I lost the kid.

Four months into being his caretaker and I lost the damn kid.

I swallowed the panic that clawed at my throat as I scanned the bustling sidewalk of a town I had never been to before. Summer was waning, but apparently Western Michigan hadn’t gotten the memo. My armpits were sticky, and the thick strands of my hair were clinging to the back of my neck.

Think, think, think, think, think.

If you were a seven-year-old boy in a cutesy little town, where the hell would you go?

The town itself was picturesque. Off in the distance, about a half mile down the road, Lake Michigan sparkled, with the roadway cutting through the quaint little tourist town. Mom-and-pop shops dotted the sides, shoppers filtered in and out of the businesses, and storefronts had signs and sandwich boards enticing people to come inside to shop.

It would have been idyllic had it not been rapidly turning into the third-worst day of my life.

My eyes bounced across the storefronts that dotted the main drag in downtown Outtatowner, Michigan. I quickly dismissed the library, general store, and hardware store as I strode down the sidewalk with the sole purpose of finding my nephew. Crossing the street, I absently waved to a car that honked at me and continued peering through the bodies of people milling around each storefront.

“Teddy?” I called out. My heart rate ticked higher as I looked through each window in search of him.

A neon sign with a grinning skeleton and a beer in its hand gave me pause, but I doubted a lone child would go unnoticed in a local dive bar. I called out anyway and looked around the concrete planters along the sidewalk. “Teddy!”

A bit farther down was a small bakery, and I scanned the large picture window, hoping the sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar had enticed my nephew.

Beyond that, the tattoo parlor was an unlikely choice.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Universe, please point me in the right direction.

When I opened my eyes, I squinted against the sun and looked down the sidewalk.

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Oh, hello.

Outside the tattoo parlor were two men. One was laughing, heavily tattooed and seemingly lost in conversation, but the other . . .

The other was dressed in a bespoke navy suit. His watch glinted in the sunlight, and the dark sunglasses perched on his nose only highlighted his chiseled cheekbones. I swallowed hard and blinked rapidly.

What the hell, Universe? I need to find Teddy, not a midday orgasm.

I huffed and pushed the handsome stranger to the furthest recesses of my mind.

I looked beyond the downtown area toward Lake Michigan. Dread pooled in my stomach when, in the distance of the scenic town, my gaze landed on the lighthouse at the end of a pier.

He doesn’t know how to swim.

“TEDDY!” Fear laced with desperation as I screamed his name.

“Whoa, hey.” A woman stopped my forward progress. Her light-blond hair fell down her back, and her dark-brown eyes were kind, yet concerned. “Can I help you with something?”

Tears pricked at my eyes. “I lost him. I can’t believe I actually lost⁠—”

“Shh. Okay.” She held a hand up as she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. Looking at me, she continued, “Give me the details. Name and age. Any idea what he was wearing?” Her attention was drawn to the other end of the phone as I struggled to recall the information she needed. “Hey, Amy, it’s Sylvie. I have a tourist here who’s lost a kid. I’m getting the details.”

She looked at me as my brain scrambled. “Um, his name is Teddy. He’s seven. About this high.” I held out my hand. “Black hair, bluish-green eyes. He was, um, wearing a plaid shirt—blue plaid with a little black bow tie and jean shorts.”

The woman’s eyebrows raised slightly at my description, but I continued looking over her shoulder and through the bustling crowd for my nephew.

“Did you get that? Yeah. Bow tie should be easy to spot. We’ll start looking downtown and I’ll alert the Bluebirds. You got it. Thanks.” Sylvie hung up the phone and placed her hands on the outside of my arms. “It’s okay. We’re going to find him. I called the police and they’re on it. He’s not the first little guy to wander off in Outtatowner.”

From behind us, a huge man with an apron covered in flour walked out of the bakery and looked right at the woman next to me. “Lost kid,” she said to him and relayed my description.

“On it,” he called out as he put a phone to his ear.

“That’s the bakery owner, Huck. Looks like the phone tree’s been activated.” She smiled at another storefront owner, who gave her a knowing nod.

Beside me, Sylvie called out to someone walking past. “Excuse me. Hi. We’re looking for a seven-year-old boy named Teddy. Plaid shirt and a bow tie. Please look out for him.” She walked down the sidewalk, then stopped to look at me and gestured for me to follow as she loudly announced to anyone nearby that Teddy was missing. “We’re looking for a seven-year-old boy named Teddy. Plaid shirt and a bow tie.”

We hurried down the sidewalk, and I watched in awe as more and more people exited their storefronts, temporarily closing their shops and joining us on the sidewalk, walking in all directions and searching for Teddy. Murmurs of the lost boy rippled through the town as we made our way down the sidewalk and toward the lakeshore in the distance.

Sylvie patted my arm as if she understood the intrusive thoughts streaming through my head. “Don’t worry. One of the first things we do is call the lifeguards on the beach. They’ll be on high alert looking for him too.”

I swallowed hard. My throat tightened as I squeaked out an emotion clogged “Thank you.”

With confident strides, the pretty blonde beside me walked down the sidewalk, calling out to anyone who would listen and help. When her phone rang, my heart jumped. “Hey, Whip, what’s up?” Her face brightened and she looked at me. “They got him.”

My lungs collapsed and I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees and trying to catch my breath.

“Oh, that’s great news,” Sylvie continued. “I can bring her by. See you soon.” The woman looped her arm in mine and helped me up. “Okay, Mama. Looks like Teddy is at the fire station. Let’s go get him.”

My heart lurched at her calling me Mama. I swallowed hard. “I’m actually his aunt.”

“Okay.” She simply shrugged and smiled as we continued walking.

“Is he all right?” My lower lip trembled, and I nearly lost it again before swallowing back the emotions.

Sylvie smiled. “Sounds like he’s got the fire department wrapped around his little finger already.”

