Impact (Suncoast Society #32)(35)

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.” He settled on the couch with the TV on. “I’ve got this.”

“Okay.”

Reluctantly, she headed for bed. There, Landry draped an arm around her and pulled her close. “That’s better,” he mumbled.

“You could always get up with us,” she teased.

“Oh, I plan to, love. I’d started to when Cris told me he’d get up.”

Now she felt guilty for the early morning snark.

To be fair, she wasn’t caffeinated yet and couldn’t be held responsible for what she said.

“Sorry.”

“No apologies. Just go back to sleep.”

She didn’t think she’d be able to, but then she awoke to the alarm going off at six. If they were in Florida, they didn’t even have to think about waking up before seven. The traffic here, however, made that nearly impossible.

She rolled over just to be greeted by Landry’s smiling face.

“Better, love?” he asked.

“Sleep-wise, yes. Guilt-wise, no.”

His smile faded. “You didn’t force her into bad life choices. That was by her own doing.”

“I kind of wished she’d end up in jail.”

“Claiming magic powers now, are we?”

“You’re lucky I don’t wipe that smirk off your handsome mug.”

Cris walked in, the baby on his left shoulder, a mug of coffee in his right hand. “Hold on, Redbird, and I’ll get yours, too.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll come get it. How is she?”

“Took half of a second bottle and burped like a champ.” He smiled. “She’s adorable.”

Landry sat up and reached for his coffee. “Go get your coffee, love, and bring it into the bathroom. We’ll shower together. Cris got to hog me yesterday morning.”

“Are you all right?” Cris asked her.

“She thinks she wished Sofia into jail,” Landry answered for her.

Tilly shot him a glare. “I know I didn’t cause it. I just feel guilty for thinking it and it came true.” She got out of bed and headed for the kitchen. “I am human, despite reports to the contrary.”

“Pity,” Landry said. “I was beginning to think, according to your reputation, that you were a Terminator.”

“You wish,” she muttered.

She met him in the shower a few minutes later. He pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. “We’ll get through this, love. Never fear. We’ve been through far worse. This is nothing.”

“It’s not nothing for Katie and Sofia.”

“You know what I mean. No one is dying. Sofia will wind her way through the justice system. She’ll either have her probation reinstated, or she won’t. We cannot do anything but wait for the outcome. Meanwhile, we have busy lives to live, which have been upended long enough.”

“Someone needs to go online and change our tickets,” she said. “We’re obviously not flying home tonight.”

“Why can’t we, love?”

“Wh—are you serious?”

“Of course I am.”

“Sofia? Baby? Jail? Ring any bells?”

“It’s doubtful any kind of hearing will be scheduled for this weekend or even on Monday. Cris has meetings in Florida on Monday that he should attend, as do I. I’d rather you not be here alone.”

“But…” She sighed. “The baby has a doctor appointment next Thursday. And she’s a little young to be flying. That’s like sticking her in a petri dish.”

“Ah. True.”

“And it’s not like I’m not used to being here alone, Lan.”

“Also true, but that was before all of this happened.”

“I think I can handle it. I dealt with Lily all by myself that time when Leigh and Lucas had to fly to England for a week when that one shoot hit an emergency snag.”

“You’re a rather stubborn woman.”

“Duh. I thought that’s one of the reasons you married me.”

He chuckled. “Touché, love. Touché.”





After breakfast, Tilly took Cris’ car and headed to work. She barely made it there before Leigh, who had Lily in tow, as well as Lucas.

“Is this the new peanut?” He scooped her out of her carrier and cradled her against him. “She’s beautiful.”

“What’s wrong?” Leigh asked as she got Lily settled in her portable crib. “I know that look.”

Tilly filled them in, both their expressions falling.

“Damn,” Lucas said as he returned the baby to Tilly. “That’s rough. Hopefully she gets her act together.”

“Landry wanted to fly home this weekend,” Tilly said. “I nixed that. She’s got an appointment next week anyway. Maybe if the doctor clears her to fly, then I’ll go home.”

“Going home won’t change anything that’s going to happen with Sofia’s case,” Leigh said. “I was flying with Lily when she was two weeks old.”

“That’s different.”

Leigh arched an eyebrow at Tilly.

“I say it’s different.”