Page 16 of Black Widow

“No, Kaela. I’m not making you a deal,” Deacon said, and James grinned. He walked through the foyer, grinning wider when he saw his wife standing behind the column, peering into their living room.

James crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He inhaled a deep breath, she felt so good in his arms. He held her tighter, today had been yet another reminder that moments like this weren’t guaranteed. “What are you doing?”

“Shh,” she said under her breath.

He kissed her neck. “Hello to you to,” he whispered then craned his neck around the column to see what she was looking at.

“Kaela, I’m warning you,” Deacon said, his hand outstretched.

Kaela put her hand on her hip. “Warning me, what?”

Mak groaned, stifling a laugh. “This child...”

Marianne looked up at that moment, catching James’s gaze. She shrugged then went back to reading her book.

“Time out. Go!” Deacon commanded.

A smirk spread across Kaela’s lips. “Where? The children are asleep in all the bedrooms. Where are you going to put me in time out?”

Deacon looked at her a long moment. “You underestimate me, child,” he said, taking her hand. James watched curiously as he walked her past them and into the kitchen. He opened the pantry door, turned on the light, ushered Kaela inside, then closed the door.

James looked to him, grinning. “That’s going to win you a parenting award.”

Deacon rolled his eyes. “That pantry is bigger than some NYC apartments, it’s hardly child abuse. Anyway, she’ll be fine—she was already reaching for the goldfish before I’d closed the door. Trust me, she’s not really being punished, but I don’t know what else to do with that child,” he said, throwing his arms up as he walked back to the living room. He sat on the couch with Marianne, tipping his head back to the ceiling and groaning.

Marianne laughed. “You should try dealing with her all day.”

Their heads snapped to the pantry when a crashing noise echoed from within. James grinned, looking back to Deacon who squeezed his eyes shut.

James went to the panty and opened the door to find Kaela sweeping up the mess of cereal on the floor with her hands, scooping it back into the containers. Cereal James would’ve eaten tomorrow if he hadn’t witnessed this.

“I think we need to put that in the trash, don’t you?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked up at him, blinking. “There’s starving children in this world, Uncle, and you’re going to waste food?”

James held back his grin.

“This wouldn’t be happening to me if I had an older brother,” she whined.

James raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

She looked at him like he was stupid. “Because older brothers always look out for their siblings, right? Dad says you always protect him. I always look out for the little children. I want an older brother, then he’d save me from time out,” she said, matter-of-factly.

As he stared down at her, it hit him and his heart skipped a beat before it remembered to continue.

He hadn’t made the connection in the past, but as he recalled her face on the train, he couldn’t forget it now.

James turned and headed for the foyer.

“James!” Deacon called out but he didn’t stop. He headed straight for Samuel’s office.

JAMES

“Jenna is their biological child—” Samuel started as James strode into Samuel’s office.

“That’s not why I’m here,” James said. “Widow is Fred’s younger sister.”

Samuel’s mouth dropped open. “What? How do you know that?”