Page 90 of Never Fall Again
“Please. This thing will feed a family of five.”
Two minutes later, the cinnamon roll was gone.
“I guess that means we’re now a family of five.” Landry threw the box in the trash to the sounds of Cal’s and Bronwyn’s laughter. “Did you come back for another reason? Or just to poach my cinnamon roll?”
Bronwyn wiped her mouth. “Another reason. Gray said to ask you to please come to the studio as soon as you’re ready.”
“He’ll be waiting a while.”
“I told him you had to pack a bag for Eliza.”
“I don’t think that’s what she was talking about, Beep.” Cal gave her arm a squeeze. “Tell Gray that as soon as we get Eliza sorted, we’ll be up there. Do you mind?”
“Nah. No problem. Thanks for the food.”
Landry went to Eliza’s room and packed her bag on autopilot. It only took a few minutes, and she returned to the living room.
Cal was on the phone. He saw the bag and grinned. “Perfect timing, Carla. She just finished. Why don’t you let me get one of the valets to take it down to the main entrance. That way you don’t have to drive all the way in.”
A pause. A grunt. “Thanks. Love you, sis.”
He picked up The Haven phone that sat on Landry’s kitchen counter and dialed a number. Moments later, he said, “Yes. I need to have a package for Eliza Hutton delivered to the guardhouse. Feel free to confirm with Bronwyn.” Whatever the other person said made Cal grin. “As soon as possible. The police chief wants us at the studio.”
Cal put the phone back on the receiver. “Can you make it a few more hours?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Sadly, no. But tonight we’ll get you and Eliza settled in at Meredith’s. We’ll have a fire in the firepit. Maisy will lay on your feet. Then you’ll go to bed and sleep. And tomorrow, there’ll be breakfast waiting for you.”
Cal opened the door to a quiet knock, handed Eliza’s bag to the valet along with a five-dollar bill, then held the door for Landry to join him.
“Will there be blueberry pancakes?”
“No. Blueberries don’t belong in pancakes. Sacrilege. Wash your mouth out with soap, young lady.”
Despite herself, Landry laughed. “Then what will we have? But fair warning. If you say cereal, I’ll have to seek alternative lodging.”
“Oh, ye of little faith.” Cal pretended to sulk. “There will be Belgian waffles. Powdered sugar. Sliced strawberries. Real maple syrup. Thick-cut bacon. And, if you’re very, very good, coffee.”
“I can’t wait.”
He held the door for her and stayed by her side as they walked to the studio. “Cal?”
“Yeah?”
“Nothing.”
“We’ve covered this already, haven’t we? Saying ‘nothing’ just makes me determined to get the truth out of you.”
“It’s just ... Eliza ... she doesn’t know about her dad. I mean, she knows she had a dad, obviously. And that he died. And that we moved here to start our new lives. She hasn’t asked much about him, but I think that’s because we’ve been so isolated at The Haven. Now that she’s in school, she’s asked a few questions about him—and his family. Her grandparents. That kind of thing.”
“And you don’t want her overhearing something she isn’t supposed to know.”
How did he do that? How did he know what she meant when she was stumbling through her explanations?
“Something like that. I’m sure that someday I’ll have to tell her. Not the details, but the general idea. But I’d prefer to spare her that. I don’t talk about Dylan. Ever. That’s probably unfair. But he wasn’t a good father. She loved him the way kids do, but he didn’t love her the way a father should and—”
“Landry.” Cal pulled her to a stop before they went inside. “I would cut out my own eyes before I let anyone hurt her. I’ll make a couple of phone calls, a few discreet remarks, and we’ll make sure the topic of her father is a nonstarter. We’ll do everything we can to protect her. Not just physically, but emotionally.”