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We turned a corner, and in the distance an adorable small-town fire station came into view. Bright-red trucks were lined up outside, and one of the large bay doors was open. Mature trees lined the sidewalks, and a slight breeze kicked up from the lake. I sucked in a lungful of coastal air and tried to rein in my frantic emotions.

“He’s a slippery little sucker, huh?” Sylvie asked. There was no judgment in her voice, only kindness and a motherly knowing.

I smirked and a wry laugh pushed through my nose. “You have no idea.”

I had always been a wanderer. I guess Teddy and I were kindred spirits in that regard. In fact, it had only been since my sister died that I had really gotten to know my nephew. My entire life I had yearned to travel—odd jobs, a new city. When I outstayed my welcome in one place, I packed up and picked another dot on the map without a single regret.

Well . . . maybe a single regret.

I had missed my sister. My thoughts flicked to the pretty urn that was shoved in the back of a cabinet of the skoolie where I lived. Olive always knew what to do in every situation, and I didn’t even know what to do with her ashes.

When Teddy was born, I made a trip back to Chicago to visit her, but then I was gone again. We chatted over video, but life as a single mom was hectic for her. I visited only a handful of times in the seven years since his birth. I was finding my own adventures while Teddy had become Olive’s whole world.

My chest pinched. How was I ever going to be good enough for him?

“Do you have other kids?” Sylvie asked as we walked.

I laughed at the idea. I liked kids, I just always assumed I’d be one. “Just him—but he’s actually my nephew. His mom, my sister, died a few months back.”

“Oh.” She placed a hand over her heart. “I am so sorry to hear that.”

I kicked a stone as we marched toward the fire station.

The woman beside me was a stranger, but I found myself opening up to her. She had a calm and welcoming nature that reminded me a bit of my sister.

Strong and resilient.

“We were both kind of free spirits. Olive was always scheming, always one step ahead of everyone. Once she entered our town’s baking competition with a store-bought pie because the prize was two thousand dollars. When she won, they put her name and picture on a plaque, and she laughed every time we walked past it.”

There was a time when I had found that story funny and endearing, but hearing myself recount it aloud, it fell a little flat and kind of made Olive sound like a jerk.

I swallowed hard and backtracked. “She could charm anyone and everyone.”

Sylvie hummed.

I found myself nervously chattering as we walked. “When Olive found out she was pregnant at twenty-one, she wasn’t even scared. She was thrilled. She always seemed to know that everything would work out. I envied that.”

“My little sister is kind of like that,” Sylvie said. “She’s always so sure of herself.”

I offered a polite smile, and we continued walking in companionable silence as thoughts of my sister flooded my brain.

As her younger sister, I had been terrified for Olive—convinced her life was practically over. She had a string of ex-boyfriends, but none that we had ever met. When my mother demanded to know who the father was, she simply said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m taken care of, and I can do this on my own.”

Olive powered through and started her life as a single mother. My heart ached, knowing I hadn’t taken the time to really stop and check in with her . . . to make sure she was okay. I had been too wrapped up in the clout of a blooming social media page full of sponsorships and an exciting paycheck. I called often, but rarely came home for holidays and birthdays. Teddy knew me as a face on a screen and a few bills slipped inside a birthday card.

Why on earth did she think I could take care of him?

As we approached the fire station, I watched Teddy walk out of the open bay door with a firefighter’s helmet bobbling on his head. It was too large and heavy for him, so his neck dipped and his little hand came up to steady it.

Behind him were a small group of firefighters, dressed in black boots, navy tactical pants, and T-shirts with OFD embroidered over the left chest pocket.

I ran straight toward Teddy and kneeled in front of him. “There you are!” I wrapped him in a hug as his head struggled with the weight of the helmet. “I looked up and you were gone! You scared the shit out of me!”

“You aren’t supposed to say that in front of me,” Teddy chided. I couldn’t help but laugh and pull him in for another quick hug.

“Sorry, kid. I’m working on that.” I peered up at his striking blue-green eyes, emotion swimming in mine as relief washed over me. “You really scared me.”

His features fell, and he looked away. “Sorry. I just really, really wanted to⁠—”

“This guy belong to you?” a voice called from over Teddy’s shoulder.

I looked up to see a firefighter with a wide grin and playful eyes.

I stood and held out my hand. “Yes, thank you so much. I looked away for one second and he was gone.”

“I’m Lee Sullivan. It’s no problem. Heard the alert over the radio, and we were all keeping our eyes peeled. Turns out this little dude was on a mission.” Lee tapped the top of Teddy’s helmet, and my nephew’s cheeks turned pink as he grinned.

Another firefighter approached Sylvie. I put my arm around Teddy and tucked him into my side. I didn’t trust he wouldn’t bolt again, and I was still reeling from worry.

Their voices were hushed, but Sylvie and the man were close enough to overhear.

“I think you’re gonna want to stick around for this,” he whispered. “I had to call JP, and he’s on his way over.”

Hearing his name aloud sent a chill down my spine.

JP King.

He was the man we had set out to find, but I hadn’t been prepared to face him yet—not after everything my sister had revealed in her letter.

My stomach bunched, hoping no one had discovered the real reason Teddy was asking for him.

“JP?” Sylvie scoffed as she looked at the firefighter. “Why in the world did you call him?”

The man leaned in, but I could still discern the disbelief and concern laced in his voice. “Get this—the kid said JP’s his dad.”

I blanched.

Oh, fuck.

•••

I lost the kid.

Four months into being his caretaker and I lost the damn kid.

I swallowed the panic that clawed at my throat as I scanned the bustling sidewalk of a town I had never been to before. Summer was waning, but apparently Western Michigan hadn’t gotten the memo. My armpits were sticky, and the thick strands of my hair were clinging to the back of my neck.

Think, think, think, think, think.

