Page 115 of Dear Mr. Brody
“I don’t think I could have gotten through my divor—” He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze landing on his daughter. “I couldn’t have gotten through everything without my family.”
“She should have come home a long time ago. I’m just upset it took him leaving her to do it.”
After his last business trip, my sister’s shithead husband had come home and asked for a divorce. Guess he found some other chick he could manipulate.
“Who knows? Maybe she’ll find someone new, someone who can change her life for the better.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed past it, smiling as my stomach did a somersault. “Maybe.”
Anne wiggled and I let go of her legs as she slid off my back. “Look, cuttlefish,” she said and ran toward one of the display tanks.
“Thanks for inviting me along today.” I leaned into him, watching as Anne set her hands against the glass. A squid-type fish swam by, and she turned to smile at her dad. “I like getting to spend time with you both.”
His smile wavered. “I’m sorry we don’t get to go out as often as we should.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know, but it’s true. You shouldn’t have to hide away in my house, Park.”
I exhaled a sigh, wishing I wouldn’t have said anything.
Wrapping my arm around his waist, I pulled him closer and tried to lighten his mood. “I don’t know,” I whispered, my lips brushing against the shell of his ear. “I kind of like getting you all to myself. In your bed, against the wall… and that was just last night. You’ve become quite the needy bottom.”
He pressed his lips together as I pulled away, his skin flushing all the way to the tips of his ears.
“Parker.” He breathed my name with a quiet laugh. “The shit you say.”
“You love it.”
His gaze flicked to my mouth and back up to my eyes. Van didn’t have to say anything, the tether between us, that invisible, tangible thing that linked him to me and me to him, it was there, vibrating like a guitar string. I thought I heard it hum three unspoken words in the way his gray eyes lightened when they met mine.I love you.
“Parker, come on.” Anne grabbed my hand. “Let’s go into the tunnel.”
Van released his hold on my hand, his grin slowly spreading as he watched me get dragged away. He was behind us when I saw her. She was at the entrance of the tunnel with two small children at her side. I tried to move Anne in the opposite direction before Van caught sight of her, too, but Dean Decker turned our way the exact moment he sidled in next to me.
“Oh shit,” he said, and Anne giggled.
“Dad.” She tried to let go of my hand, but I held on tight.
“Hey, kiddo, let’s… let’s…” I watched in horror as the dean approached us, but her eyes were fixed on Van. “I want to buy you one of those giant stuffed whales.”
“What?” Anne looked up at me confused.
“Um… I saw one, in the plaza. Come on, let’s grab it before it’s gone.”
“But what about the—”
“We’ll come right back. I don’t want someone else to buy it.” I started to move as the dean smiled at Van.
“Donovan,” she said, and I turned away, practically dragging Anne like she’d done to me only a few minutes ago. “How funny, I was just thinking about you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Van rub the back of his neck. “Vivian…”
“Come on,” I said and forced myself not to look back.
“Why are you whispering?” Anne asked.
“I… I don’t know.”