Impact (Suncoast Society #32)(20)

Relief filled Tilly. No, she didn’t want to take Katie from Sofia…

But Tilly damn sure didn’t want to give her back to the young mother just yet, either.

Not until they were all in Florida and Tilly was positive there wouldn’t be any problems.

“So what else did she say?” Tilly asked, settling on the couch with Katie cradled against her chest.

Cris went over what they’d talked about, including how shocked in a good way Sofia felt about how Tilly had talked to Monroe on the phone.

“I wonder if he was arrested?” Landry mused. “We’ll have to ask the attorney tomorrow morning about that. See if he can check into it.”

“I already checked,” Cris said. “Online records. He was booked this afternoon.”

“Excellent,” Landry said. “That’s one less worry.”

“Not exactly. I paid for a background check on him. He’s been arrested over thirty times and has spent a total of fifteen years in jail. He’s twelve years older than Fi.”

“Terrific,” Tilly said. “Thank god he’s not Katie’s biological father.” She cuddled the baby just a little closer.

“Sofia is really ready to move to Florida?” Landry asked Cris. “I recall how it broke your heart before when she wouldn’t.”

“Yeah. She’s worried about her probation officer and then getting a job in Florida because of her arrest record, but she’s done with all of this crap out here. The baby snapped her out of it, finally. Better late than never, I guess.”

“What about her parents? Your aunt and uncle? Her brothers? Should we notify them?”

Cris shrugged. “Why?”

“They do have a newborn granddaughter and niece,” Landry pointed out.

“So?”

“Cris, you are no longer a teenage boy your uncle can use as a punching bag. Perhaps we should allow Sofia the chance to reconcile with them.”

“Uh, no offense, Lan, but no. I don’t want her staying here in LA if probation gives her permission to move to Florida. And she specifically said she absolutely does not want her parents or her brothers getting custody of the baby. She’s afraid they’ll never let her see Katie again, even after she’s got her life straightened out. Not to mention she remembers how her father used to beat me. She wants us to have custody because she trusts us not only to raise Katie right, but to not screw her over later with giving Katie back when Sofia’s ready and able to take care of her.”

“And they would try to get custody of the baby,” Tilly darkly muttered. “People like that don’t give a shit about others.”

Landry looked at her. “Well, that would be rather foolish on their part, wouldn’t it?” He smiled. “I suspect no sane person will pry that baby from your arms before you’re ready to relinquish her, my vicious little Redbird.”

“Damn straight.”

Normally, on a night when all three of them were together again after time spent apart, they’d make love. At least two of the three of them usually would.

Not tonight.

And tonight they all wore some sort of clothes to bed. Tilly wore one of Cris’ old T-shirts, which hung past her ass. The men both wore boxers to bed.

Tonight, Landry would be in the middle with Tilly on the left side of the bed, where Cris had set up the portable crib.

After getting the baby safely tucked in, Tilly stood there for a moment, struggling against the prickle of tears trying to well up in her eyes.

The men gathered behind her, their arms around her, their chins on her shoulders.

“It’s all right to cry, love,” Landry whispered. “It doesn’t make you weak. It means you’re strong enough to care and mourn.”

“Let it out, sweetheart,” Cris gently said.

She held her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “It’s not fair,” she whispered. “It’s not f*cking fair. Even a f*ckup—no offense, Cris—like her can have a gorgeous, beautiful baby. And because some f*cking * raped me when I was a kid, I went through a lifetime of misery and my dream of having kids was taken from me. It’s not f*cking fair.”

They made her turn, her face pressed against Landry’s chest while Cris pushed in close behind her, their arms around her.

“I know, Redbird,” Cris said. “That’s the one thing I always wished I could give you and couldn’t.”

“It’s not f*cking fair.”

Landry nuzzled his chin against the top of her head. “Take comfort that because you answered the phone, you might have saved their lives.” He made her look up at him. “Are you sure you don’t wish to consider adoption?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s not like a car where if you don’t bond with it right away you can take it back. I won’t do that to a baby.”

“You seem to be bonding rather well with Katie.”

“This is different. She’s family.”

“You love Lily,” Cris said. “And Kenny.”

“And even Laurel,” Landry added. “That beautiful, blessed little hellion.”

“Molly,” Cris said. “All our friends’ kids, you love them.”

“That’s…different.”