If you were a seven-year-old boy in a cutesy little town, where the hell would you go?

The town itself was picturesque. Off in the distance, about a half mile down the road, Lake Michigan sparkled, with the roadway cutting through the quaint little tourist town. Mom-and-pop shops dotted the sides, shoppers filtered in and out of the businesses, and storefronts had signs and sandwich boards enticing people to come inside to shop.

It would have been idyllic had it not been rapidly turning into the third-worst day of my life.

My eyes bounced across the storefronts that dotted the main drag in downtown Outtatowner, Michigan. I quickly dismissed the library, general store, and hardware store as I strode down the sidewalk with the sole purpose of finding my nephew. Crossing the street, I absently waved to a car that honked at me and continued peering through the bodies of people milling around each storefront.

“Teddy?” I called out. My heart rate ticked higher as I looked through each window in search of him.

A neon sign with a grinning skeleton and a beer in its hand gave me pause, but I doubted a lone child would go unnoticed in a local dive bar. I called out anyway and looked around the concrete planters along the sidewalk. “Teddy!”

A bit farther down was a small bakery, and I scanned the large picture window, hoping the sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar had enticed my nephew.

Beyond that, the tattoo parlor was an unlikely choice.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Universe, please point me in the right direction.

When I opened my eyes, I squinted against the sun and looked down the sidewalk.

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Oh, hello.

Outside the tattoo parlor were two men. One was laughing, heavily tattooed and seemingly lost in conversation, but the other . . .

The other was dressed in a bespoke navy suit. His watch glinted in the sunlight, and the dark sunglasses perched on his nose only highlighted his chiseled cheekbones. I swallowed hard and blinked rapidly.

What the hell, Universe? I need to find Teddy, not a midday orgasm.

I huffed and pushed the handsome stranger to the furthest recesses of my mind.

I looked beyond the downtown area toward Lake Michigan. Dread pooled in my stomach when, in the distance of the scenic town, my gaze landed on the lighthouse at the end of a pier.

He doesn’t know how to swim.

“TEDDY!” Fear laced with desperation as I screamed his name.

“Whoa, hey.” A woman stopped my forward progress. Her light-blond hair fell down her back, and her dark-brown eyes were kind, yet concerned. “Can I help you with something?”

Tears pricked at my eyes. “I lost him. I can’t believe I actually lost⁠—”

“Shh. Okay.” She held a hand up as she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. Looking at me, she continued, “Give me the details. Name and age. Any idea what he was wearing?” Her attention was drawn to the other end of the phone as I struggled to recall the information she needed. “Hey, Amy, it’s Sylvie. I have a tourist here who’s lost a kid. I’m getting the details.”

She looked at me as my brain scrambled. “Um, his name is Teddy. He’s seven. About this high.” I held out my hand. “Black hair, bluish-green eyes. He was, um, wearing a plaid shirt—blue plaid with a little black bow tie and jean shorts.”

The woman’s eyebrows raised slightly at my description, but I continued looking over her shoulder and through the bustling crowd for my nephew.

“Did you get that? Yeah. Bow tie should be easy to spot. We’ll start looking downtown and I’ll alert the Bluebirds. You got it. Thanks.” Sylvie hung up the phone and placed her hands on the outside of my arms. “It’s okay. We’re going to find him. I called the police and they’re on it. He’s not the first little guy to wander off in Outtatowner.”

From behind us, a huge man with an apron covered in flour walked out of the bakery and looked right at the woman next to me. “Lost kid,” she said to him and relayed my description.

“On it,” he called out as he put a phone to his ear.

“That’s the bakery owner, Huck. Looks like the phone tree’s been activated.” She smiled at another storefront owner, who gave her a knowing nod.

Beside me, Sylvie called out to someone walking past. “Excuse me. Hi. We’re looking for a seven-year-old boy named Teddy. Plaid shirt and a bow tie. Please look out for him.” She walked down the sidewalk, then stopped to look at me and gestured for me to follow as she loudly announced to anyone nearby that Teddy was missing. “We’re looking for a seven-year-old boy named Teddy. Plaid shirt and a bow tie.”

We hurried down the sidewalk, and I watched in awe as more and more people exited their storefronts, temporarily closing their shops and joining us on the sidewalk, walking in all directions and searching for Teddy. Murmurs of the lost boy rippled through the town as we made our way down the sidewalk and toward the lakeshore in the distance.

Sylvie patted my arm as if she understood the intrusive thoughts streaming through my head. “Don’t worry. One of the first things we do is call the lifeguards on the beach. They’ll be on high alert looking for him too.”

I swallowed hard. My throat tightened as I squeaked out an emotion clogged “Thank you.”

With confident strides, the pretty blonde beside me walked down the sidewalk, calling out to anyone who would listen and help. When her phone rang, my heart jumped. “Hey, Whip, what’s up?” Her face brightened and she looked at me. “They got him.”

My lungs collapsed and I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees and trying to catch my breath.

“Oh, that’s great news,” Sylvie continued. “I can bring her by. See you soon.” The woman looped her arm in mine and helped me up. “Okay, Mama. Looks like Teddy is at the fire station. Let’s go get him.”

My heart lurched at her calling me Mama. I swallowed hard. “I’m actually his aunt.”

“Okay.” She simply shrugged and smiled as we continued walking.

“Is he all right?” My lower lip trembled, and I nearly lost it again before swallowing back the emotions.

Sylvie smiled. “Sounds like he’s got the fire department wrapped around his little finger already.”

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We turned a corner, and in the distance an adorable small-town fire station came into view. Bright-red trucks were lined up outside, and one of the large bay doors was open. Mature trees lined the sidewalks, and a slight breeze kicked up from the lake. I sucked in a lungful of coastal air and tried to rein in my frantic emotions.

