Page 62 of Devil's Queen
“I am,” I reply, reaching out to touch her hand reassuringly. “Your dad and I used to be really good friends.”
“Still are,” Rex mutters under his breath. His comment is directed at me. “Remember that brother I told you about, baby girl? This is his mom. Remington.” Rex rubs his hand over her back soothingly, offering a reassuring smile.
“You can call me Miss Remy, sugar.”
With almost impeccable timing, the side doors of the house unlock. Mama steps outside with Beaux behind her. I wave for my son, who walks toward me.
“You’re my dad, right?” Beaux asks when he reaches us.
“Yes, son. I’m your dad.” Rex smiles at our son, unable to hide the happiness in his voice. “I am. This is Birdie, your half-sister.”
Beaux studies Rex for a moment before nodding in acceptance. “Cool. Wanna go see my room?” he asks Birdie.
Birdie looks up at her dad, seeking his approval. Rex nods, a proud smile on his face.
“Go ahead, baby girl. It’s okay.” Beaux takes Birdie’s hand and leads her toward the house, their laughter filling the air. Mama watches them go with a soft smile playing on her lips.
Pike chuckles, his eyes twinkling mischievously once again. “Miss Ameline, good to see you.”
“Pike,” Mama answers, nodding from the porch. “Dinner will be ready in about an hour if you’d like to stay.”
“Your cooking is the entire reason I came along.”
“We best move this party inside. We’ve been out here exposed long enough,” Rex offers before going back to the passenger side of the car, retrieving two bags and a stuffed pink elephant.
“Need help?” I ask him before he shoves the elephant into my hands.
“That’s Jellybean. Guard her with your life unless you want to see Birdie lose her shit.”
“You speak as if you have experience with that, Rex,” I tease him as he shuts the passenger door and motions for me to go ahead.
“I lost her once. Let’s just say this is Jellybean number two. Three, four, and five are in a box in my closet back home. Can’t chance that happening again. She didn’t sleep for three days until the new one showed up, and I convinced her she went to the elephant spa.”
I chuckle at Rex’s words, understanding the importance of Jellybean to Birdie. Holding the stuffed elephant tightly, I lead the way into the house. Cheyenne and Maya follow closely behind us but stop at the porch.
“Go on,” Cheyenne mutters to be. “We’ll take the first watch.”
The familiar scent of home hits me as soon as I step inside, comforting and welcoming—a mixture of warm spices from Mama’s cooking and vanilla from the candle in the center of the dining room table.
Beaux and Birdie are already in Beaux’s room upstairs, their voices filled with excitement as they play together. I can’t help but feel a surge of happiness seeing them bond so quickly. A thud comes from upstairs, and every pair of eyes shifts upward.
“Beaux Alexander, you better not be roughhousing up there.”
“Sorry, Mimi!” he responds before more giggles start again.
“I better go check on them,” Rex offers. “Point me in the direction I need to go?”
“Follow me.” I head toward the stairs off the living room, leading Rex and the bags he’s carrying up to the second floor of our house. Beaux and Birdie fly past us when we reach the top of the stairs, the breeze from their game of chase blowing past us.
“Slow down,” I warn Beaux. “The last thing we need is for you to slip and fall again. One broken arm is enough.”
“Broken arm?” Rex asks behind me. I step onto the landing once the thundering herd is well past us and lead him toward the bedroom on the other side of Beaux’s.
“He decided he was going to be a professional hoverboard rider, and despite my better judgment, I got him one for Christmas. The fun lasted all of about two seconds because he ran himself into the side of the refrigerator and broke his arm in two places. Needless to say, the hoverboard didn’t live here after that.”
Reaching inside the bedroom door, I finger the wall until I find the light switch. As the soft glow fills the room, I turn to face Rex.
His eyes wander around the space, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The walls are adorned with pictures of Beaux and me, capturing moments of laughter and love. The bed is neatly made, a sense of calmness radiating from it. This room has always been my sanctuary, a place where I can escape from the chaos of the world.