the middle of the night with her aunt. All the commotion must have woken up Dash and Smith because before the goodies were even in the oven they had joined us. And we were all a little shocked when Luke came down the stairs instead of in the front door. Landry was smiling and laughing, surrounded by her family, who would spend the rest of their lives making sure that she never felt alone, or unloved.
Epilogue
Jacks
“Girls! It’s time to go, we’re going to be late!” I checked my watch and muttered to myself, “And then I’ll have to listen to Dash bitch until moving day.” It’d been three weeks since Landry had first called me Dad, in the middle of the night, with the whole family there to share it. And things couldn’t be better. She was thriving in any and everything she did. Drums, swim, school. And her counselor said she was the most resilient little girl he’d ever met. Her mom had entered rehab, and Landry sent her letters every day.
“Calm down, love. We’re ready.” Bryan came down the stairs holding Landry’s little hand. They were both in sundresses, with flip-flops on their feet. They looked beautiful. Today was the day that Dash was going to ask Lexi to marry him. He’d rented out this restaurant overlooking the beach where he was going to propose. We’d all have dinner together afterward. It was simple and it was all of us. Luke was right, she was going to love it.
“I have two of the most beautiful girls in the world.” I opened the front door, ushering them into the car. “Wait. Where is Crash?” That puppy couldn’t be trusted to save his life. He chewed on everything and peed wherever he damn well pleased. It was a good thing he was cute. Plus Lexi swore to me that Dagger was the same way as a puppy.
“He’s in his crate in the kitchen.” Landry strapped herself in.
“Good job.” I put the car in reverse but didn’t take my foot off the brake. “Where is Uncle Luke?” He’d been doing so much better these past few weeks. He’d even helped Dash plan the whole proposal.
“He went to help Uncle Smith set up all the candles.”
“And Aunt Dilly?” Lexi had convinced Landry that Dylan should be Aunt Dilly so they would match. Lexi and Dilly.
“She has Aunt Lexi’s camera ready to take pictures of the whole thing, so she’s somewhere on the beach.” Landry may not be anyone’s blood relation but mine, but she had a little bit of all the girls in her. She was tough like Lexi, watchful. She always knew where everyone was. She was brilliant like Dylan. They played chess together all the time. And just like B, she was beautiful and full of life. And she had me wrapped around her little finger.
I turned to Bryan after I’d safely backed us out of the driveway. “Did you know all that?”
She snorted. “Are you kidding me? I spent all morning chasing that puppy around with a roll of paper towels while simultaneously talking with the GC about the soundproof studio addition to Landry’s room you just had to add at the last minute.”
I glanced in the rearview mirror, winking at my kid. “She’s a drum prodigy, she needs practice space.”
“Seems kind of reckless to give a beautiful girl sole access to a soundproof room,” Bryan whispered under her breath.
“What are you talking about? Why would we put the practice room across the house? It’s not convenient.”
She turned to me. “Really? You can’t think of any reason that would be a bad idea?”
I shook my head. “No. Why?”
“Picture yourself at sixteen. Now, picture what you would have done with that room.”
I slammed on the brakes. “Call the GC back.” Fucking karma.