“He’s a slippery little sucker, huh?” Sylvie asked. There was no judgment in her voice, only kindness and a motherly knowing.

I smirked and a wry laugh pushed through my nose. “You have no idea.”

I had always been a wanderer. I guess Teddy and I were kindred spirits in that regard. In fact, it had only been since my sister died that I had really gotten to know my nephew. My entire life I had yearned to travel—odd jobs, a new city. When I outstayed my welcome in one place, I packed up and picked another dot on the map without a single regret.

Well . . . maybe a single regret.

I had missed my sister. My thoughts flicked to the pretty urn that was shoved in the back of a cabinet of the skoolie where I lived. Olive always knew what to do in every situation, and I didn’t even know what to do with her ashes.

When Teddy was born, I made a trip back to Chicago to visit her, but then I was gone again. We chatted over video, but life as a single mom was hectic for her. I visited only a handful of times in the seven years since his birth. I was finding my own adventures while Teddy had become Olive’s whole world.

My chest pinched. How was I ever going to be good enough for him?

“Do you have other kids?” Sylvie asked as we walked.

I laughed at the idea. I liked kids, I just always assumed I’d be one. “Just him—but he’s actually my nephew. His mom, my sister, died a few months back.”

“Oh.” She placed a hand over her heart. “I am so sorry to hear that.”

I kicked a stone as we marched toward the fire station.

The woman beside me was a stranger, but I found myself opening up to her. She had a calm and welcoming nature that reminded me a bit of my sister.

Strong and resilient.

“We were both kind of free spirits. Olive was always scheming, always one step ahead of everyone. Once she entered our town’s baking competition with a store-bought pie because the prize was two thousand dollars. When she won, they put her name and picture on a plaque, and she laughed every time we walked past it.”

There was a time when I had found that story funny and endearing, but hearing myself recount it aloud, it fell a little flat and kind of made Olive sound like a jerk.

I swallowed hard and backtracked. “She could charm anyone and everyone.”

Sylvie hummed.

I found myself nervously chattering as we walked. “When Olive found out she was pregnant at twenty-one, she wasn’t even scared. She was thrilled. She always seemed to know that everything would work out. I envied that.”

“My little sister is kind of like that,” Sylvie said. “She’s always so sure of herself.”

I offered a polite smile, and we continued walking in companionable silence as thoughts of my sister flooded my brain.

As her younger sister, I had been terrified for Olive—convinced her life was practically over. She had a string of ex-boyfriends, but none that we had ever met. When my mother demanded to know who the father was, she simply said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m taken care of, and I can do this on my own.”

Olive powered through and started her life as a single mother. My heart ached, knowing I hadn’t taken the time to really stop and check in with her . . . to make sure she was okay. I had been too wrapped up in the clout of a blooming social media page full of sponsorships and an exciting paycheck. I called often, but rarely came home for holidays and birthdays. Teddy knew me as a face on a screen and a few bills slipped inside a birthday card.

Why on earth did she think I could take care of him?

As we approached the fire station, I watched Teddy walk out of the open bay door with a firefighter’s helmet bobbling on his head. It was too large and heavy for him, so his neck dipped and his little hand came up to steady it.

Behind him were a small group of firefighters, dressed in black boots, navy tactical pants, and T-shirts with OFD embroidered over the left chest pocket.

I ran straight toward Teddy and kneeled in front of him. “There you are!” I wrapped him in a hug as his head struggled with the weight of the helmet. “I looked up and you were gone! You scared the shit out of me!”

“You aren’t supposed to say that in front of me,” Teddy chided. I couldn’t help but laugh and pull him in for another quick hug.

“Sorry, kid. I’m working on that.” I peered up at his striking blue-green eyes, emotion swimming in mine as relief washed over me. “You really scared me.”

His features fell, and he looked away. “Sorry. I just really, really wanted to⁠—”

“This guy belong to you?” a voice called from over Teddy’s shoulder.

I looked up to see a firefighter with a wide grin and playful eyes.

I stood and held out my hand. “Yes, thank you so much. I looked away for one second and he was gone.”

“I’m Lee Sullivan. It’s no problem. Heard the alert over the radio, and we were all keeping our eyes peeled. Turns out this little dude was on a mission.” Lee tapped the top of Teddy’s helmet, and my nephew’s cheeks turned pink as he grinned.

Another firefighter approached Sylvie. I put my arm around Teddy and tucked him into my side. I didn’t trust he wouldn’t bolt again, and I was still reeling from worry.

Their voices were hushed, but Sylvie and the man were close enough to overhear.

“I think you’re gonna want to stick around for this,” he whispered. “I had to call JP, and he’s on his way over.”

Hearing his name aloud sent a chill down my spine.

JP King.

He was the man we had set out to find, but I hadn’t been prepared to face him yet—not after everything my sister had revealed in her letter.

My stomach bunched, hoping no one had discovered the real reason Teddy was asking for him.

“JP?” Sylvie scoffed as she looked at the firefighter. “Why in the world did you call him?”

The man leaned in, but I could still discern the disbelief and concern laced in his voice. “Get this—the kid said JP’s his dad.”

I blanched.

Oh, fuck.

•••

Thirty minutes earlier . . .

My shoes clacked on the sidewalk as I made efficient progress toward my small downtown office. The sidewalks were unusually busy for mid-August, even though it was still considered tourist season in Outtatowner. People were milling around, seemingly searching for something. They all appeared preoccupied by it, but I didn’t have time to stop and ask what new drama was unfolding in my small town.

Also, I didn’t care.

My life was already too full with carrying the stress of managing a billion-dollar company in the face of a scandal. It was plastered all over the news, and the sharks were out for blood. My father had royally fucked us, and I was charged with making it right.

Outside of his tattoo shop, my brother Royal was scanning the sidewalks when I approached.

He held out his hand in greeting. “JP.”

I nodded and took it. “Royal.”

I exhaled and squinted against the sun as we watched the tourists filter in and out of the downtown shops. “This fucking town . . .”

I was never supposed to be stuck here.

King Equities was meant to be the launching pad of my own successful empire, not the family company that had the potential to ruin my entire career—not to mention my reputation. If I wasn’t careful, my father’s actions would dismantle my entire life brick by brick.

“You could do it, you know,” Royal eventually said. I glanced over, unsure of what he meant. “Get out of here,” he clarified. “Start over in a big city where you can make a new name for yourself.”

I nodded slowly, looking down at my shoes and trying to find the right words to explain the many, many hours I’d spent dreaming of doing exactly that. “I could.” A shrug was all I could muster. “I might.”

Shock and disbelief at what my father was accused of had made its way through town like wildfire. He’d all but admitted he’d murdered our mother when we were children. She had found out about a second family in Chicago, and she’d had plans to leave him and take us with her. Instead, he took her from us, and we’d spent our entire lives believing she had simply abandoned us.

I was still grappling with the guilt that I’d blamed her for so long. She was trying to take us with her––to leave him behind and keep us safe––when he’d killed her for choosing her children over him.

Many in town went out of their way to express their support for our family. Others stood by the man they had thought my father to be and vehemently denied he was ever capable of murder.

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They branded our mother a whore and a flake—claimed my father was a saint for raising six kids when she left him.

They have no idea of the hell we lived through.

I had the money and the power to leave it all behind me. All I had to do was sacrifice any relationship I had with my siblings and I’d be rid of them and the curse of the King name.

I simply didn’t have the balls to do it.

“Who am I kidding?” I sighed, hoping Royal didn’t detect the slight wistfulness in my voice. “There’s too much shit here to take care of. Who’s going to help you keep the Sullivans in check, if not me?”

Royal chuckled and clamped a hand on my shoulder. “I appreciate that. You know, I have been thinking Wyatt is due for a little pestering.”

Our small town was a ridiculous place where centuries-old family rivalries morphed into grown men pulling pranks on one another and acting like idiots for no good reason. At least, reasons none of us could remember.

Hell, our sister Sylvie had even married a Sullivan and had his kid.

I forced a smile and shook my head. “You are such a child.”

Royal pushed my arm. “Nah, I guess they’ve been all right.”

In fact, the family we’d been groomed to hate had been more than all right. Over the past three weeks, the Sullivan family had rallied behind us Kings after we’d uncovered that our father was behind the disappearance of our mother. He had let us all believe she’d left us as children, but we’d uncovered the truth.

He’d taken her from us because she had chosen to love her children more than him.

Together we petitioned the Department of Natural Resources to allow Wabash Lake to be dredged. We didn’t know what we might find, but if there was any chance our mother’s remains were there, we wanted to know.

I just wanted it behind us, once and for all.

“The Sullivans and Kings working together.” I shook my head. “It’s weird, though, right?”

Royal laughed. “So fucking weird.”

I crossed my arms to cover the tugging sensation at the center of my chest. Part of me was restless, wanting to get back to work and get shit done. The other part—the part that was acutely aware of the gaping hole in my chest that should contain a heart—warned me to at least try to connect with my older brother.

I simply wasn’t that guy.

“I don’t know. Maybe a little change around here is a good thing. Speaking of change . . .” I checked my watch, annoyed that our conversation was taking far too long already. “You planning to keep Veda around for a while?”

Royal unsuccessfully tried to suppress a grin. That man was down bad for his woman. Veda and I had been cordial business contacts in Chicago, and I had brought her into town to help me dig through my father’s business dealings.

It hadn’t taken long for Royal to charm his way into her heart.

Typical.

“Thinking about it. Why?” he asked.

I laid out the facts. “She’s fucking smart. And a hard worker too. I want to bring her onto the team full-time, but I don’t need you breaking my new employee’s heart and fucking with my plans.”

Royal’s face split into a wide grin. “If I get my way, she’ll be my wife, and then you’ll be stuck with her for the foreseeable future.”

I smiled back, satisfied. Having Veda on the team would double our efforts, and I needed someone as cutthroat and efficient as me. “Fantastic.” I shook his hand again. “Think she’ll want to officially sign on with a company that’s completely going to shit?”

Royal laughed. “I’m sure she’ll consider it a welcome challenge.”

I sighed. Though early, exhaustion was already settling in. I shook my head at Royal. “How you ended up with a woman like her is beyond me, brother.”

Before he could come back with a quippy response, my phone rang, flashing my brother Whip’s name across the screen.

I held up my hand, cutting off Royal’s response.

“JP,” Whip said over the line before I could even say hello. “You won’t believe this. I’ve got a kid here who says you’re his dad. You know anything about that? I swear, man, he’s⁠—”

“Wait, wait. Slow down. What the fuck are you talking about? Where are you?” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“I’m at the fire station. Are you busy?” he asked.

“Yes.” It was ridiculous of him to even ask.

Whip scoffed and kept rattling on, despite my best efforts to brush him off. “You sure you didn’t steal from Dad’s playbook and have a secret family no one knows about?”

Irritation rolled off me. The constant comparisons between my father and me were plentiful. As if I needed another reminder.

“No,” I ground out.

“Cute kid. If he’s yours, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone. Just Emily . . . and Sylvie . . . plus Abel. Probably Royal and MJ too.” Humor danced across the line, and the ever-present knot between my shoulders tightened.

Of course he’d run his mouth to his fiancée and our siblings just to goad me. I wouldn’t expect any less of my ridiculous older brother.

I huffed. “Of course it’s not mine.”

Whip clicked his tongue in disbelief. “Well, he’s pretty convinced—knew your name and everything.” His chuckle grated on my already fried nerves. “The kid looks just like you, man. Are you absolutely sure?”

I sighed again, my mind spinning. I had a sinking feeling that this wasn’t going away until I dealt with it. “I don’t know—Jesus, I will be right there.”

I quickly ended the call and shoved the phone into the pocket of my slacks.

“Everything all right?” Royal’s eyes raked over me.

“I have to go—that was Whip. Apparently some kid at the fire station thinks I’m his dad.” The muscles in my jaw flexed, and a hammering throb pounded behind my eyes. Without looking back, I stormed down the sidewalk in the direction of the fire station. “I do not have time for this bullshit.”

By the time I got to the fire station, my feet were fucking killing me. Twelve hundred dollars for Bontoni Italian designer shoes and I was still losing circulation to my pinkie toes.

I should buy the company and sell it off piece by piece, simply for the inconvenience.

I flicked away the rogue thought and came up short when the small gathering in front of the fire station came into view.

My sister Sylvie was standing next to Whip. Concern pitched her brows forward as she whispered something to him.

Lee Sullivan was there with his ever-present, shit-eating grin. He was enjoying every second of whatever was unfolding, and I had a feeling it would come back to bite me in the ass if I didn’t tread lightly.

Beside him, a little kid was prattling on and keeping his attention.

As I approached, my eyes snagged on a pair of long, smooth legs peeking out of dangerously short denim cutoffs. Legs that seemed to go on forever before flaring out into full hips and a tight, round ass. The woman’s hair flowed down her back in wild yet pale strawberry blond waves. The unique color reminded me of an expensive French Rosé Belle champagne as it swung across her back.

Her tank top scooped low over impossibly perky breasts in a way that screamed distracting. Her soft brown eyes swept my way, locking onto my face. Every cell in my body sparked and sputtered as they tried to ignite but groaned from neglect. I couldn’t even recall the last time I’d had sex, and there was no way in hell I’d forget being with a woman who looked like her.

Relief flooded my system.

Clearly there was a misunderstanding and I could be back to the office in a matter of minutes. All I had to do was make yet another problem go away, and I’d be done with it.

I folded my hands in front of me as I stood in front of the mismatched group waiting outside the fire station.

The pretty redhead’s eyes widened, and I cleared my throat as a sudden shot of nerves hit me. Clearly I’d been more out of practice than I remembered.

I turned my attention to my brother Whip. “You called?”

His eyes bounced between the mystery woman and me. He must have been expecting some kind of spark of recognition, but the only spark I was feeling currently resided behind my zipper.

The kid stepped between us, his small hand raised in the air for a handshake. “Hello.”

I slowly took his hand in mine and shook. “Hello.”

“My name is Theodore Adams. You are my father.” He was so sure of himself it was almost endearing.

“Uh . . . hi. I’m JP King.” A soft chuckle rumbled out of me as we awkwardly shook hands. “I’m afraid you’re misinformed. I assure you, I am not your father.”

The sheer ridiculousness of it was laughable. No one would ever be so cursed as to have me as a father.

I had always been careful.

A light scoff puffed out of the redhead’s nose as she stepped forward, gently placing her hand on the kid’s forearm, breaking our handshake. “Teddy . . .”

Her whisper was husky and thick. Instant desire ran through me, and my mind wandered before I could shut it down. I wanted to soak her in and discover if her laugh was as rich and thick as her whisper. I suddenly wanted to know everything about the mystery woman in front of me.

The boy frowned at the woman, and she shook her head. “Bro, come on.” She shrugged. “You needed a better opener.”

Bro?

The woman guided Teddy beside her as she adjusted the strap of her oversize purse and lifted her warm, brown eyes.

Whip suppressed a smile before jumping in. “I caught Teddy here trying to climb into the Safe Souls baby box.”

My gaze flicked to the kid. He had dark hair and sharp bluish-green eyes, just like me. He was a good dresser—I’d give him that—but there was no way in hell he could be my kid.

He had to be what? Five? Seven? Hell, I couldn’t tell.

His nose was in the air as his small shoulder lifted. “Well, isn’t that how babies get dropped off?”

I glanced over to where a small box was built into the side of the building next to a red button to alert those inside when a newborn baby was surrendered and left by its caretakers.

My brows cinched down. “You’re kind of big. Did you really think you were going to fit inside that thing? Be real.”

The woman stepped forward. “You don’t have to speak to him like that.”

Her temper flared and I hated myself for liking her fire, just a little bit. Still, there was no way on earth I was this kid’s father. I sure as hell would have remembered rolling in the hay with a knockout like her. She wasn’t the type of woman a man would easily forget.

Her chin rose and fury simmered behind her eyes. “Does the name Olive Adams mean anything to you?”

I avoided her gaze. It was far too distracting, and I could feel the eyes of everyone on me. My brain rifled through the filing cabinet of memories and came up blank.

“Should it?” I asked.

Her nostrils flared, and my eyes roamed to her lush, full lips. A flicker of annoyance pinched my chest. I shouldn’t have stared at her mouth.

Whip cleared his throat, cutting through the tension in the air. “Hey, Teddy. Want to see inside the fire station?”

The little boy’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Can I ride down the pole?”

Whip laughed as he guided the kid toward the open bay door. “Maybe some other time. How about we watch Lee make a fool of himself instead.” He tipped his head toward Lee, who followed him toward the station.

Sylvie slunk backward, likely unsure if she should give us a moment of privacy or stay to watch the dumpster fire in front of her.

The gorgeous redhead in front of me was fuming.

I looked around, my palms facing upward as I scoffed. “So, what? I’m the asshole here?”

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He was definitely the asshole.

I steadied my breathing. The last thing Teddy needed was me coming unglued and ruining his only shot at getting to know his father.

This was not at all how I’d planned for this reunion to go. Not that I was a planner, per se—more of a wing and a prayer type of girl—but whatever scenario that had played out in my mind definitely wasn’t this.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that JP was the same man I’d been ogling on the sidewalk. On the outside, he certainly appeared to be Olive’s typical type—rich, handsome, and a total dick.

What I didn’t expect was that up close, rugged manliness oozed from beneath that expensive tailored suit. He had tousled dark hair, crystal blue-green eyes beneath dark furrowed brows, broad shoulders, and a permanent scowl.

I lifted my chin, determined to be unfazed by his particular brand of handsome. “My name is Hazel. Olive Adams was my sister.”

A flicker of surprise crossed his face—if it was from my use of past tense or subtle confusion, I couldn’t tell. His steely gaze was back before I could decipher it.

“You may not remember her,” I continued, “but she certainly remembered you. You were listed as the father on Teddy’s birth certificate application.”

His intense gaze never left mine. It was as though he was running through every available scenario, but still coming up short.

“Hi. Sorry.” We turned to look as Sylvie threw both thumbs over her left shoulder. “I’m going to go. This really feels like a you-two-don’t-need-an-audience type of conversation.” She backed away with a nervous laugh. “Okay, bye.”

Without waiting for a response, Sylvie swiveled on her heels and started walking down the sidewalk in swift strides.

“Thank you,” I called to her back before sighing and turning toward JP, who had resumed scowling in my direction.

“You said was.” His voice was quiet and intense.

“What?” I asked.

His brows pinched. “She was your sister.”

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I swallowed past the lump that expanded in my throat. Talking about Olive still stung, regret swimming at the edges of my memory. “She passed away. Four months ago.”

JP’s lips hardened into a grim line. “I’m sorry.”

A flicker of hope sparked in my chest. Perhaps he wasn’t a total douche after all and there was an actual human hiding beneath his frosty exterior.

“But the kid isn’t mine,” he continued before turning his back to me and starting to walk away. “There’s nothing I can do for you.”

Aaaaand the dick is back.

I followed behind him, my flip-flops slapping against the concrete as I struggled to keep up with his long, efficient strides. “You can at least hear me out. We came a long way, and I have proof.”

JP paused and I took the opportunity to dig into the bottom of my purse. I pushed aside a hairbrush, two wallets, empty gum wrappers, and something gross wadded into a tissue as I searched.

When my fingers found the neatly folded papers at the bottom, I held them up in triumph. “Aha!”

JP plucked the papers from my fingers and slowly opened them. My sister’s loopy handwriting came into view, and I quickly snatched the top page from him. “That’s private.”

I didn’t need JP reading my sister’s heart-wrenching goodbye or the fact that she wrote in circles about her life’s choices.

I flipped through the pages, taking out the last one and handing it to him. “You’ll see there you’re listed on the application.” He eyed the pages of my sister’s letter, but I shoved them back into the depths of my purse.

“You were also listed as a potential guardian in her will. She asked that I find you after . . .” I fought back tears but was proud my voice was steady after a good throat clearing. “After she passed. She wanted Teddy to have the opportunity to get to know you, though I’m not exactly sure why.”

He scoffed as he studied the paper. “Me neither.”

I detected a hint of self-deprecating pain hidden in his scoff. Something aching pinched in my chest as I watched him examine the sheet.

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He sighed and handed it back to me. “Well, a paternity test will be required. Obviously.”

My lip curled. I hated how annoyed, yet efficient, he seemed. “Obviously,” I mocked.

I didn’t blame him for being skeptical—we had popped out of the woodwork without any notice, after all. But in my heart of hearts, I really thought he’d take one look at Teddy and just know.

I patted the outside of my purse, where my sister’s last words were safely tucked. “Olive asked that we find you.” I clasped my hands in front of me. “So here we are.”

He shook his head, and his intense gaze pinned me in place. “Here you are.”

The ferocity of his stare set off alarm bells. Heat pooled in my belly, and I shifted to rattle a bit of sense into myself.

The grump just stared. His intensity was unnerving. “My attorney will be in touch with you.” JP slipped his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. “Enter your contact information and a letter will be mailed when we have more information.”

I typed my phone number into his phone before handing it back to him with a scowl. “If you wanted my number, all you had to do was ask.”

He blinked twice. “I didn’t—I wasn’t⁠—”

Pink splotches erupted beneath the collar of his shirt and crept toward his cheeks. It was almost humorous, seeing someone so big and grumpy and used to being in control lose a bit of footing.

My laugh interrupted his obvious, internal meltdown. “Relax. It was a joke. Besides, we’re staying in town for a while.”

He spun on me, recovering from his sputtering. “In town?”

I looked around and shrugged as Teddy bounded from behind a fire truck. “Yeah, I mean, why not? Seems like as good a place as any.”

His arms folded across his broad chest. “Ah, I see.”

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My eyes narrowed at him. “What do you see?”

JP’s hand flicked my way in a vague gesture. “You’re after money, then?” He shook his head as though he had us all figured out.

My temper flared, and I only briefly considered the ramifications of kicking him in the balls in front of Teddy. My finger jabbed in his direction instead. “Watch it.”

JP checked his watch as though finding out he had a kid was a mild inconvenience in the middle of his very important day. Anger, hot as a kettle, simmered through my blood.

“Then where are you staying? My attorney will need a way to contact you.” His eyes flicked down my front and then back up. When his gaze met mine, it was emotionless, as though he’d locked himself behind whatever cool, dismissive facade he had chosen for the day.

“We live in a bus!” Teddy’s enthusiastic shout floated across the parking lot as he walked toward us.

JP only tossed me a terse nod. “Of course you do.”

When he glanced down at Teddy, something shifted. The callous jerk who had just accused me of being a money-grubbing drifter evaporated, and in his place was someone with sad, kind eyes.

For a brief moment, my fury subsided.

“Did Whip show you around, big guy?” he asked, crouching in front of Teddy to look him in the eye.

Teddy nodded. “It was interesting, but dirty. I didn’t love it.”

JP laughed and grinned at my nephew, and the steel around my heart cracked a bit. When he looked at Teddy, there was kindness there.

It was unnerving. I knew what he had done to my sister. Her letter had told me everything I needed to know about JP King, and I wouldn’t let him fool me.

“It’s time for us to go, Teddy.” I shifted my bag and held out one hand for him.

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Read The Wrong Woman Chapter 611 - Find Novel

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With a pout, he reluctantly slipped his little hand into mine. His soft blue-green eyes lifted to JP’s. “Can you come see the bus?”

I stepped forward, hoping to lessen the blow of yet another rejection. “Maybe another day. I’m sure Mr. King is very busy and doesn’t have time to interrupt his important day for us.” I lifted my eyebrows in challenge.

“You know what?” JP leaned back on his heels. “I’d love to see it.”

After a short walk back to town, JP guided us to the parking lot near his downtown office, where his car was parked. It was a sleek black number whose rich leather interior still looked brand-new. When he opened the door, I was hit with the scent of new leather mingling with his clean, spicy cologne.

Teddy opened the door to the back seat and peered in with a scowl. “You don’t have a booster seat. That’s unsafe.”

JP’s eyes flicked to mine and I shrugged. “I don’t make the rules.”

“That would be the state of Michigan,” Teddy said. “They have ‘Buckle Up!’ laws. I looked.”

Teddy’s lips twisted as though he was waging some distraught internal battle over whether to ride in his dad’s car or defy the lawmakers of Michigan.

I patted his shoulder. “It’s not too far.” I gestured toward the lighthouse. “We parked in the marina parking lot. Plus, it’s a beautiful day. We can walk, right, pal?”

Teddy shrugged with a frown. “I guess.”

Figuring he was relieved to finally be rid of us, I turned my back to JP and started walking.

“I can take a walk.” His voice rumbled behind my back.

I slowly turned, shocked that he wanted to walk with us. When I saw Teddy’s face light up and JP returned his smile, I understood that he wasn’t doing it for me.

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I nodded and we walked toward the lakeshore. Teddy prattled on about boats and sand dunes and changing weather patterns. I simply attempted to breathe without getting tiny, delicious hits of JP’s masculine scent.

When we reached the parking lot, I grinned. Teddy bounced as he waited for me to unlock the school bus that I had converted into a fully renovated tiny house on wheels.

“What the hell is that?” JP’s dark brows furrowed.

“It’s my car . . . and my house.” I grinned, suppressing a laugh. “It’s my car and my house. You’ve never seen a skoolie?”

“A what?” He leaned back to take in all thirty-five feet of gloriously renovated steel, painted in a crisp white.

I unlocked and opened the bifold door. Teddy bounded up the stairs. “Hazel turned a junky old school bus into this place! Mom said she’s super famous.” Teddy’s grin was proud and innocent.

I swallowed past the gravel in my throat. The way he spoke of Olive was as if she was in the next room, not gone forever. He never seemed burdened with the clawing, aching sadness that consumed my thoughts. Maybe it was just how kids dealt with grief. Maybe I was completely missing the signs. With Teddy, it was hard to tell.

I could feel JP’s eyes on me so I shook my head. “I’m not famous.”

“Don’t lie!” Teddy chided. “Your videos get, like, billions of views.”

Nerves skittered through me. “Not billions.”

“Videos?” JP asked.

I rolled my lips. “I got bored—started renovating an old school bus and posting about it online. At first I sucked, but I taught myself what I could and got help when I needed it. I documented my progress, and I guess people were excited to follow along. It kind of unexpectedly blew up.”

JP peered inside my skoolie. “And you live here?”

My forehead creased. The roof had been raised nearly eighteen inches, giving the interior plenty of headspace. With warm wood floors, white walls, gleaming cabinets, a functional sink, and even a wood-burning stove, my skoolie was a work of freaking art.

The benches had mismatched pillows in jade green, deep purple, and burgundy. A beaded curtain separated the driver seat from the main living area. Incense burned in the corner, and my prettiest tarot deck was prominently displayed on a handsewn mat. Woven throw blankets added the perfect cozy touch.

Fuck this guy if he couldn’t see how funky and cool it was.

Teddy plopped onto the plush sofa cushion before grabbing a comic book from the end table, and I couldn’t help but smile at how he was settling in.

I shrugged. “Home sweet home.”

“What is that?” JP pointed to the tarot deck and mat.

“Tarot.” I brightened. “Have you ever had a reading?”

His turquoise eyes turned to me with one dark eyebrow lifted. He looked so bitchy I almost laughed out loud, but instead I couldn’t stop staring. With his eyes trained on me with such intensity, even a corpse would feel palpitations.

He was intimidating, with a dangerous edge just peeking out from beneath his buttoned-up exterior.

His only response was a dismissive grunt.

The gruff noise vibrated beside me, and I was suddenly all too aware of our closeness. Our shoulders brushed as we both peered into the bus’s small entrance. On contact, his head snapped around as if my proximity was personally offensive.

With a step back, he smoothed a hand down his suit jacket. “Will you be here if the attorney needs to contact you?”

I swirled a hand in the air. “Around. I am still looking for a campground nearby that will accommodate the bus for prolonged overnight parking. But it’s touristy here, so I’ll find something.”

His hard stare felt like it lasted forever. When he broke eye contact, I could finally breathe. He pulled a card and pen from his jacket and scribbled something across it before handing the card to me.

I stared at his business card: JP King, King Equities. An address was written across it in blocky, precise handwriting.

“You can park there,” he offered.

I studied him. He was a walking contradiction of shitty digs and subtly kind gestures. Hard stares and soft smiles. I couldn’t quite figure him out, and that worried me.

With a nod, he turned his back without saying goodbye.